CANTONESE HOME COOKING
Cantonese Shrimp and Scrambled Eggs
粤式滑蛋虾仁
Tender egg folds with shrimp, made in two cooking stages: cook the shrimp first, then gently fold them through the eggs. This illustrated home version needs no milk, cream or cornstarch slurry, and explains how to keep the eggs moist without leaving them runny.
By Canto Hearth Editorial · Source-informed recipe. Not yet kitchen-tested by us.
Jump to ingredients & steps ↓5 step-by-step photos · Tap any photo for a closer look.
Before you start
- Have a 20–24 cm / 8–9½ in skillet, flexible spatula, two clean bowls and a food thermometer ready. A small batch is easier to fold gently than a crowded pan.
- Use raw peeled shrimp, not shrimp cocktail or already cooked frozen shrimp. Pat dry so the shrimp sauté instead of releasing a puddle into the eggs.
- If using peas, cook and drain them before starting the skillet. Keep the raw-seafood bowl and utensils separate from the cooked-shrimp bowl.
Let’s cook.
Dry the shrimp
Check that the shrimp are peeled and deveined. After thawing in the refrigerator, pat them dry with clean kitchen paper. Keep them cold while you prepare the remaining ingredients.
Look for thisThe surface should be dry enough that seasoning clings rather than sliding into a puddle.
Season and refrigerate briefly
Toss the shrimp with half the salt, the sugar, white pepper, optional wine and sesame oil. Refrigerate for 10 minutes. Beat the eggs in a separate clean bowl with the remaining salt.
Look for thisThis recipe uses a small liquid marinade, not a thick starch or egg-white coating.
Cook the shrimp first
Heat half the neutral oil in the skillet over medium heat. Add the shrimp in one layer and turn as they cook. Cook until firm, pearly and opaque; for a thermometer check, aim for 63°C / 145°F in the thickest part. Move them to a clean bowl, leaving any excess pan liquid behind.
Look for thisDo not put cooked shrimp back into the unwashed raw-shrimp bowl.
Combine with the beaten eggs
Let the cooked shrimp stop sizzling for a minute, then stir them into the beaten eggs. Add the optional cooked, drained peas. Have a clean serving plate ready: the egg stage moves quickly.
Look for thisCooked shrimp go into the egg mixture only just before the final cook.
Fold over gentle heat
Add the remaining oil and warm the pan over medium-low heat. Briefly lift it off the heat as you pour in the mixture, then return it to low heat. As a thin layer sets underneath, use the spatula to push and fold it toward the center, letting uncooked egg flow onto the exposed pan. Adjust the heat down or lift the pan again if the edges brown.
Look for thisMake broad folds rather than fast circular stirring. On an electric stove, move the pan off the hot element when you need to cool it.
Check the eggs and serve
Continue gently until the eggs are set with no runny egg remaining. Check the combined egg dish reaches 71°C / 160°F. Transfer promptly to the serving plate so residual pan heat does not dry it out. Serve with rice and a vegetable dish.
Look for thisMoist folds are the goal, not a puddle of raw egg; a photograph alone cannot confirm temperature.
When it doesn’t go to plan
The eggs turn brown and rubbery
The pan is too hot or the finished eggs were left in it. Use medium-low heat, lift the pan when necessary and transfer as soon as the dish is safely cooked.
There is liquid around the egg folds
Dry the raw shrimp, leave excess shrimp-cooking liquid behind and drain peas. Continue cooking until no raw egg remains; do not mistake an unset center for a silky texture.
The shrimp are chewy
Cook them only to doneness in the first stage and keep the second stage gentle. Bigger batches should be split rather than crowded into a small pan.
Small details, better cooking.
- Warm a nonstick pan with its oil over moderate heat; do not heat an empty nonstick pan on high. The source’s very-hot-wok start is adapted here for a home skillet.
- The shrimp-to-egg ratio gives an egg-led dish. For a much shrimpier version, use a larger pan and recheck seasoning and the final egg temperature.
- A small amount of cooking liquid can dilute the eggs. Drain the cooked shrimp and optional peas rather than trying to cure watery eggs with extra heat.
- Serve promptly. Refrigerate leftovers within two hours at 4°C / 40°F or below and reheat thoroughly only once; the eggs will be firmer after reheating.
Working with what you have
Huadiao or Shaoxing wine
The same small volume of water
The flavor is less aromatic. Some cooking wines contain added salt; check the label before seasoning.
White pepper
A small pinch of black pepper
The visible flecks and flavor change, but it still seasons the shrimp.
Green peas
Omit
They are optional and not needed for the egg-folding method.
Toasted sesame oil
Omit
This removes the sesame aroma; verify every ingredient if cooking for someone with a food allergy.
Need a unit conversion? Open kitchen tools. For ingredients, visit the pantry.
Questions from the kitchen
Do I need cornstarch for Cantonese shrimp and eggs?
Not in this version. The source cooks the seasoned shrimp first and uses heat control and broad egg folds rather than a starch slurry.
Can I use frozen shrimp?
Yes. Use raw peeled shrimp, thaw in the refrigerator and dry well. Cooked cocktail shrimp do not follow the same two-stage cooking schedule.
Should the eggs still be runny?
No. Keep the heat gentle for moist folds, but cook until no runny egg remains and the egg dish reaches 71°C / 160°F.
Is milk needed to make the eggs soft?
No milk or cream is included here. Gentle heat, a manageable batch and prompt transfer out of the hot pan are the important controls.
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Sources & editorial notes
Independently written in English using the references below. Timing and ingredient adjustments still need home-kitchen validation. No source photographs or text are reproduced without permission.
- 虾仁无需蛋清淀粉上浆也爽口及蛋超嫩的滑蛋虾仁 — 大头孫孫. Accessed 2026-09-27.
- Selecting and Serving Fresh and Frozen Seafood Safely — U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Accessed 2026-09-27.
- What You Need to Know About Egg Safety — U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Accessed 2026-09-27.
- Five Keys to Food Safety: practical reminders — Hong Kong Centre for Food Safety. Accessed 2026-09-27.
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