Have you ever taken one bite of something and nearly fallen to your knees because of the pure deliciousness you experienced?
Well, my dear… if you haven't yet been lucky enough to experience this, let me help you! 😀
Get ready to have THE BEST fried shrimp you've ever tasted!
This recipe is something I've been working on for a while now and it's finally ready to share with you. 🙂
Before this post, I've tested a couple different versions of this but the recipe needed a little boost … a little something to push it to the exact the level of yummyness I wanted to give you.
And I must say, this fried shrimp has honestly got to be one of THE BEST recipes I've EVER posted to Dishes and Dust Bunnies.
I'm not joking. It's seriously THAT good!
What makes this fried shrimp so incredibly good is not only the wickedly awesome combination of seasonings used in the batter and the breading. Credit also goes to a little bit of cornmeal and some panko breadcrumbs to make them fry up nice and crunchy…
….drool….
Sorry, what was I saying?
Oh yes, crunchy and delicious breading! So amazing!
Here's the little guys chilln' in the fridge before they get fried. 🙂
Before you jump right in and make the recipe, there are a couple important things you should know so that these shrimp turn out just as awesome as the ones in the pictures. 🙂
Important Tips to make the Best Fried Shrimp EVER!
- Make sure to read the entire recipe before you start. While the recipe is not difficult, it's super important to have an idea of the exact steps you're going to take to get to the finish line.
- Have your ingredients assembled and ready to go before you start. This also goes the for tools used to make the recipe.
- When you are breading the shrimp, continue to roll it back and forth over and over until NONE of the moist part of the batter is on the outside. This will create the perfect thick and crunchy breaded coating you need. When you think you're done coating that yummy little shrimp, keep rolling it in the breading a little more. 🙂
- Don't forget to chill the shrimp after you've coated them in the breading. This is an important step in making sure they turn out perfect.
- Closely watch the temperature of your frying oil! You will need to adjust the heat throughout the cooking process, depending on the temperature reading on the thermometer.
Ok, so now that you have my tips to make sure these wonderful little things turn out exactly the way you want them, you might be wondering what's the best way to serve them.
We love to dip these little guys in my own homemade buffalo sauce, but you can use just about any dip that you like. 🙂
Watch for my buffalo sauce recipe post next week!
I know you'll love this recipe – if you try it please let me know how they turn out for you in the comment section below the recipe! 😀
The Best Fried Shrimp EVER!
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 25 - 30 Shrimp 1x
Ingredients
- 25 – 30 raw Jumbo shrimp, peeled and de-veined, tails removed (I use the frozen kind and just thaw beforehand)
- Canola oil – enough to fill the frying pan to about 1 1/2″ inch high full
- Buffalo sauce or other favourite sauce for dipping.
Batter: - 4 eggs
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 tbsp salt
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1 tsp white pepper
- 1 1/2 cups milk
Breading: - 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1/4 cup cornmeal
- 1/2 tsp oregano
- Pinch of ground powdered ginger
- 1 crushed bay leaf
- Pinch of black pepper
- Pinch of celery seed
- 1/8 tsp mustard powder
- 1 tbsp smoked paprika
- 1 1/2 tsp Cajun seasoning
- 2 tsp salt
- 1/3 cup + 2 tbsps Panko bread crumbs
Items Needed In addition to typical tools: - Candy/Deep fry thermometer that can be attached to the side of a large frying pan
- Large frying pan with high sides for frying (this is similar to the one I use)
- 2 wire cooking racks that fit on a baking sheet
- 2 Baking sheets (make sure they can also fit inside your fridge)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200°F.
- Combine the Batter ingredients in a medium mixing bowl. Use a whisk to make sure everything is combined well.
- In a separate large mixing bowl, combine all the dry ingredients for the breading.
- Place a wire cooking rack onto a baking sheet. This is where you will lay your shrimp as they are breaded.
- Working with 1 shrimp at a time – dip the shrimp into the breading to coat, then dip into the batter and allow the excess to drip off.
- Then drop the shrimp into the breading again. Roll the shrimp back and forth until thickly coated in the batter. You'll know it has enough breading on it when the shrimp is completely coated and the moist parts of the batter are no longer on the outside. Every bit of the moist batter part should be coated in the breading.
- As you batter the shrimp, place them on top of the wire rack over the baking sheet.
- Once all of the shrimp has been battered, place the baking sheet with the rack into the fridge to chill for 20 minutes. It's important that the shrimp chill before frying in order to properly set the batter and breading.
- While the shrimp chill in the fridge, heat the oil in the frying pan. Make sure that the thermometer is attached to the side.
- Place the other baking sheet and wire rack inside the preheated oven. This is where you will place the shrimp to keep warm and crisp while as you fry.
- Once the oil in the frying pan has heated to 360° – 365°F, you can begin frying the shrimp. Do not let the oil smoke or your shrimp will burn. Keep a close eye on the thermometer and adjust the heat as you fry to maintain the proper temperature.
- Fry 6 – 8 shrimp at a time. Do not crowd them. Fry for 3 – 4 minutes each side. Flip only once.
- As the shrimp are cooked, use a metal mesh strainer spoon to fish them out and place them into the warm oven.
- Repeat the frying process until all shrimp have been cooked and are warmed in the oven.
- Serve right away with your favorite dipping sauce. We love to use buffalo sauce as a dip for these, like in the pictures. 🙂
- Prep Time: 25 mins
- Cook Time: 35 mins
- Category: Appetizer
