This is a classic Tôm Rim recipe for glossy, fragrant and crunchy Vietnamese Caramelized Shrimp. The prawns are marinated in traditional sauces, then simmered until there’s the perfect balance in a thick, sweet and savory glaze. It’s an essential for an easy weeknight dinner!
A favorite side dish for all the right reasons
Whenever I crave savory caramelized dishes, especially when it’s a sweet and salty Tôm Rim, Vietnamese cuisine is my ultimate go-to.
It’s called Vietnamese Caramelized Shrimp for a reason – the sauce coating every prawn is like no other. It’s simmered down until it becomes glossy, golden and thickly bubbly.
The texture in this dish is beyond anything you’ve ever imagined. Just like our Salted Egg Prawns, keeping the shell on is the secret technique to crunchy pockets of rich umami clusters.
There is really nothing homier and more iconically Vietnamese than this Tôm Rim over a bed of fluffy, steaming hot rice!
Why this recipe works
- Marinating the prawns means there’ll be deeply infused flavor inside and out.
- Leaving the shell on lets the sugar and sauces caramelize over it, keeping the meat naturally sweet.
- Using dark soy sauce helps to bring out a beautifully rich color.
What you’ll need
About the shrimp
Different shrimp will have different levels of saltiness. For instance, Australian Tiger Prawns tend to be much saltier than other types.
Any shrimps will work for this recipe, just make sure to season accordingly.
How to make this recipe
Start by cutting the sharp part of the head off. You’re looking at cutting roughly 2cm (0.8″) off from the tip of the head.
Tip: For preparing the prawns, it’s easiest with a pair of scissors.
Snip the legs off from tail to head.
Cut the tail to remove it.
Use a toothpick to devein the prawn by digging in between the pieces of shell, then scooping out the intestinal tract. You’ll be pulling out a long and thin string that is often black.
When the shrimps have all been prepped, marinate them with the garlic, red shallots, salt, pepper, chicken bouillon powder and dark soy sauce for a minimum of 20 minutes.
Heat up a pan or wok on high heat and pour in the oil. Test to see if the oil is hot enough by putting a wooden utensil (such as a chopstick) into the oil. If it bubbles, add the marinated prawns and sugar in.
Note: If the oil doesn’t bubble, wait for another minute and test again until it does.
Cook the shrimp for 10 minutes or until the sugar has caramelized and thickened. Pour the fish sauce in and stir it into the prawns, then cook for another 3 minutes.
Add the spring onions in and let it cook for 2 minutes before turning off the heat.
Serve immediately with a bowl of hot rice!
FAQs
Yes, you certainly can! If you don’t fancy eating the shell, then deshell and devein the shrimp before marinating. The rest of the cooking instructions will remain the same.
The less you cut off, the more flavor there’ll be! Prepare the prawns to your liking, whether it be with or without certain parts. Just be careful not to cut yourself with the sharp ends as you bite!
When Grandma makes Tôm Rim with pork belly, we usually use the small school prawns. They will also work perfectly in this recipe, just remember to use more.
Tips for the best results
- Add the fish sauce in last. This ensures the savoriness stays light and robust on the shrimp’s surface.
- Cook with the shell on. This may not be everyone’s preference, but Tôm Rim is traditionally made with the shell on for a crunch that’s full of caramelized savoriness.
- Marinate the prawns overnight. As with every recipe that requires marinating (think Spicy Lemongrass Chicken, Fish Sauce Chicken Wings or Vietnamese Grilled Pork Chops), this will help to retain the moisture and infuse extra flavor.
Make authentic recipes to serve with this dish
- Get the table started with steaming hot Banh Bao (Vietnamese Steamed Pork Buns).
- Add to the punch of traditional Asian flavors with some Gà Xào Sả Ớt (Spicy Lemongrass Chicken) and Thit Kho (Vietnamese Braised Pork Belly and Eggs in Coconut Water).
- Balance the side dishes with a creamy and thick Canh Khoai Mỡ (Creamy Purple Yam Soup).
- Find pure comfort in this traditional Che Dau Trang (Sticky Rice Pudding with Black Eyed Peas)!
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Tôm Rim (Vietnamese Caramelized Shrimp)
Ingredients
- 1 kg (2.2 lb) fresh prawns
- 1 1/2 tsp salt (or to taste)
- 3 tbsp sugar (or to taste)
- 1 tbsp chicken bouillon powder
- 1 tsp pepper
- 3 tbsp fish sauce
- 1 tsp dark soy sauce
- 4 tbsp cooking oil
- 3 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
- 1 red shallot (finely chopped)
- 1 sprig spring onion (divided into 5cm/2" segments)
- 1 chili (finely chopped; optional)
Instructions
- Start by cutting the sharp part of the head off. You're looking at cutting roughly 2cm (0.8") off from the tip of the head.Tip: For preparing the prawns, it's easiest with a pair of scissors.
- Snip the legs off from tail to head.
- Cut the tail to remove it.
- Use a toothpick to devein the prawn by digging in between the pieces of shell, then scooping out the intestinal tract. You'll be pulling out a long and thin string that is often black.
- When the shrimps have all been prepped, marinate them with the garlic, red shallots, salt, pepper, chicken bouillon powder and dark soy sauce for a minimum of 20 minutes.
- Heat up a pan or wok on high heat and pour in the oil. Test to see if the oil is hot enough by putting a wooden utensil (such as a chopstick) into the oil. If it bubbles, add the marinated prawns and sugar in.Note: If the oil doesn't bubble, wait for another minute and test again until it does.
- Cook the shrimp for 10 minutes or until the sugar has caramelized and thickened. Pour the fish sauce in and stir it into the prawns, then cook for another 3 minutes.
- Add the spring onions and chili in and let it cook for 2 minutes before turning off the heat.
- Serve immediately with a bowl of hot rice!
Notes
- Add the fish sauce in last. This ensures the savoriness stays light and robust on the shrimp's surface.
- Cook with the shell on. This may not be everyone's preference, but Tôm Rim is traditionally made with the shell on for a crunch that's full of caramelized savoriness.
- Marinate the prawns overnight. As with every recipe that requires marinating, this will help to retain the moisture and infuse extra flavor.
- Different shrimp will have different levels of saltiness. For instance, Australian Tiger Prawns tend to be much saltier than other types. Any shrimps will work for this recipe, just make sure to season accordingly.
And these are mouthwatering, these are appetizing and inviting. I am gonna give it a try, for sure. Love your recipe!
Thanks, Irina! Hope you like them!
I love shrimp, so must try this recipe!
Agreed!
They look terrific and the flavours sound wonderful.
Thanks, Helen!
I never get tired of shrimp recipes. Especially if they are as good as this one. Delicious and so inviting!
Thanks, Mahy!
This sounds amazing. I love shrimp and love making it with different marinades. I have never had this so look forward to making it.
This is quite a nice sweet and savory version. I hope you like it!
I cooked this today. It was way too salty to eat even though I only used 2/3 of the amount of salt in the marinade. Is it definitely meant to be 1.5 tbsp salt? Or am I not meant to add any of the marinade when cooking (the marinade was almost all stuck to the prawns anyway, but I did scrape the little bit remaining in the marinating bowl into the hot pan too). I think it would have been amazing with much much less salt.
Hi, Joanne! I’m terribly sorry this happened to you! I’ve adjusted the salt to tsp so hopefully you get to try this again some time!
You don’t need to add salt because of fish sauce!
Jean Pierre
In the (photo)list of ingredients the dark soysauce is not showing.
Thanks for the spot, Marc! I’ll update that when I can. In the meantime, you can just work off the recipe list 😉
Please note that if you take the shells off, the cooking time is significantly less! 13 min with shells on versus a couple of minutes for without shells.
Thanks for the tip, Nins!
I don’t see a use for the sugar in the method. I’m assuming this goes in the marinade?
Hi, Laura! You’ll find it in step 6. Once the oil bubbles, add the marinated prawns and sugar in. I hope that helps!