This walnut shrimp recipe features crispy shrimp and candied walnuts tossed in a sweet, creamy sauce. Any night of the week, you can make this famous Chinese takeout dish at home for a healthier version that still tastes great and is crispy without deep-frying! {Gluten-Free Adaptable}
When you order Chinese takeout, walnut shrimp is always a hit. It’s made with glazed walnuts and a sauce that is slightly sweet and savory. If you’re craving something a little indulgent, it’s a surefire way to satisfy your appetite.
Typically, walnut shrimp uses a lot of oil and sugar to glaze the walnuts. But with my recipe, I use much less sugar and oil without compromising on flavor. I also pan fry the shrimp so you can still get that crispy texture without deep frying. This dish turns out great, whether it’s a busy weeknight or you have guests over.
I really love this homemade version, where I toned down the oil, sugar and salt. You will still get all the great sensation and taste, but without feeling too guilty while eating it.
The ingredients for walnut shrimp are quite simple. When you’re ready to cook, you should have your ingredients prepared as follows:
The main ingredients for the sauce are mayonnaise and condensed milk. It also uses a bit of honey, soy sauce and vinegar to add flavor and brightness.
So I cut back on the honey and condensed milk to make the sauce more balanced. Many walnut shrimp sauces are too sweet for my taste.
Walnut shrimp is a classic Chinese restaurant dish that has become popular across North America. With its crispy fried shrimp coated in a creamy sauce and topped with crunchy candied walnuts it’s easy to see why walnut shrimp is such a crowd-pleaser. In this article we’ll explore what exactly walnut shrimp is, trace its origins, explain how it’s made, and share some tips for making it at home.
A Brief History of Walnut Shrimp
Walnut shrimp originated in Hong Kong and other areas of Guangdong province in southern China. It likely emerged in the mid-20th century as Cantonese chefs experimented with new dishes for banquet menus. The combination of crispy seafood and sweet creamy sauce proved very successful.
The dish became a regular feature at wedding banquets, birthday parties, and Chinese New Year feasts. When Cantonese immigrants brought their culinary traditions to Chinatowns abroad, walnut shrimp traveled with them. Today, it’s still a festive, indulgent choice for special occasions.
Walnut shrimp is sometimes called “honey walnut shrimp” or “milk oil shrimp” (nai you xia in Mandarin). These names refer to key ingredients in the sweet sauce. While many North American versions do contain honey, traditional Chinese recipes often rely solely on sugar. The “milk” refers to evaporated or condensed milk, which lends a velvety texture
How Walnut Shrimp Is Prepared
Though recipes vary, walnut shrimp is made by:
- Bread and fry the shrimp until crispy
- Toast walnuts and coat with a simple syrup until candied
- Make a creamy sauce with mayonnaise, evaporated milk, sugar, and sometimes honey
- Toss the fried shrimp in the sauce
- Garnish with the candied walnuts
The dish often includes blanched broccoli florets as well. When plated, the broccoli lining the perimeter provides a fresh, green contrast to the indulgent shrimp.
Breading and Frying the Shrimp
The shrimp are peeled, deveined, and butterflied for maximum surface area. Traditional recipes call for breading the shrimp only in cornstarch before frying. This yields an extra crispy crust without the eggy flavor of a batter. The shrimp are fried for just 2-3 minutes until golden brown.
Candying the Walnuts
Whole walnut halves are toasted in oil until fragrant. They’re then tossed in a simple syrup of sugar and water until coated. Cooking the nuts further in the syrup hardens the glaze so the walnuts become crunchy candies.
Making the Sauce
The sauce contains mayonnaise for a creamy base along with sweetened condensed milk for even more richness. Rice vinegar adds a subtle tang. Sugar or honey lend the signature sweetness, which complements the shrimp perfectly.
Assembling the Dish
Once the components are ready, it all comes together quickly. The fried shrimp are tossed in the sauce just until coated. They’re plated over the broccoli and topped generously with the candied walnuts.
Tips for Making Walnut Shrimp at Home
Recreating the classic walnut shrimp from your favorite Chinese restaurant is totally possible at home. Here are some tips:
- Use raw shrimp shells-on for the most flavor and texture. Remove shells before saucing.
- Fry in small batches so shrimp cook evenly without cooling the oil.
- Toast walnuts to your taste. Go for deep golden for crispiest candy coating.
- Make the sauce a bit tangy to balance the sweetness.
- Toss shrimp in sauce gently and quickly to prevent sogginess.
- Serve immediately for the crispiest results.
Walnut Shrimp Ingredient Substitutions
You can adapt walnut shrimp to suit your tastes or what you have on hand:
- For the shrimp, try bay scallops, calamari, chicken, or extra-firm tofu.
- Instead of walnuts, use candied pecans, peanuts, or almonds.
- Substitute almond milk or coconut milk for the evaporated milk.
- Swap in Greek yogurt, sour cream, or crème fraiche for the mayo.
- For a dairy-free sauce, use cashew cream.
- Try agave, brown rice syrup, or maple syrup instead of corn syrup or honey.
- Garnish with sesame seeds, crispy fried shallots, or scallions.
Popular Variations
While the classic creamy walnut shrimp reigns supreme, you may encounter some fun riffs, including:
- Spicy walnut shrimp with sriracha or chili garlic sauce
- Coconut walnut shrimp with coconut milk and flakes
- Tempura walnut shrimp with a light, crispy batter
- Lobster walnut shrimp with buttery lobster chunks
- Pineapple walnut shrimp with pineapple in the sauce
Feel free to get creative and make walnut shrimp your own! It’s a versatile recipe.
Where to Enjoy Walnut Shrimp
Since this dish originated in Chinese banquet halls, upscale Chinese restaurants are your best bet for authentic, high-quality walnut shrimp. It’s also popular at North American Chinese buffet restaurants. Of course, you can’t go wrong making it yourself at home!
Some restaurant chains have signature versions worth trying. P.F. Chang’s honey walnut shrimp is a longtime customer favorite. Panda Express introduced honey walnut shrimp to the fast food scene.
Is Walnut Shrimp Healthy?
With its deep-fried shrimp and sugar-laden sauce, walnut shrimp is one of the more indulgent Chinese dishes. However, homemade versions can be relatively healthy in moderation.
Breading shrimp with cornstarch instead of batter keeps it lighter. Using less oil for frying minimizes calories and fat. Swapping the mayo for Greek yogurt lowers saturated fat and calories. Finally, walnuts provide antioxidants, omega-3s, and other nutrients as a garnish.
Overall, walnut shrimp is a special occasion treat. Fortunately, a little goes a long way thanks to the bold flavors. You don’t need a huge portion to satisfy that craving!
The Perfect Meal to Showcase Walnut Shrimp
Walnut shrimp stands out beautifully on its own as a decadent appetizer or entree. That said, it pairs nicely with lighter, fresh flavors to balance the richness:
- Start with hot and sour soup or egg drop soup
- Add some mixed greens tossed in a tangy vinaigrette
- Serve with steamed rice, fried rice, lo mein, or veggie stir fry
- Finish with fresh fruit or classic vanilla ice cream
With components like these supporting the star walnut shrimp, you have an elegant and well-rounded Chinese meal perfect for celebrating and impressing guests. The indulgent shrimp is elevated by the clean, bright flavors surrounding it.
Walnut Shrimp Is a Crowd-Pleasing Dish
Crisp, buttery shrimp blanketed in a creamy nutty sauce – what’s not to love? Walnut shrimp has earned its place as a favorite appetizer on Chinese restaurant menus for good reason. Making this recipe at home lets you control the quality of ingredients. You can also experiment with different flavor variations.
Approach walnut shrimp with patience the first try, as there are several components to prepare. Once you master the technique, though, it comes together in a flash. The impressive finished product is well worth the effort for special occasions and cravings. So next time you have a longing for this Chinese restaurant classic, whip up a batch of walnut shrimp in your own kitchen. Your family and friends will be grateful.
How to make walnut shrimp
Making walnut shrimp is quite easy and involves two steps.
Making the candied walnuts
There are several ways to make candied walnuts. At Chinese restaurants, chefs use a wok to fry some sugar in a pool of oil until golden. Then walnuts are added to quickly fry in the sugar-oil mixture, then drained. So the sugar will glaze the walnuts and form a crispy sugary crust once cooled.
I like to use a similar method when I make candied walnuts at home, but I use a lot less sugar and oil. You will still melt the sugar in the oil, but this time you will pan fry it instead of deep fry it.
- Melt the sugar with just enough oil
- Warm it up until most of the sugar melts and turns light golden.
- Add the walnuts and stir to coat
- Transfer everything to a tray to cool off
Using this method, you won’t be able to glaze the walnuts super evenly. But won’t really affect the flavor. And it’s much easier to do at home.