Do you like Crispy Fried Shrimp? Fry style shrimp will always be my favorite way to cook these tasty little morsels. Bubba Blue from Forrest Gump was right when he called shrimp the fruit of the sea.
One of my fondest memories of growing up was my father frying up a bunch of shrimp. During his time at Fort Polk in Louisiana, my dad learned how much he loved shrimp. A trait that he passed on to me.
People still think of shrimp as a treat, but you can easily find them in most grocery stores. With just a little planning, you can make a simple dinner that your whole family will love.
Deep fried shrimp is a delicious appetizer or main dish that is popular at restaurants and seafood shacks. The secret to making crispy, flavorful deep fried shrimp at home is getting the coating and frying temperature just right. With a few simple steps and ingredients you can make restaurant-quality fried shrimp from the comfort of your own kitchen.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Shrimp – peeled and deveined large shrimp work best. Make sure they are fresh or thawed properly.
- Flour – all-purpose flour acts as a dry coating to help the shrimp get extra crispy.
- Eggs – lightly beaten eggs will adhere the flour coating to the shrimp.
- Breadcrumbs – panko or regular breadcrumbs add crunch. Use seasoned for more flavor.
- Spices – salt, pepper, paprika, cayenne, garlic powder, onion powder.
- Vegetable or peanut oil for frying.
Step-by-Step Instructions
1. Prepare the shrimp
Rinse the shrimp under cold water and pat dry thoroughly with paper towels. Make sure no excess moisture remains on the shrimp before breading, as this will make the coating soggy.
2. Set up breading station
In one shallow bowl, mix together the flour, salt, pepper, and any other dry spices you want to use. In a second shallow bowl, beat 2-3 eggs lightly with a fork. In a third shallow bowl, add the breadcrumbs.
3. Bread the shrimp
Working with a few shrimp at a time, first dredge in the flour mixture, shaking off any excess. Next, dip into the egg, allowing any excess to drip off. Finally, place the shrimp into the breadcrumbs, pressing gently to adhere them. Transfer breaded shrimp to a clean plate or baking sheet.
4. Heat the oil
Pour 2-3 inches of oil into a deep fryer, Dutch oven, or heavy bottomed pot. Heat the oil to 350°F degrees. Use a deep fry or candy thermometer to monitor the temperature.
5. Fry the shrimp
Working in batches, carefully add 4-5 breaded shrimp to the hot oil. Fry for 1-2 minutes until the shrimp are golden brown flipping halfway through. Use tongs or a slotted spoon to flip and remove the shrimp.
6. Drain on paper towels
Transfer the fried shrimp to a paper towel lined plate or baking sheet. Let drain for 1-2 minutes to absorb any excess grease. Season immediately with a pinch of salt.
7. Keep warm in oven
Preheat oven to 200°F. Place a wire cooling rack over a baking sheet and keep fried shrimp warm in the oven while you fry remaining batches. Frying in smaller batches keeps the oil temperature consistent.
8. Serve hot and enjoy!
Serve the crispy fried shrimp immediately with your choice of dipping sauces like cocktail sauce, remoulade, honey mustard or ranch. Enjoy this classic appetizer or shrimp entree straight from your home kitchen!
Tips for Perfectly Crispy Fried Shrimp
- Use fresh, raw shrimp for even cooking. Thaw frozen shrimp first.
- Dry shrimp thoroughly before breading to prevent a soggy coating.
- Allow breaded shrimp to sit 5-10 minutes before frying to help coating adhere.
- Maintain oil temperature at 350°F for crisp results. Overheating can burn breading.
- Fry in batches for consistent temperature. Don’t overcrowd the oil.
- Let shrimp drain on paper towels before serving to remove excess grease.
- Keep fried shrimp warm in a 200°F oven on a wire rack while finishing batches.
Coating and Frying Variations
There are lots of ways to coat and fry shrimp for a different crispy texture.
Classic Beer Batter
For a crispy, lacy coating, dip breaded shrimp in beer batter before frying. The carbonation helps batter get ultra crispy.
Panko Breadcrumbs
For an extra crunchy coating, use coarse panko breadcrumbs instead of regular breadcrumbs.
Spicy Coating
For spicy fried shrimp, add 1 tablespoon of Cajun seasoning or cayenne pepper to the flour mixture.
Cornmeal Coating
For Southern-style shrimp, use fine yellow cornmeal for the breading instead of flour.
Frying Oil
Peanut or vegetable oil are common choices for deep frying. Use a neutral tasting oil with a high smoke point.
Serving Suggestions for Fried Shrimp
Beyond just snacking on fried shrimp, here are some delicious ways to incorporate it into meals:
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Fried shrimp tacos or burritos with shredded cabbage, pico de gallo and lime crema.
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Fried shrimp salad with mixed greens, tomatoes, avocado and a creamy dressing.
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Fried shrimp po’ boy sandwich with lettuce, tomatoes, pickles and remoulade.
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Fried shrimp platter with coleslaw, hushpuppies and French fries.
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Fried shrimp topped Caesar salad for a seafood twist.
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Fried shrimp pizza with mozzarella, tomatoes, basil and garlic Parmesan sauce.
However you choose to serve it, crispy deep fried shrimp cooked at home is sure to be a hit! Use this simple recipe and frying tips for perfect, restaurant-quality results.
What type of shrimp should I buy?
I really believe in shrimp, and I will only buy Gulf or Pacific Shrimp made by American or Mexican companies. As for size, 16-20 Jumbo Shrimp (count per pound) are my first choice.
I also splurge on U-15 when they are priced right, and occasionally 26- 30 for shrimp salad. I don’t recommend buying anything smaller than 26-30 count shrimp. Larger shrimp will always look better, and when food looks good it tastes better.
There is a lot of farmed shrimp from Asian and Indian waters in the market, and I don’t trust them. Those waters are questionable and we have no idea how those shrimp are processed. So when you think you’re getting a bargain, you might want to rethink what you’re buying.
You’ll almost never see fresh shrimp in supermarkets as most shrimp are frozen on the shrimp boats. If you see shrimp that aren’t frozen, it’s likely that they were taken out of the freezer to make them look better.
How to make eggwash
There are several ways to make an egg wash. There is no right or wrong way as long as the food you’re frying is completely covered in the egg wash.
- eggs and buttermilk
- eggs and milk
- eggs and cream
- eggs and water
- just eggs
Use about 1 ounce of liquid for every egg used. A little extra liquid won’t hurt the mixture; you just don’t want to water down the egg mixture.
After the egg wash, place the shrimp in seasoned bread crumbs. You can use any type of breadcrumbs that you prefer for this step, including panko crumbs. Just be sure to get a good coating on the outside, covering the entire shrimp.
No, you do not. You can use any of these options for your fried shrimp or any food you’d like to fry.
- Plain bread crumbs. (you can add your own seasonings if you like).
- Panko breadcrumbs (seasoned or unseasoned)
- Cracker meal
- Gluten-Free bread crumbs of any style
If you want to season your own bread crumbs, you can choose your favorite seasoning. If possible, I like to use mild spices so that the sweetness of the shrimp stands out.
It’s possible to make my crispy fried shrimp recipe without bread crumbs, but the end result won’t be as good. That being said, you don’t have to add garlic powder, onion powder, or any other spices unless you want to.
I breaded butterflied and just cleaned (round) shrimp to show you the difference.
After that, put the shrimp in the hot oil and fry them until they are a beautiful golden brown color. Here you can see that the butterflied shrimp look bigger.
Cooking time will vary depending on the size of the shrimp and the temperature of the cooking oil.
I have to say that both types of my crispy fried shrimp were sweet and tasty, but the shrimp without the butterfly would still be my first choice.
When you fry foods, the oil you use needs to have a high smoke point. *Smoking point is the temperature it takes for the oil to start to break down and smoke.
I like to fry food in vegetable oil, canola oil, peanut oil, sunflower oil, safflower oil, corn oil, or sunflower oil. My oil of choice is corn oil for home frying and canola in professional kitchens.
Make sure you have enough oil in the pot to fully submerge the food you are frying. Leave enough room for the food you’re frying with an extra few inches at the top for safety. The oil will bubble, and you don’t want to get burned or have a mess to clean up.
Never add liquid to the fryer, and keep a Kitchen fire extinguisher (rated for oil) nearby.
For most deep-fried recipes, the temperature of the oil needs to be 350 – 375 degrees F. Use a long-stem thermometer to check the temperature of the oil. If you’re cooking in batches, make sure to give the oil time to recover before adding more food.
Put the crispy fried shrimp on a baking rack set over a sheet pan to drain. You can also use paper towels to drain them. Allowing fried food to drain removes much of the fat associated with deep-frying. As long as the oil is hot enough, most of the fat will stay on the outside of the food and not go inside.
If you filter the oil and get rid of the stuff that sinks to the bottom, you can use it again. Using big coffee filters in a stainless steel strainer will work. Just make sure the oil has cooled to a temperature you can safely handle it at.
But the best thing about my Restaurant-Quality Crispy Fried Shrimp is eating them! Pair them with lemon wedges and my easy homemade tartar sauce, cocktail sauce, remoulade sauce, or pink sauce.
If you follow my simple recipe, you will have the best fried shrimp you’ve ever had, and your whole family will love shrimp.
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How do you deep fry shrimp?
In a pan at medium heat, pour enough oil to deep fry. Once the oil is hot, dip a shrimp into the batter, leaving the tail uncovered and place this carefully in the hot oil. Repeat and fry the shrimps till it turns golden and crisp. Transfer the shrimps on a plate with a paper towel to absorb the excess oil.
How do you make a fried shrimp sandwich?
Pour in the shrimp and butter from the skillet, scraping the pan to get all the butter. Mix it all together and season with the salt and pepper. Pour the pasta mixture, divided evenly, into two 20 oz oven safe baking dishes. Click for 20 oz oven safe baking dishes. Sprinkle the tops with the remaining 1/2 cup of shredded cheese.
How do you make a fried shrimp cake?
Pulse shrimp in a food processor until the mixture becomes thick and sticky but still has a little bit of texture. Fold in finely chopped garlic, grated ginger and diced bell pepper. Form mixture into patties and lightly pan-fry until golden. Serve shrimp cakes cut into small pieces. Lobster mac and cheese. Feeling fancy (ish)?