Butterfly Shrimp
intro
Crispy golden-fried butterfly shrimp with a crunchy spiced panko coating and juicy tender interior, perfect for dipping in your favorite savory sauces.
Ingredients
Steps
Butterfly the shrimp
Pat 450g of peeled, deveined tail-on shrimp completely dry with paper towels. Lay each shrimp flat on a cutting board, make a deep slit along the inner curved edge from the head end to just before the tail, stopping 3mm short of cutting all the way through. Open the shrimp flat like a book, press gently to even the thickness, and set aside on a plate.
Prep breading station
Arrange three shallow dishes in a line on your counter. In the first dish, mix 120g all-purpose flour with 1/2 tsp kosher salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper. In the second dish, pour the 2 lightly beaten eggs. In the third dish, combine 150g panko breadcrumbs with 1 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp smoked paprika, remaining 1/2 tsp salt, and remaining 1/4 tsp black pepper, stirring to evenly distribute all spices.
Coat the shrimp
Working one shrimp at a time, hold it by the tail, dredge fully in the seasoned flour, and shake off all excess. Dip the floured shrimp completely in the beaten egg, letting excess egg drip off for 2 seconds. Press the shrimp firmly into the spiced panko on both sides, ensuring the entire surface except the tail is evenly coated, then set breaded shrimp on a wire rack for 5 minutes to let the coating set.
Heat frying oil
Pour 1 liter of neutral oil into a deep, heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, and attach a candy thermometer to the pot side. Heat the oil over medium heat until it reaches a steady 175°C (350°F), adjusting the stovetop heat as needed to maintain this temperature throughout frying to avoid greasy or burnt shrimp.
Fry the shrimp
Carefully lower 3-4 breaded shrimp into the hot oil at a time; do not overcrowd the pot. Fry for 2 to 2.5 minutes total, flipping once halfway through with a slotted spoon, until the coating is deep golden brown and crispy, and the shrimp is opaque and cooked through to an internal temperature of 63°C (145°F).
Drain and serve
Use the slotted spoon to transfer fried shrimp to a clean wire rack set over a baking sheet to drain excess oil for 1 minute; do not drain on paper towels as this will make the coating soggy. Serve warm with cocktail sauce, sweet and sour sauce, or garlic aioli for dipping.
Tips
2.Never overcrowd the frying pot, as this drops the oil temperature rapidly, resulting in soggy, grease-soaked shrimp instead of a light, crisp coating; fry in small batches of 3-4 shrimp at a time.
3.Drain fried shrimp on a wire rack set over a baking sheet instead of paper towels: paper towels trap steam against the crispy coating, making it turn soft and soggy within minutes.
OMG these came out SO crispy on the first try! My 3 picky toddlers gobbled them up faster than the chicken nuggets I usually make for dinner. Total game changer for our weekly family dinner rotation, and it was so easy even I didn’t mess it up in 30 minutes flat. 10/10 will be making these for our next neighborhood potluck too!
First time ever making shrimp at home and this was so straightforward! I was nervous about butterflying them but the steps were super easy to follow. Mine didn’t get quite as golden as the photo but they still tasted amazing, dipped in sweet chili sauce.
Made these last night for date night with my girlfriend and she thought I ordered takeout from our favorite seafood spot. Win for the guys who can barely cook, fr. Will be making these every other week for sure.
Wait has anyone tried making these for meal prep? I usually prep lunches for the week on Sundays and shrimp sounds way better than my usual chicken and rice. Curious if they reheat well!
Y’all, I made these for my Sunday supper last weekend and every single person asked for the recipe! The crunch is unreal, and I loved that it didn’t take all afternoon to make. I added a little Old Bay to the breading and *chef’s kiss*.
Frozen shrimp worked perfect for this!! I was on a budget and grabbed the $5 bag of frozen peeled shrimp from the grocery store, thawed em quick, and these turned out chef’s kiss. Way cheaper than getting takeout shrimp for my dorm movie night.
Quick question—does anyone know if this breading works gluten free? I have a wheat allergy but I’ve been craving crispy shrimp so bad, I don’t want to waste ingredients trying if it flops!
Threw these on the griddle instead of deep frying ‘em, used a little avocado oil, and they got just as crispy! Great recipe, I’ll be serving these at our 4th of July cookout this year for sure.
Made these on a random Tuesday after work and they were done before my wine was done chilling. Who knew fancy restaurant shrimp was this easy? I paired mine with some cocktail sauce and a side of fries, perfect lazy weeknight meal.
I’ve been making fried shrimp for 40 years and this recipe is better than my old go-to! The double dip in flour then egg then panko is the trick to getting the breading to stick, no more bare shrimp spots when I fry them. Thank you for sharing!
I almost never cook seafood because I thought it was too fussy, but this was so easy! The shrimp were juicy inside, crispy outside, not greasy at all. My roommate said it’s the best thing I’ve ever made. Win.
Made these for our office potluck last week and the platter was empty in 10 minutes. People kept coming up to me asking if I catered them! The recipe is easy to scale up for a crowd too, I tripled it with zero issues.
Wait has anyone tested this in the air fryer? I hate deep frying because it makes my whole kitchen smell like oil for days, would love to make these if they work in the air fryer!
My 7 year old helped me bread these last night and he had a blast! It’s the perfect easy recipe to get kids involved in the kitchen, no fancy skills needed. He ate 8 shrimp by himself and asked for them in his lunch today.
Added a teaspoon of cayenne and a half teaspoon of garlic powder to the panko and these had the perfect little kick! Served them with some creamy sriracha mayo for dipping and my boyfriend ate half the batch before we even sat down for dinner. 10/10.
Help! I tried making these last night and my breading kept falling off when I put them in the oil. What did I do wrong? I followed the steps exactly I thought :(
Made these for our weekly game night with friends and they were the perfect finger food! Way better than the usual pizza and wings we get, everyone was raving. The crisp held up for a full hour while we played board games, no sogginess!
I’ve always thought fried shrimp was greasy and rubbery until I made this recipe. The shrimp were perfectly tender inside, no rubbery texture at all, and the coating was crispy without being heavy. I’m a total convert now!
Made these for brunch this weekend alongside some cheesy grits and bloody marys and it was the best brunch I’ve ever made at home. The crispy shrimp pairs so good with creamy grits, I can’t believe I never thought to make that combo before. Will be a regular on our weekend menu!