Whole shrimp are coated in a bold red chili marinade and grilled until charred and smoky, then served with a warm spicy dipping sauce and a bright, fresh cucumber sambal on the side. Paired with a mound of steamed rice and crisp lettuce, cucumber, and tomato, this plate balances heat, freshness, and smoky flavor in every bite.
The shrimp marinate quickly, so most of the time here goes into grilling and putting together the two accompanying sauces. It’s a great dish for an easy outdoor meal, since almost everything can be prepped ahead and finished on the grill just before serving.
The first time I had this exact combination — smoky shrimp, a warm chili sauce, and cold cucumber sambal on the side — was at a small beachside warung on a trip through Indonesia. I remember watching the woman running the grill fan the coals between batches, never once looking away from the shrimp. When I asked about the dipping sauce, she just laughed and said it was however much chili felt right that day. I’ve been chasing that same balance of smoky, sweet, and sharp ever since, and this is the closest I’ve gotten to it at home.
Ingredients
For the Grilled Shrimp
- 1 lb (450 g) large shrimp, shell-on, deveined
- 4 large red chilies
- 3 cloves garlic
- 2 shallots
- 1 tbsp tamarind paste
- 1 tbsp palm sugar or brown sugar
- 2 tbsp cooking oil
- 1 tsp salt
For the Spicy Dipping Sauce
- 3 large red chilies
- 2 bird’s eye chilies
- 2 shallots
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 tomato, chopped
- 1 tbsp tamarind paste
- 1 tbsp palm sugar
- ½ cup water
- 1 tbsp cooking oil
- ½ tsp salt
For the Cucumber Sambal
- 1 cucumber, diced
- 2 large red chilies, chopped
- 1 bird’s eye chili, chopped
- 2 shallots, thinly sliced
- 1 tbsp lime juice
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp sugar
For Serving
- 2 cups steamed white rice
- A few leaves of lettuce
- 1 tomato, sliced
- ½ cucumber, sliced
Easy Substitutions
- Shrimp: Large prawns work well; adjust grilling time slightly for larger sizes.
- Tamarind paste: Lime juice can be used in a pinch, though the flavor will be brighter and less tangy-sweet.
- Palm sugar: Brown sugar is a good substitute in both the marinade and the sauces.
Step-by-Step Cooking Instructions
1. Make the marinade. Blend the red chilies, garlic, and shallots into a coarse paste. Heat the oil in a small pan and fry the paste for 3–4 minutes until fragrant. Stir in the tamarind paste, palm sugar, and salt, and cook for another minute. Let cool slightly.
2. Marinate the shrimp. Toss the shrimp with the cooled marinade, making sure each piece is well coated. Let sit for 20–30 minutes.
3. Make the spicy dipping sauce. Blend the red chilies, bird’s eye chilies, shallots, garlic, and tomato into a paste. Heat the oil in a pan and fry the paste for 4–5 minutes until fragrant. Add the tamarind paste, palm sugar, water, and salt, and simmer for 5 minutes until slightly thickened. Set aside to serve warm.
4. Make the cucumber sambal. In a bowl, combine the diced cucumber, chopped red and bird’s eye chilies, and sliced shallots. Stir in the lime juice, salt, and sugar. Toss gently and let sit for 5 minutes so the flavors meld.
5. Grill the shrimp. Preheat a grill or grill pan over medium-high heat. Grill the shrimp for 2–3 minutes per side, until the shells char slightly and the flesh turns opaque and pink.
6. Assemble the plate. Serve the grilled shrimp alongside steamed rice, lettuce, sliced tomato, and cucumber. Place the warm spicy dipping sauce and cucumber sambal in small bowls on the side.
Tips for the Best Udang Bakar
- Don’t over-marinate: 20–30 minutes is enough for the shrimp to absorb flavor; longer marinating with tamarind can start to break down the texture.
- Grill over medium-high heat: High heat sears the marinade quickly without overcooking the shrimp, which cook fast and can turn rubbery if left too long.
- Serve the dipping sauce warm: The sauce loses some of its aroma once it cools, so gently reheat it right before serving if made ahead.
- Keep the cucumber sambal fresh: Make this sambal close to serving time, since the cucumber releases water and softens the longer it sits.
Storage & Reheating
Storage: Let the shrimp cool before transferring to an airtight container and refrigerating. Store the dipping sauce separately in a sealed container. The cucumber sambal is best made fresh, but leftovers can be refrigerated for a short time.
How long does it last? Refrigerate the shrimp and dipping sauce within 2 hours of cooking and use within 2 days when stored at 40°F (4°C) or below. The cucumber sambal is best eaten within a few hours, as the vegetables soften over time.
Reheating: Warm the shrimp briefly in a pan over medium heat or under a broiler for a minute or two to avoid overcooking. Gently reheat the dipping sauce on the stovetop. Make a fresh batch of cucumber sambal if the original has softened.
Recipe Card
Prep Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 15 mins Total Time: 45 mins Servings: 3 servings
Ingredients
For the Grilled Shrimp
- 1 lb (450 g) large shrimp, shell-on
- 4 large red chilies
- 3 cloves garlic
- 2 shallots
- 1 tbsp tamarind paste
- 1 tbsp palm sugar
- 2 tbsp cooking oil
- 1 tsp salt
For the Spicy Dipping Sauce
- 3 large red chilies
- 2 bird’s eye chilies
- 2 shallots
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 tomato, chopped
- 1 tbsp tamarind paste
- 1 tbsp palm sugar
- ½ cup water
- 1 tbsp cooking oil
- ½ tsp salt
For the Cucumber Sambal
- 1 cucumber, diced
- 2 large red chilies, chopped
- 1 bird’s eye chili, chopped
- 2 shallots, thinly sliced
- 1 tbsp lime juice
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp sugar
For Serving
- 2 cups steamed white rice
- A few leaves of lettuce
- 1 tomato, sliced
- ½ cucumber, sliced
Estimated Nutrition Information (Per Serving)
- Calories: ~410 kcal
- Protein: 26 g
- Carbohydrates: 48 g
- Fat: 13 g
- Fiber: 4 g
Nutrition information is an estimate and may vary depending on the ingredients, brands, and portion sizes used.
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