Breaded shrimp is a delicious appetizer or meal that can be prepared ahead of time with proper planning and technique. As a seafood lover and home cook, I often get asked if breaded shrimp can be made in advance. The short answer is yes, you can absolutely bread shrimp ahead of time!
In this detailed guide I’ll cover everything you need to know to perfectly bread shrimp in advance including best practices, FAQs, and step-by-step instructions. With a few simple tips, you can enjoy perfectly crispy, flavorful breaded shrimp without all the last-minute frying.
Why Bread Shrimp in Advance?
There are several great reasons to prep your breaded shrimp ahead of time:
-
Saves time – You can bread and refrigerate the shrimp up to 24 hours before cooking. This takes the work out of party prep or dinner on busy nights.
-
Plan ahead – If you know you want breaded shrimp for an upcoming event or meal, you can get the breading done in advance
-
Allows flavors to meld – When shrimp sits in the breading, the flavors have time to really soak in.
-
Convenient for guests – For parties, you can fry up hot shrimp as needed instead of all at once.
Best Practices for Bread Shrimp Ahead of Time
Follow these tips to ensure your pre-breaded shrimp turns out perfectly crunchy and delicious:
-
Clean shrimp thoroughly – Remove shells, devein, and pat dry before breading to help the coating stick.
-
Use buttermilk – Soak shrimp in buttermilk before breading to make the coating extra crispy.
-
Dry ingredients – For the breading, use flour, spices, and crushed flakes or panko.
-
Rest before frying – Let breaded shrimp refrigerate for up to 24 hours before frying; this helps the flavor develop.
-
Fry just before serving – Fry breaded shrimp in batches right before eating for the best texture.
-
Monitor oil temperature – Use a thermometer and fry at 350-375°F for crispy breading that’s not greasy.
-
Drain on a rack – Set fried shrimp on a wire rack to allow excess oil to drip off.
Frequently Asked Questions
How far in advance can I bread shrimp?
You can bread shrimp up to 24 hours before cooking. Refrigerate the breaded shrimp until ready to fry.
What’s the best breading for shrimp?
A mixture of flour, spices, and crushed cornflakes or panko breadcrumbs makes a crispy coating.
Can I freeze breaded shrimp?
It’s best not to freeze pre-breaded shrimp. The raw coating may get soggy when thawed.
How long will breaded shrimp last in the fridge?
Properly stored in the refrigerator, breaded raw shrimp will last 24 hours before cooking.
Should I add sauce or toppings before cooking?
Wait until breaded shrimp come out of the fryer before adding any sauces or toppings to prevent sogginess.
Step-by-Step Guide for Preparing Breaded Shrimp
Follow these simple steps for perfect breaded shrimp every time:
1. Prep the shrimp
Rinse, peel, devein, and pat dry shrimp. Leave the tails on for easy handling.
2. Soak in buttermilk
Pour buttermilk over shrimp in a baking dish. Refrigerate for 2 hours up to overnight.
3. Set up breading station
Place flour and breadcrumb mixture in separate shallow dishes. Beat an egg in a third dish.
4. Bread the shrimp
Working one at a time, coat shrimp in flour, egg wash, then breadcrumb mixture.
5. Arrange on baking sheet
Place breaded shrimp in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
6. Refrigerate
Cover and refrigerate breaded shrimp for up to 24 hours.
7. Heat oil for frying
Pour oil 2-3 inches deep in skillet or Dutch oven. Heat to 350°F to 375°F.
8. Fry shrimp
Working in batches, fry shrimp 2-3 minutes until golden brown, flipping halfway.
9. Drain on rack
Transfer fried shrimp to a wire rack set over a baking sheet to drain.
10. Season and serve
Toss fried shrimp with salt and serve immediately with dipping sauces. Enjoy!
Looking for crunch factor? Look no further! Crispy Fried Shrimp have perfectly cooked succulent shrimp on the inside and a big-bite worthy crunch on the outside. This is most definitely a repeat recipe!
Back in May, I published my Creamy Crab Salad recipe. I got so much hate mail after that! Most of it was telling me that fake crab meat is bad, that corn and seafood don’t go together, and that putting cheese in crab is a big no-no. Wait, what does that have to do with Crispy Fried Shrimp? It’s the same thing Tammy Wynette said to women in the 1960s: “Stand by your man.”
Why am I telling you all of this? Because I said in the crab salad post that I didn’t like shrimp but was ready to try it. Basically, my mom never cooked a lot of seafood, so I never really liked it. You can read all about it in the crab salad post.
On the other hand, my daughter loves seafood like her mother did. For her 18th birthday this year, I decided to fire up the grill and make a feast of all her favorites. We bought her a tomahawk steak all to herself. And, I grilled up some lobster tails, jumbo shrimp, and sausages. I served all of that with various sides; it was quite the meal!.
While I cooked, John. e set the patio table on our back deck and before long, we all sat down to eat. I remember her biting into the shrimp and loving it. My dad was visiting and he loves shrimp. They were making it sound so good, I had to try it. They were delicious!.
In an instant, I realized that I had missed out on 45 years of shrimp! I had a lot of catching up to do. So, when I got the chance to pick up some jumbo shrimps from Ottawa Valley Meats, I didn’t hesitate. And, I’m so glad I did! Since I had already tried grilled shrimp, I wanted to try fried shrimp. I cannot tell you how many times I have seen fried shrimp and have passed them by. Those days are gone, Dear Reader!
If you are in Ontario, be sure to take a look at the website. Ottawa Valley Meats offers seafood, beef, poultry, pork, etc. You can even have them bring the seafood right to your door. My box came the next day in a cool truck. I’ve had frozen meat and seafood delivered before, but never as well as this. Even the driver waited by his truck after leaving the box at our door. He was so friendly and wanted to make sure we got the box without any issues.
I’m excited to try the cod now that I’ve tried the shrimp. A few nights ago, I cooked a whole fillet of salmon from Ottawa Valley Meats. Between both John. e and myself, we ate the entire thing. I’m getting off track… definitely the best salmon I’ve ever eaten! Anyway, check out their website if you want to buy something good.
HERE’S WHAT YOU WILL NEED FOR THIS RECIPE:
- Shrimp: One pound of big shrimp, which should be 18 to 20 pieces Devein and peel the shrimp, but leave the tails attached. This makes it easier to batter and fry too!.
- Buttermilk: This gives the shrimp flavor and helps the batter stick to it.
- Eggs: These are mixed into the buttermilk and then used to coat the shrimp.
- Old Bay Seasoning: This spice blend has malt vinegar, celery salt, black pepper, mace, cloves, allspice, nutmeg, cardamom, ginger, and crushed red pepper flakes. It’s perfect for shrimp!.
- AP Flour is a part of the dry batter mix.
- Corn Flakes: Yes, finely ground corn flake crumbs are the best way to make a crunchy crust for fried food.
- Seasonings – Salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder.
- When I fry food, I usually use vegetable oil or canola oil.
Here’s a bit of trivia for you. Did you know that Old Bay Seasoning was developed by a German immigrant to Maryland, US, in 1939? Fresh crab was so popular to the area that local bars used to cook them up and give them to their patrons for free – kinda like some bars nowadays with bowls of peanuts. Well, to encourage patrons to buy more drinks at the bar, the seasoning blend was invented by Gustav Brunn with excess amounts of salt; the more seasoned crab patrons ate, the thirstier they became!
There is black pepper, crushed red pepper flakes, mace, cloves, allspice, nutmeg, cardamom, ginger, celery salt, mustard, and celery salt in the seasoning mix. However, it can also be used in chowders and stews. The seasoning is mostly used to season crab and shrimp.
