Learn how to make crispy, lemony golden fried shrimp, lightly battered and fried to golden-brown perfection. Dip them in Tartar Sauce, Cajun Red Sauce, or Spicy Creole Remoulade. It is the perfect ingredient for an amazing Shrimp Po’ boy.
Golden Fried Shrimp Recipe
Golden Fried Shrimp
Equipment
- 10-12" skillet
- high temp thermometer
- 3 shallow dishes
- tongs
- baking sheet
- paper towels
Ingredients
- ½ pound jumbo shrimp – about 8-10 shrimp
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp Cajon or Creole seasoning – such as Tony Chachere's
- 2 eggs
- 1 lemon – zested, and halved
- 1 tsp cornstarch
- 1 cup bread crumbs – plain
- 4 cups oil – peanut, canola, or vegetable
Instructions
- If frozen, thaw shrimp under a stream of cool water.1/2 pound jumbo shrimp
- Clean and devein the shrimp. Place them in a glass bowl with ice until ready to use.
- Combine flour and seasoning into a shallow dish. Whisk together egg, half of the lemon juice, lemon zest, and cornstarch in a separate shallow dish. Add breadcrumbs to a third shallow dish.1 cup all-purpose flour, 1 tbsp Cajon or Creole seasoning, 2 eggs, 1 lemon, 1 tsp cornstarch, 1 cup bread crumbs
- Rinse cleaned shrimp, and dry them on a paper towel.
- Dredge the shrimp in the seasoned flour, making sure to completely coat the shrimp.
- Shake off excess flour, dip the shrimp in egg wash making sure to coat it completely. Roll the shrimp in the breadcrumbs. They should be completely and evenly coated.
- In a 10-12" skillet, bring oil up to 350℉. Add the breaded shrimp to the hot oil. Fry in batches if necessary to keep the shrimp from touching each other. This will ensure they brown evenly in the oil. Cook for 1-2 minutes, or until shrimp begin to turn golden brown.4 cups oil
- Turn the shrimp over, and continue to fry until they reach an even golden-brown color. This should take only 1-2 minutes more.
- When finished cooking, remove the shrimp to a baking sheet lined with paper towels to drain any excess oil. Squeeze the remaining half of lemon juice over the shrimp.
- Serve hot with dipping sauces such as Tartar Sauce, Cajun Red Sauce, or Spicy Creole Remoulade.
PRIVATE NOTES
Nutrition
More Information
Shrimp Size Matters
Colossal, or extra large shrimp are best for dipping. Large or medium shrimp are the best for making sandwiches. Don’t mess around with trying to fry salad shrimp. They are way too small, and too much effort to clean or to eat.
Sizing Guides
You can find sizing guides for shrimp online. Essentially, shrimp sizes can be broken down as follows:
| Classification | Count per Pound | Count per Serving |
|---|---|---|
| Colossal | 4/6 | 2-3 |
| Extra Large | 11/20 | 3-5 |
| Large | 21/30 | 5-7 |
| Medium | 31/40 | 7-9 |
| Small | 40+ | 9-11 |
Fresh or frozen shrimp
If you live on or near the coast, you will commonly see people selling wild-caught frozen shrimp out of coolers in the back of their truck. It usually sounds like a great deal. How do you know that it is safe, and not spoiled? How can you tell without thawing them out?
I have a word for this kind of shrimp: bait. Buy it only if you want to use it to catch more fish.
Use your senses
When trying to determine the freshness of shrimp, use your senses. Fresh shrimp are translucent pink or grey. They have a bright color and they should not have a strong fishy odor. Look at the eyes. They should be clear and bright, not cloudy or discolored. A fresh shrimp’s shell is intact. Its tail is tight. A yellowish tint, or loose shells and tails are sure signs of spoilage.
IQF Shrimp
Individually Quick Frozen, or IQF shrimp are the safest, and most convenient option. The IQF process gets applied immediately after the shrimp is harvested, freezing shrimp separately at its peak freshness. The shrimp is frozen fresh and packaged loosely, resulting in a safe and convenient product. You only need to thaw what you intend to use.
IQF shrimp are available at grocery stores far away from the coast. I can find very high quality IQF shrimp at Walmart in North East Oklahoma! This is what I use, and the results always turn out great.
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