Crispy Fried Shrimp Recipe
Sometimes, the best things in life are the simplest. Sure, a visit to the Hermitage Museum is grand, but so too is a sunset. Sure, the symphony is wonderful, but so too is a quietly babbling brook. And while there's a time and a place for boeuf bourguignon, how about instead some easy fried shrimp? Though to be sure, while perhaps the prep of this crispy fried shrimp recipe created by chef and recipe developer Ting Dalton of Cook Simply is pretty straightforward, the flavor is sublime thanks to the spice blend she uses.
"I love how this shrimp is elevated to a whole new tasty level with just a few ingredients," Dalton says. "This is my take on salt and pepper chicken that you get from Chinese takeout, and instead of chicken, I use shrimp." A wonderful entree to anchor a meal, a great starter, or a fancy app or snack, you can't go wrong with savory, salty fried shrimp. Let's get going and make it!
Gather your ingredients for crispy fried shrimp
To prep two servings, this recipe calls for half a pound of peeled, deveined, and tail-off raw shrimp, cornstarch, beaten egg whites, plenty of vegetable oil for frying, garlic cloves, a red or green chili pepper, a teaspoon of sea salt, and a teaspoon of black pepper.
Heat the oil and batter the shrimp
Pour the vegetable oil into a wok or large pot, using enough so there's at least 2 inches of oil depth. Heat the oil until the temperature reaches 350 F. Alternatively, if you have a deep fryer, you can use it for this recipe.
As the oil heats, get a large bowl and add the shrimp to the beaten egg whites, coating the shrimp well. Next, add the cornstarch and mix it in with the shrimp, coating the shrimp fully — the consistency will feel like a thin batter.
"The cornstarch and egg whites give the shrimp a wonderful batter coating, and when deep-fried [it] becomes crispy," Dalton says.
Fry the shrimp in batches
Add a few of the coated shrimp to the oil and fry them for 3-4 minutes, turning them now and then with a slotted spoon or tongs. You will need to work in several batches — don't add all the shrimp at once.
Once the cooked shrimp have turned golden all over, take them out and rest them on paper towels (or a wire rack) to let them drain while you fry the other batches.
Prepare the spices, then season the shrimp
Combine the chopped garlic and chill with the salt and pepper. Then, using a mortar and pestle, grind the spices together. (You can also use the back of a spoon in a bowl, if needed.)
Now, get a small frying pan and put it on a burner over high heat. Transfer the spice blend into the hot pan and dry-fry the seasoning blend for 1-2 minutes to release the flavors. Then, toss the shrimp with the seasoning mix in a bowl, thoroughly coating the fried shrimp.
"The secret ingredients here are definitely the chili and garlic," says Dalton. "Smashed and heated through, they release their powerful flavors and give these crispy shrimp a fiery kick."
Finally, serve the shrimp fresh and hot with some sweet chili or hot chili dip.
- ½ pound peeled raw shrimp
- ½ cup cornstarch
- 2 egg whites, beaten
- vegetable oil for frying
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 red or green chili, sliced
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- Pour enough vegetable oil into a wok or large pot so there is at least 2 inches worth of oil, then heat it until the temperature reaches 350 F. (Alternatively, if you have a deep fat fryer, you can use it for this recipe.)
- In a large bowl, add the shrimp to the beaten egg whites and coat them well.
- Next, add the cornstarch and mix it through thoroughly with your hands; the consistency will feel like a thin batter.
- Add a few batches of coated shrimp to the oil at a time and fry the batches for 3-4 minutes, turning the shrimp now and then with a slotted spoon or tongs. (You will need to work in several batches.)
- Once the battered shrimp have fried to a golden color, take them out and put them on paper towels to drain while you fry the other batches.
- As the last batch fries, use a mortar and pestle and add the chopped garlic and chill with the salt and pepper. Grind these together.
- Put a small frying pan on a burner at high heat, then transfer the salt, pepper, garlic, and chili mix into the hot pan and dry fry the spices for 1 or 2 minutes to release the flavors.
- Finally, in a bowl, toss the shrimp with the seasoning mix, thoroughly coating the shrimp.
- Now serve the shrimp hot with some sweet chili or hot chili dip.
| Calories per Serving | 516 |
| Total Fat | 30.9 g |
| Saturated Fat | 2.1 g |
| Trans Fat | 0.2 g |
| Cholesterol | 182.6 mg |
| Total Carbohydrates | 33.4 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 1.1 g |
| Total Sugars | 1.4 g |
| Sodium | 532.4 mg |
| Protein | 26.5 g |
