Walnut Shrimp Recipe: Sweet and Crunchy Delight (合桃蝦)

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Walnut shrimp is a popular American Chinese dish like orange chicken, kung pao chicken and zucchini mushroom chicken. This honey walnut shrimp recipe is better than takeout! The tender, lightly coated and fried golden shrimp, offers a satisfying crunch. Also, the candied walnuts and the sauce contribute a delightful sweetness and nutty aroma which elevates each bite to a symphony of flavors. Let’s learn how to make Chinese honey walnut shrimp at home with step by step photos, tips and a video tutorial.

Love Chinese food? Check out these tomato fish, salt & pepper squid, steamed meatballs, crispy noodles, cashew shrimp, pan fried buns, claypot rice and sweet potato leaves stir fry recipes.

Chinese honey walnut shrimp on the plate close up

What is walnut shrimp?

Walnut shrimp is a popular American Chinese dish like orange chicken, kung pao chicken and zucchini mushroom chicken. Typically, it consists of deep fried shrimp coated in a creamy, sweet mayonnaise based sauce and served with candied walnuts. Usually the shrimp are dusted with flour and deep fried until crispy.

Then, it is tossed in a creamy sauce, which often includes condensed milk, mayonnaise and honey for sweetness. Also, the candied walnuts add a crunchy texture and sweet flavor contrast to the dish. The combination of savory, sweet, and crunchy elements makes it a favorite in many Chinese restaurants around the world.

Is honey walnut shrimp real Chinese food?

Honey walnut shrimp is an American Chinese dish rather than traditional Chinese cuisine. While it incorporates elements of Chinese cooking such as shrimp and walnuts. But, the creamy sauce made with mayonnaise and condensed milk is not typical of traditional Chinese cooking.

The dish originated from American Chinese restaurants, where chefs adapted traditional flavors to suit American tastes by incorporating creamy sauces and sweeter flavors. Despite its Americanized origins, honey walnut shrimp has become a popular dish in many Chinese restaurants in the United States and around the world because of its unique combination of sweet, savory, and crunchy flavors.

What do walnut shrimp taste like?

Walnut shrimp is a popular dish that features crispy fried shrimp coated in a creamy, sweet honey sauce and topped with candied walnuts. The combination of taste is delightful, sweet and savory flavors. Also, the sauce provides a rich sweetness.

While the candied walnuts add a crunchy texture, sweet and nutty flavor. The shrimp itself often remains tender inside and the outside is crispy. It creates a satisfying contrast in textures. Overall, the dish is well balanced with a unique blend of flavors and textures.

What do you eat walnut shrimp with?

Walnut shrimp often serves as a main dish alongside steamed white rice. The rice serves as a neutral base to complement the flavors of the sweet and savory shrimp dish. Also, you can serve it with ham fried rice, chow mein, vegetables such as baby bok choy, yu choy sum, gai lan, sweet potato leaves stir fry, Chinese spinach amaranth and water spinach to add freshness and balance to the meal.

How to make crispy shrimp?

The secret of making crispy shrimp is using sweet potato starch. If you don’t have it, you can use rice flour. The last resort is to use all purpose flour.

Sweet potato starch creates a crispy and crunchy coating when you use it for deep fry or pan fry like crispy tofu. It is because it forms a thin, delicate layer that crisps up quickly when exposed to hot oil which provides a satisfying texture.

Also, sweet potato starch produces a lighter and airier coating when compared with other starch or flour. Besides, it has the ability to absorb less oil compared to some other coating flour. This lightness helps to prevent the fried food from being heavy greasy and have a cleaner taste.

What are the ingredients for walnut shrimp?

In this Chinese honey walnut shrimp recipe, the ingredients are shrimp, salt, white pepper, garlic powder, egg, sweet potato starch, walnut, sugar, water, mayonnaise, condensed milk, honey and lemon juice.

Chinese honey walnut shrimp ingredients top view

What is honey walnut shrimp sauce made of?

There are 4 simple ingredients for the sauce in this honey walnut shrimp recipe: mayonnaise, condensed milk, honey and lemon juice.

Chinese honey walnut shrimp sauce ingredients

What kind of shrimp should I use?

When making walnut shrimp, it's best to use large shrimp or prawns. Look for shrimp that are labeled as jumbo, extra-large, or large in size. These larger shrimp hold up well to the breading and sauce.

While selecting shrimp, whether fresh or frozen. Choose shrimp that smell like the ocean, with a mild, briny scent. Avoid shrimp with a strong fishy odor, as this can indicate that they are not fresh.

Also, look for shrimp that are firm and glossy, with a translucent appearance. Avoid shrimp that are discolored or have black spots, as these can be signs of spoilage. Besides, make sure the shrimp are peeled or deveined. This saves you time and effort in preparation and ensures a more enjoyable dining experience.

Substitutions:

I don’t have sweet potato starch, can I use regular all purpose flour?

Yes, you can. The best is to use sweet potato starch or rice flour for the crispy outer layer of deep fried shrimp. If you don’t have it, you can use regular all purpose flour. Dust the shrimp and deep fry it.

Can I use other nuts instead of walnuts?

Traditionally, walnut shrimp uses walnuts. However, you can experiment with other nuts such as pecans or almonds if you prefer. Keep in mind that the flavor and texture will differ from walnuts.

Storage:

How do you store leftover walnut shrimp?

You can store leftover walnut shrimp in an airtight container or wrap with a plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 2-3 days. However, keep in mind that the crispy texture of the shrimp may diminish upon reheating. Reheat gently in the oven to help retain some of the crispiness.

Can you freeze honey walnut shrimp?

Technically, it is possible to freeze walnut shrimp. But, it is not recommended because the quality of the dish may suffer upon thawing and reheating. The coating on the shrimp may become soggy, and the texture of the shrimp may deteriorate.

Allow the walnut shrimp to cool down completely to room temperature before freezing. This helps prevent condensation inside the packaging, which can lead to sogginess. After that, transfer the walnut shrimp to an airtight container or freezer-safe bag.

Try to remove as much air as possible from the container to minimize freezer burn. Then, label the container with the date of freezing to keep track of how long it has been in the freezer. It can last for up to 1-2 months.

When you're ready to eat the frozen walnut shrimp, thaw it overnight in the refrigerator. Once thawed, reheat it using the oven or air fryer methods below for reheating walnut shrimp. Ensure it heats through before serving.

Reheat:

How to reheat walnut shrimp?

Oven:

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Then, bake it for 8-10 minutes, this helps to retain the crispiness of the fried shrimp better than the microwave.

Air fryer:

Place the walnut shrimp on the tray and air fry it at 400 F for 5 minutes or until it warms thoroughly. Keep an eye on them to avoid overcooking, as shrimp can become tough if reheated for too long.

Microwave:

Besides, you can reheat the walnut shrimp in the microwave for 1-2 minutes. Microwave the leftover walnut shrimp may not be the best option compared to an air fryer or oven.

Cooking tips for how to make Chinese honey walnut shrimp:

Ensure to pick XL or jumbo sized shrimp.
Also, make sure the shrimp are peeled and deveined.
Marinate the shrimp with salt, white pepper, garlic powder and egg for 15 minutes.
Then, dust the shrimp with sweet potato starch. If you don’t have sweet potato starch, you can use rice flour. Sweet potato starch or rice flour creates a light, crispy coating that holds the sauce well. The last resort is to use all purpose flour.
Heat the oil to around 375-400°F for deep frying. This temperature ensures that the shrimp cook quickly and evenly while maintaining their crispiness.
Remember don't overcrowd the pot. Try to fry the shrimp in batches to avoid overcrowding the pot, which can lower the oil temperature and result in soggy shrimp.
After frying, place the cooked shrimp on a plate with paper towels to absorb excess oil. This helps maintain their crispiness.

Candied walnut:

Pour sugar and water into the pan. Turn on medium small fire, keep stirring it until the sugar melts and bubbles. Then, add the walnuts and mix it well. Make sure each walnut is covered with syrup. Turn off the fire and put the candied walnut on the parchment paper and let it cool off completely.
In a bowl, put honey, mayonnaise, lemon juice and sweet condensed milk. Then, mix it well.

Sauce:

Toss the shrimp in sauce just before serving to prevent them from becoming soggy. Make sure to toss or mix the sauce until the deep fried shrimp are evenly coated. Then, add the candied walnut and ready to serve.
Walnut shrimp is best served immediately after mixing in the sauce to preserve the crispy texture. Enjoy them while it is warm.

FAQs:

Is walnut shrimp spicy?

Walnut shrimp is not typically spicy. But, some variations may include a hint of spice in the sauce, such as adding a dash of chili sauce or red pepper flakes. You can adjust the level of spiciness according to your personal preference.

Can I make walnut shrimp ahead of time?

It is best to enjoy freshly cooked shrimp for optimal crispiness. However, you can prepare the sauce and candied walnuts ahead of time and store them separately. When you are ready to serve, deep fry fresh shrimp or reheat the deep fried shrimp in the air fryer. Then, toss it with the sauce and add the candied walnuts.

Is walnut shrimp gluten-free?

Typically, most people use regular all purpose flour as batter and coating the shrimp. Then, deep fry it. All purpose flour is not gluten-free. However, in this walnut shrimp recipe, I use gluten-free flour such as rice flour or sweet potato starch for coating the shrimp.

Can walnut shrimp be served as an appetizer or main course?

It can serve either as an appetizer or a main course depending on the portion size and the accompaniments. As an appetizer, it's typically served in smaller portions. While as a main course, it might be served with rice or noodles and additional vegetables.

Instructions for how to make Chinese honey walnut shrimp:

beaten egg in the glass container top view

Preparation:

1. Crack and beat 1 large egg (2.3 oz weighted with the shell) into a container.

2. Wash and drain 30 XL or jumbo sized shrimp (1.5 pounds) no shell shrimp.

seasoning the shrimp in the bowl top view

Seasoning shrimp:

3. Next, add the beaten egg from step 1 into the shrimp. Then, add ⅛ teaspoon of salt, ¼ teaspoon of white pepper, ½ teaspoon of garlic powder.

Marinate shrimp:

4. Mix it well and let it marinate for 15 minutes.

sugar and water in the pan over the stove top view

Candied walnuts:

5. While waiting for the shrimp, work on the candied walnuts and the sauce. Put ½ cup of sugar into the pan and pour ¼ cup of water. Turn on medium small fire. Keep stirring it until the sugar melts and bubbles.

walnut add into the syrup mixture in the pan

6. After that, add 1 cup of walnuts (3.7 oz) into the syrup solution. Stir it and make sure the walnuts are covered with syrup.

7. Turn off the fire and put the candied walnuts on a piece of parchment paper. Let it dry and cool off.

Sauce:

8. Cut 1 lemon (medium large sized) into half. Then, squeeze half the lemon for the juice. We only need 1 tablespoon of lemon juice.

9. After, put ¼ cup of mayonnaise into a mixing bowl, 2 tablespoons of sweet condensed milk (I used fat free), 1 tablespoon of honey, and l tablespoon of lemon juice from step 8.

honey walnut shrimp sauce in the silver bowl top view

10. Mix the sauce well and let it set aside while working on the deep fry shrimp.

shrimp dust flour in the container top view

Coating shrimp:

11. Put 1 cup of sweet potato starch into a container. Then, dust and coat the marinated shrimp from step 4. (The best is to use sweet potato starch. But, you can use rice flour or all purpose flour.)

marinated shrimp coated with flour on the plate

12. Coat all the marinated shrimp with sweet potato starch.

vegetable oil in the pot over the stove top view

Deep fry shrimp:

13. Pour 2 cups of vegetable oil into a pot. Turn on medium small fire.

testing oil temperature with wooden chopsticks

14. You can test the oil temperature with a pair of wooden chopsticks. When you see air bubbles around it, it is a good indicator of oil being hot enough for deep frying. Or, use a thermometer for 375 F- 400 F.