Panko Shrimp
Plump juicy shrimp dredged in a beer batter and coated with flakey panko crumbs create the most succulent fried shrimp- serve with a creamy & spicy horseradish sauce.
Ingredients for panko fried shrimp:
fresh ingredients-
- prepared horseradish- found in the produce section
- medium shrimp
- eggs
- beer
pantry ingredients-
- unseasoned panko bread crumbs
- cajun spice mix, Old Bay Seasonings, salt, pepper, garlic powder, cayenne pepper
- flour
- ketchup
- mayonaise
- Worcestershire sauce
- vegetable oil (1 quart)
Equipment and Utensils needed for this recipe:
- large stock pot
- spider basket- buy my favorite HERE
- rimmed baking sheet
- whisk, mixing bowls, measuring cups and spoons
- digital thermometer for the oil- buy my favorite HERE
- paper towels
Follow thee easy steps to make Spicy Fried Shrimp:
Make the Horseradish Sauce & Batter:
Pro- tips for perfectly cooked shrimp-
- Make certain your oil is at 350 degrees for each batch of shrimp you fry. Give the oil a chance to heat up in between batches.
- Use a very deep stock pot to fry the shrimp.
- Use unseasoned panko crumbs. Seasoned panko typically have Italian seasonings in them and will taste a bit off.
- Make certain your spices are fresh. If it’s been awhile since you used that Old Bay- buy a new box.
- Chill the shrimp before cooking. This gives the shrimp a few minutes to allow the batter to set.
- Don’t have time to make the horseradish sauce- use hot sauce, cocktail sauce or tartar sauce.
- Make certain you buy fresh horseradish- the shelf stable jarred stuff is much less flavorful. You can find fresh jarred horseradish in the produce section or the seafood counter.
- Fry the shrimp in batches.
Common Questions-
Yes- use club soda instead. It will give the batter the lightness that comes from the beer.
You bet- an air fryer or oven would work. Set the oven for 400 degrees. The shrimp will be done very fast so watch for that breading to get brown. It will not have the same texture as frying.
Use a very deep stock pot for the shrimp and the bamboo handled spider to retriever the spider. The spider allows you to scoop up the shrimp. Tongs can get very hot and oil can get trapped in the groves burning you if you’re not careful.
Because of the depth of the pot, the quart of oil cannot spill or splash out. Lower the shrimp in carefully- like putting baby into warm bath water.
The oil is too hot. Use an instant read thermometer and make certain the oil stays at 350 degrees.
The oil is too cool. Make sure you give the oil time to reheat in between batches of shrimp.
Let the oil cool completely. Strain out ALL the solids and burnt bits with a few layers of cheesecloth. Pour the cooled oil into a bottle and seal well. You can use it over again. It will last about a month in a cool dark pantry. Never pour oil down the drain. Use this oil for savory dishes. If you try and fry sweet hand pies, they may taste a little “off”.
Other shrimp recipes to try:
- 5 spice blackened shrimp
- 20 minute spicy shrimp and soba noodles
- Southern shrimp ‘n grits
- Roasted shrimp and orzo greek salad
- Meggen’s shrimp & cod chowder
Enjoy this plump shrimp with a side of grits, a bright salad, and southern cornbread.
Panko Shrimp
Course: MainCuisine: SouthernDifficulty: Moderate4
servings30
minutes20
minutes389
kcal50
minutesPlump juicy shrimp dredged in a beer batter and coated with flakey panko crumbs create the most succulent fried shrimp- serve with a creamy & spicy horseradish sauce.
Ingredients
- For the Horseradish sauce
1/4 cup ketchup
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup fresh prepared horseradish
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp Cajun spice mix
- For the Shrimp
1/2 tsp Old Bay
1 quart vegetable oil
2 pounds medium shrimp, peeled, deveined- leave tails on
1/2 cup flour
2 large eggs
1/2 cup beer or club soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp Old Bay seasoning
2 cups panko
1/2 tsp Garlic powder
1/2 tsp Cayenne pepper or chili powder
sliced lemons for garnish
Directions
- For the Horseradish Sauce
- In a small bowl, mix together the ketchup, mayo, Worcestershire, horseradish, salt, pepper, Cajun spice mix. Cover and chill.
- For the Shrimp
- Combine the flour, eggs, beer or club soda, salt, pepper and old bay. Whisk until it forms a smooth batter.
- Mix the panko in a shallow plate with the remaining spices- garlic, cayenne & old bay .
- Spread the shrimp out on a rimmed baking sheet, pat dry with paper towels.
- Sprinkle with 1-2 tsp of old bay.
- Dredge the shrimp in the batter holding onto the tail, then dredge in the panko mixture.
- Chill for 10 minutes in the fridge.
- Heat the oil in a deep heavy bottomed pot to 350 degrees. Using tongs, gently lower 10 shrimp per batch into the oil and cook until golden brown- about 1 minute per batch once all 10 shrimp are in the oil.
- Remove using a stainless steel spider strainer. Drain on paper towels.
- Repeat until all the shrimp are cooked. Be certain the oil temp returns to 350 degrees in between batches.
- Serve immediately with the horseradish sauce.
