This Southern Fried Shrimp recipe is easy, delicious, super easy to make. Crunchy on the outside and bursting with flavor. You can make a tasty meal of crispy seafood in 15 minutes, from start to finish.
Not sure about you, but I love shrimp more than anything else, and I think most people would agree. Shrimp is an extremely popular food around the world, and apparently, it has been for thousands of years.
These shrimp are really crispy, and I like shrimp that are fried with just flour better than these. I’m not a fan of a panko or cornmeal coating for fried shrimp.
I have countless shrimp recipes simply because I can’t get enough of it and neither can my family. We like to make Crunchy Honey Walnut Shrimp, Saucy Shrimp, and Honey Garlic Shrimp all the time.
Frying up shrimp can be a quick and tasty way to add flavor and crunch to an easy weeknight meal But if you’re working with shrimp that’s already been cooked, you’ll need to adjust your frying technique and time to avoid overcooking With a few simple guidelines, you can pan-fry pre-cooked shrimp to crispy, golden brown perfection.
Determining Doneness of Fried Shrimp
Shrimp cooks very quickly, so frying time can be just 1-2 minutes for raw shrimp. When frying pre-cooked shrimp, your cooking time will be even shorter. But how short exactly? Here are some tips for determining when reheated shrimp is fully fried:
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Look for an opaque, solid white color throughout the shrimp. Translucent flesh means it’s undercooked.
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Check that the breading or batter is golden brown and crispy Soft, pale coating means it needs more time in the oil.
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Cut into a shrimp to check the center. It should be hot and opaque all the way through, not translucent or mushy.
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Lift a shrimp out of the oil and cut through it. If the meat flakes apart easily, it’s fully cooked. Undercooked shrimp will be rubbery and tough to cut.
Following these visual cues will help you take the shrimp out of the oil right when it reaches the ideal fried texture.
Pan-Frying Leftover Shrimp
The simplest way to revive leftover cooked shrimp is to pan-fry it for 1-2 minutes per side until hot and crispy. Here’s a basic pan-frying technique:
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Pat shrimp dry and coat lightly with flour, breadcrumbs, or batter.
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Heat 1⁄4 inch of oil in a skillet over medium-high heat.
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When oil shimmers, add shrimp in a single layer without crowding.
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Fry for 1-2 minutes per side until golden brown.
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Drain fried shrimp on paper towels and season with salt and lemon juice.
Frying just until the coating gets crispy prevents the shrimp inside from becoming rubbery. For a flavor boost, add spices like paprika, garlic powder, or cayenne to the flour or breading.
Tailoring Time to Shrimp Size
The frying time can vary slightly depending on the size of your shrimp:
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Small shrimp (36-45 per pound): 1-11⁄2 minutes per side
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Medium shrimp (26-35 per pound): 11⁄2-2 minutes per side
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Jumbo shrimp (16-20 per pound): 2-3 minutes per side
Jumbo shrimp will need a little more time to heat through without drying out. Follow the visual doneness cues, testing a shrimp early to determine the ideal frying time.
For a quicker fry time, cut large shrimp in half lengthwise before breading and frying. This exposes more surface area to the hot oil for fast, even crisping.
Frying Frozen Pre-Cooked Shrimp
For convenience, you can buy bags of fully cooked frozen shrimp. From frozen, they’ll need a bit more frying time than fresh pre-cooked shrimp:
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Thaw frozen shrimp in the refrigerator overnight before frying, or for 30 minutes in cold water. Coating wet shrimp won’t crisp properly.
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Pat shrimp very dry before dredging in flour, panko, or cornmeal. Extra moisture makes the coating fall off.
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Fry for 2-3 minutes per side until heated through and lightly browned.
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Frying too long can make the shrimp rubbery, so watch carefully.
Frozen pre-cooked shrimp may release extra moisture into the oil as they fry, so the coating may steam instead of crisping. Be prepared to blot excess oil during frying to encourage browning.
Oven-Baking Instead of Frying
To avoid frying altogether, you can revive leftover boiled, grilled, or baked shrimp by baking:
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Preheat oven to 400 ̊F. Toss shrimp with olive oil and desired seasonings.
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Bake in a single layer for 4-5 minutes just until hot. Check frequently to avoid overbaking.
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For added crunch, coat shrimp in panko, Parmesan, or a spiced breadcrumb mixture before baking.
Baking uses less oil and allows you to season shrimp with bold rubs and sauces. But pan-frying gives you that irresistible crispy crunch!
Tips for the Best Fried Shrimp
Frying pre-cooked shrimp may seem simple, but getting the perfect crispy crust without overcooking the shrimp takes finesse. Here are some top tips:
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Dry shrimp very well before coating to help the breading adhere. Damp shrimp makes for soggy frying.
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Use a neutral oil with a high smoke point like canola or vegetable oil.
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Let oil fully reach frying temperature before adding shrimp.
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Fry shrimp in batches without overcrowding the pan. Too many shrimp lowers the oil temp.
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Have a bowl ready to drain fried shrimp on paper towels. Don’t stack shrimp or the steam will ruin the crunch.
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Season immediately out of the fryer while the coating is hottest.
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Work fast! Within 2 minutes out of the oil, that fantastic crunch starts fading.
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Undercooking is better than overcooking. You can always fry a little longer if needed.
With the right technique, you can resurrect leftover boiled, grilled, or baked shrimp with a quick crispy pan fry. Just be careful not to overdo it, and you’ll have restaurant-quality fried shrimp in minutes.
Delicious Ways to Use Fried Shrimp
Once you’ve perfected frying up leftover shrimp, get creative with how to serve your crispy creations in easy meals:
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Toss fried shrimp into salads, tacos, pasta, or grain bowls for a protein boost.
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Make bang bang shrimp with crunchy fried shrimp tossed in a spicy mayo sauce.
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Layer fried shrimp on sandwiches and subs instead of deli meat.
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Top a pizza with fried shrimp for fun surf and turf flavor.
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Mix fried shrimp into soups and chilis right before serving.
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Sprinkle fried shrimp over a rice bowl and drizzle with Thai chili sauce.
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Toss fried shrimp with buffalo wing sauce for a spicy appetizer.
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Serve fried shrimp over greens with lemon and shaved Parmesan.
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Add fried shrimp to nachos, loaded baked potatoes, fajitas, or omelets.
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Skewer fried shrimp and grilled veggies for easy shrimp kebabs.
However you use them, a quick batch of fried shrimp can elevate everyday meals into something extraordinary. Keeping fried shrimp on hand in the fridge or freezer means you’re never more than a few minutes away from an easy, impressive dinner!
A Simple Pan-Fried Shrimp Recipe
Ready to fry up some shrimp tonight? This basic pan fry method works for both raw and pre-cooked shrimp using ingredients you probably have on hand:
Ingredients:
- 1 lb peeled, deveined shrimp
- 1⁄2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
- 1⁄4 teaspoon smoked paprika
- Kosher salt and pepper
- Vegetable or canola oil for frying
- Lemon wedges
Instructions:
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Pat shrimp dry with paper towels. Mix flour, Cajun seasoning, and paprika in a shallow bowl. Season with salt and pepper.
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Dredge shrimp in seasoned flour, coating evenly and shaking off any excess.
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Pour 1⁄4 inch oil into a large skillet over medium-high heat. Fry shrimp in batches 2-3 minutes per side until golden brown.
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Drain fried shrimp on a paper towel-lined plate and season immediately with salt.
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Serve shrimp hot with lemon wedges. Enjoy this classic fried shrimp on its own or in all kinds of delicious recipes!
In less than 10 minutes, you can have a batch of crispy fried shrimp using pantry staples. Adjust the frying time up or down depending on the size and doneness of your shrimp. Once you get the basic method down, try coating shrimp in breadcrumbs, panko, cornmeal, or batters for endless crunchy variations.
So next time you have leftover shrimp from a recipe or need a quick appetizer for guests, reach for the flour and frying pan. With a few simple tips, you can master how to transform boiled, baked, or grilled shrimp into the crispiest, crunchiest fried shrimp for any occasion!
Recipe Tips and Variations
- Sauces to serve: If you like to dip your shrimp in sauces, you can serve these fried shrimp with honey mustard, tartar sauce, sriracha mayo, and other sauces. I served it with honey mustard.
- Use raw shrimp—The shrimp should be raw from the store so they can really soak up the smell and taste of the food. It means they’re already cooked if they’re pink in the package. They won’t really soak up any flavor during the preparation process. The right kind of shrimp are the ones that are gray. Be sure they’re deveined and peeled for your convenience.
- Add some cayenne pepper to the recipe to make it spicier.
How to Make Southern Fried Shrimp
- Soak the shrimp. In a large bowl, mix the milk, black pepper, ½ teaspoon of salt, half of the garlic powder, half of the paprika, and half of the oregano. Add in the shrimp and let soak for 10 minutes.
- Cover the shrimp—Once the shrimp are done soaking, shake them to get rid of any extra milk. Put the rest of the spices and flour on a plate, and mix them together. Coat the shrimp well. Make sure you coat the shrimp really well with flour. Coat them several times with the seasoned flour. The shrimp should be hidden by the flour.
- Fry the shrimp. Heat the oil to 375 degrees and fry a handful of shrimp at a time for one to two minutes, or until they are nice and crispy.
- Serve—Let the shrimp cool down a bit, then serve!