Fried Shrimp Recipe {Perfectly Crispy!}

A crispy Fried Shrimp recipe! Flavorful juicy shrimp are breaded with flaky crispy panko bread crumbs and deep fried until just cooked through and perfectly golden brown and tender. Easily just as delicious as what you’ll find in any restaurant!

Easy Fried Shrimp

A basic recipe that is most definitely one of the ultimate ways to make shrimp! You’ll absolutely love it and it may likely make it’s way to your list of favorites!

This fried shrimp makes for the ultimate appetizer, impressive party food, or crave-able main dish.

It’s easy to make and really less intimidating than you may think.

You just go with a basic process of breading – coat with flour, dip in egg then cover in bread crumbs. Then from there shrimp are ready to deep-fry.

And to finish you can just serve with vibrant fresh lemon wedges for spritzing or your favorite shrimp sauce for dipping. Yum!

Fried Shrimp Recipe Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lbs extra large shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour (preferably unbleached)
• 1 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 large eggs (or 3 if needed)
• 2 cups panko bread crumbs
• Vegetable oil (about 8 cups)
• Parsley and lemon wedges for serving (optional)

Scroll down for printable recipe.

How to Make Fried Shrimp

1. Whisk dry ingredients: Add flour, paprika, garlic powder, salt and pepper to a medium shallow dish and whisk to blend (I use about 1 1/4 tsp salt and 3/4 tsp pepper).
2. Blend egg white and yolks: In a second medium shallow dish whisk eggs until well blended.
3. Add panko to a dish: Pour panko into a 3rd shallow dish (a pie plate works well here).
4. Heat oil in pot: Preheat vegetable oil in a large pot to 350 degrees while you coat shrimp. Note that shrimp should be wet on the exterior (I use frozen shrimp and upon thawing it’s wet, if not rinse with water and drain well otherwise the flour won’t stick in the next step).
5. Dredge shrimp through three coatings: Dredge shrimp in flour mixture on both sides. Transfer to egg mixture and coat on both sides. Then finish by coating in panko on both sides, while pressing into panko so it adheres well.
6. Fry shrimp in batches: Cook shrimp in batches (no more than 10 at a time) until just cooked through. Bring oil back to 350 degree temperature between batches.
7. Remove shrimp: Use a large spider to remove shrimp from oil and transfer to a baking sheet lined with two layers of paper towels to drain. Repeat process with remaining shrimp.
8. Serve: Garnish shrimp with parsley if desired, serve with lemon wedges and your favorite shrimp dip (such as cocktail sauce, honey mustard, tartar sauce, sriracha dip, creamy herb etc).

How Long to Fry Shrimp

• Large to jumbo shrimp only take about 1 to 2 minutes to deep fry in 350 degree oil so monitor closely and don’t walk away.
• The time has slight variances just depending on exact size of shrimp and temperature they were before being added to oil.

How to Tell When Shrimp are Done Frying

• Deep-fried shrimp are a little trickier to test doneness because you can’t see right through the coating to the color of the shrimp.
• The breading should just be lightly golden brown color, then when you cut one of the shrimp in half the interior should be opaque white with pink/reddish edging.
• Shrimp should also just shrink lightly in size and curl when done.

Sauces to Pair with Fried Shrimp

So many options you can use! Here are a few ideas to get you started:

• Cocktail sauce
• Tartar sauce
• Honey mustard
• Aoili
• Thousand island dressing
• Creamy sriracha sauce

Can they be baked instead of fried?

• For oven fried shrimp you could try baking in a 400 degree oven on a wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet. They should take about 7 – 9 minutes to cook through.
• If you want a more golden breading I like to toss the panko with 2 Tbsp oil then bake the bread crumbs on a baking sheet for about 3 – 4 minutes before you being the recipe. Then let cool before coating shrimp.

Helpful Tips for the Best Fried Shrimp Recipe

• Shrimp should be just lightly wet to begin breading, not totally dry or flour won’t stick.
• Use a deep fry thermometer to reach the proper oil temperature for the best outcome.
• Work to maintain that 350 temperature between batches when frying. Meaning let the oil come back up to temp before adding another batch of shrimp.
• Careful not to overcook shrimp or it will be dry and chewy/ rubbery, also be careful not to undercook to avoid any harmful bacteria.

• Never fry frozen shrimp. Always thaw before breading and frying. It’s too cold and solid to bread, it would brown too quickly before cooking through in the center, and the ice crystals can splatter and cause burns.
• Serve warm and crispy for the best texture.