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Oven-Dried Shrimp — finished dish, ready to serve.

Oven-Dried Shrimp (Kao Xia Gan)

烤虾干 · pan chinese cuisine

70 min total60 min cooking7 stepssavory

This recipe uses a traditional Ningbo cooking technique called "kao" — using low heat to slowly draw moisture out of an ingredient until it dehydrates, concentrating its flavor. Only a small amount of salt is added so the shrimp's natural sweetness shines through.

Priyanka Raman's profile photoPriyanka RamanSoftware engineer by day, South Indian cook by night. My pressure cooker is my personality now. Trying to nail my amma's rasam without shortcuts.

Nutrition & allergens

No supported allergens detected from surveyed ingredients.

Some ingredients are not yet allergen-surveyed; this label is not exhaustive.

Per serving (4 servings)

Energy (kcal)
296.3(Main ingredients only; seasoning not counted)
Protein (g)
63(Main ingredients only; seasoning not counted)
Fat (g)
2.3(Main ingredients only; seasoning not counted)
Carbs (g)
5.6(Main ingredients only; seasoning not counted)
Sodium (mg)
1391.8(Main ingredients only; seasoning not counted)

Estimated from verified ingredient data for the original formula — not lab values, and one dish is not a full meal.

  • hai xia海虾

    52.91 oz

  • Fine salt ingredient identification photo

    salt盐

    0.11 oz

Techniques you'll use

Steps

  1. 1

    Step 1

    Oven-Dried Shrimp — step 1 visual checkpoint.

    Rinse the live prawns thoroughly and drain well. No need to trim the rostrums or antennae.

    ✅ Done when: The shrimp are clean and no longer dripping water.

  2. 2

    Step 2

    Dry-frying (gan bian) ↗
    Oven-Dried Shrimp — step 2 visual checkpoint.

    Heat a wok over medium-low heat, add the shrimp, and immediately cover with a lid (to keep them from jumping out).

    ✅ Done when: The wok is hot and the shrimp are in, with the lid on to contain them.

  3. 3

    Step 3

    Stir-frying ↗
    Oven-Dried Shrimp — step 3 visual checkpoint.

    Stir-fry until all the shrimp turn an even red color, then add a small amount of the salt.

    ✅ Done when: Every shrimp has turned uniformly red.

  4. 4

    Step 410 min

    Low heatDry-frying (gan bian) ↗
    Oven-Dried Shrimp — step 4 visual checkpoint.

    After about 10 minutes, the shrimp will release a lot of liquid. This is the Ningbo technique of slow-drying over low heat, coaxing the moisture out gradually until the shrimp dehydrate.

    ✅ Done when: A noticeable amount of liquid has collected in the wok after about 10 minutes.

  5. 5

    Step 530 min

    Low heat
    Oven-Dried Shrimp — step 5 visual checkpoint.

    Cook for about 30 minutes total, stirring only a few times along the way. Pour off and discard any excess liquid at the end.

    ✅ Done when: After roughly 30 minutes the shrimp are dehydrated with no excess liquid left in the wok.

  6. 6

    Step 630 min

    Medium heat
    Oven-Dried Shrimp — step 6 visual checkpoint.

    Arrange the shrimp on an oven rack and bake at 340°F (170°C), top and bottom heat, for about 30 minutes.

    ✅ Done when: After about 30 minutes at 170°C, the shrimp shells are crisp and dry.

  7. 7

    Step 7

    Oven-Dried Shrimp — step 7 visual checkpoint.

    Fresh from the oven, the shells are crisp and clean and the meat pleasantly chewy — dried shrimp at their best.

    ✅ Done when: The shells snap crisply and the meat is chewy yet tender.