Beer-battered shrimp is a classic bar food that’s crunchy, crispy and downright irresistible The combination of a light, frothy beer batter coating succulent shrimp results in a flavorful appetizer or main dish that’s easy to make at home. Once you try this simple recipe, you’ll want to add it to your regular recipe rotation
Why Beer-Battered Shrimp is So Delicious
There are a few reasons why beer-battered shrimp is so tasty
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The carbonation from the beer reacts with the baking powder to give the batter extra lift This results in an ultralight and crunchy coating around the shrimp
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The yeasty flavor of the beer is imparted to the batter, adding complex, malty notes that perfectly complement the sweet shrimp. An amber ale or lager works best.
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Dredging the shrimp in flour before dipping in batter helps the coating adhere evenly over every nook and cranny.
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Frying at the right temperature (350-375°F) ensures the batter gets crispy and browned without the shrimp overcooking.
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Allowing the batter to rest before using helps relax the gluten so the coating stays lacy and crisp.
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Seasoning the flour and batter builds even more flavor. Old Bay seasoning is a classic choice that adds warmth from peppers and paprika.
With the right techniques, ingredients and cooking method, you get restaurant-quality beer-battered shrimp at home!
Step-By-Step Instructions for Making Perfect Beer-Battered Shrimp
Making beer-battered shrimp is easy to do at home with just a few simple steps:
Ingredients
- 1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1⁄4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 12 ounces amber ale or lager, very cold
- Vegetable or canola oil for frying
Directions
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Set up your dredging station by combining the flour, paprika, garlic powder, salt and cayenne pepper in a shallow bowl. Mix the spices into the flour thoroughly with a fork. Pour the beer into a medium bowl. Set both bowls aside.
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Pat the shrimp dry thoroughly with paper towels. This helps the batter cling evenly.
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Working one at a time, dredge the shrimp in the seasoned flour, coating both sides. Gently shake off any excess flour.
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Dip the floured shrimp into the beer batter, flipping to coat both sides. Allow any excess batter to drip off before transferring to a baking sheet.
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In a large heavy pot or Dutch oven, heat 2-3 inches of oil over medium-high heat until it reaches 350-375°F on a deep fry thermometer.
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Fry the battered shrimp in batches for 2-3 minutes, flipping halfway through, until golden brown. Adjust the heat as needed to maintain the temperature.
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Use a slotted spoon or spider strainer to transfer the fried shrimp to a paper towel-lined plate. Season immediately with salt.
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Serve the beer-battered shrimp warm with your choice of dipping sauces like creamy ranch, tangy cocktail sauce, remoulade, honey mustard or sweet chili sauce. Enjoy immediately.
Tips for Perfect Results
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Make sure your oil is hot enough before frying. The batter will only get crispy at 350-375°F.
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Don’t overcrowd the pot when frying. Cook shrimp in smaller batches for even browning.
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Allow the battered shrimp to rest for 5-10 minutes before frying. This prevents the coating from falling off in the oil.
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Use ice cold beer for maximum carbonation lift. The batter will be lighter and crispier.
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For best flavor, use a good amber ale or lager like Fat Tire, Alaskan Amber or Budweiser.
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Try adding a pinch of cayenne and paprika or a squirt of hot sauce to the batter for a spicy kick.
Cooking Substitutions and Variations
While the classic recipe calls for dredging in flour then beer batter, there are all kinds of tasty variations you can try:
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For gluten-free beer battered shrimp, use rice flour and increase baking powder for lift.
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Skip the flour dredge and coat shrimp in a simple beer batter only.
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For a lighter coating, dredge in cornstarch instead of flour before battering.
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Use seltzer or soda water mixed with flour for a non-alcoholic “beer” batter.
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Flavor the batter with spices like Old Bay, lemon pepper, chili powder, curry powder or Cajun seasoning.
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Swap in vodka, rum or tequila for a fun, alcoholic twist. Just reduce any acidic liquids so the batter isn’t too thin.
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For coconut shrimp, blend shredded coconut with panko breadcrumbs for the coating.
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For cornflake shrimp, crush cornflakes with spices and use as the dredging flour.
No matter how you choose to cook it, beer-battered shrimp is a crowd-pleasing appetizer or main dish perfect for parties, game day or any occasion. Just be prepared to make extra – people won’t be able to resist going back for seconds!
Fried Shrimp At It’s Best
Fried shrimp is pretty much always a good idea, as long as you’re not allergic to it or have religious rules about what you can eat.
Me? I’ll take shrimp any way you give it to me. It’s by far my favorite seafood.
Shrimp is on sale an awful lot lately. I’ve scored some crazy low prices on them too. Last sale, one of my stores had colossal jumbo shrimp on sale with all the other sizes. Couldn’t pass that up and I wanted to do these beauties justice. What better way than good old authentic batter dipped fried shrimp–and a batter made with beer!.
The batter for these shrimp contains beer. And since beer contains yeast, it acts as a leavening agent of sorts. It doesn’t really “rise” per se. It just incorporates a bit of air so the fried shrimp get a bit crispier.
In general, you need the same amount of beer as flour. However, the weather is always a big factor in anything that involves flour. Same goes with high altitude, but with this recipe, altitude plays an insignificant role. Getting the proper texture is the main thing here. The texture should be like a thick pancake or crepe batter.
Standing is important too because of the fermentation. I find 15 minute to a half an hour works pretty well. And remember to let the excess batter drip back into the bowl. You don’t want an overly bready shrimp since it detracts from the mild taste of the shrimp.
This beer batter shrimp recipe is made for deep frying. No special tools are needed; all you need is a frying pan with deeper sides, like a cast-iron pan, and one that moves heat well.
If you have a deep fat fryer, that’s a great way to cook these shrimp. The temperature is easy to regulate and there’s actually less mess with it.
This recipe is NOT made for air fryers. Battered food does not work well in those appliances. You’ll end up with an inedible mess. Likewise baking is not recommended. So if you have a problem with deep fat frying, a recipe that uses crumbs for a coating is better suited.
How To: CRISPIEST Beer Batter At Home | My Ultimate Beer Battered Shrimp | Marion’s Kitchen
How do you make beer batter shrimp?
These Beer Battered Shrimp are so easy to make! Beer batter is easy to make by combining flour, an egg, beer, garlic, and paprika for flavor. After mixing the batter, you’ll use it to coat the shrimp and fry in oil until golden for an amazing party dish or dinner recipe.
How do you make fried shrimp with beer?
Make your batter: add beer to a large mixing bowl, then sift in dry ingredients. Whisk until frothy and combined. Dip shrimp in the batter. Allow the excess batter to drip off before frying the shrimp. Deep fry in oil until shrimp are golden and float to the top, about two to three minutes. Drain fried shrimp on a wire rack over a cookie sheet .
Can you use jumbo shrimp in beer batter?
Save the jumbo large shrimp for shrimp cocktails though! I like to use large or extra large shrimp for beer battered shrimp. Add the shrimp to the batter once they are peeled. Shrimp in the mix. You know your batter is right if you can pick the shrimp out of the batter and most of the batter drips off the shrimp.
Do fried shrimp need a beer batter?
Sometimes when you get fried shrimp they are coated in a heavy breading and they end up being more breading than shrimp. Using a beer batter kind of flips the ratio and you end up with this thin, crispy batter coating a tender juicy shrimp.