Walnut Shrimp

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.

Course Appetizer, Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine American, Asian, Chinese

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 20

Total Time 50

Servings

Calories 524kcal

Author Tracy O.

Equipment

1 Pot
1 Pan
1 Strainer

Ingredients

1.5 pounds Shrimp (30 pieces of XL or jumbo sized, no sell raw shrimp)
1 cup Sweet potato starch (Can use rice flour or all purpose flour)

Marinate shrimp:

⅛ teaspoon Salt
¼ teaspoon White pepper
½ teaspoon Garlic powder
1 large Egg (weighted 2.3 oz with shell)

Candied walnuts:

½ cup Sugar
¼ cup Water
1 cup Walnut (3.7 oz)

Sauce:

¼ cup Mayonnaise
2 tablespoons Sweet condensed milk (I used fat free)
1 tablespoon Honey
1 tablespoon Lemon juice

Instructions

Crack and beat 1 large egg (2.3 oz weighted with the shell) into a container.
Wash and drain 30 XL or jumbo sized shrimp (1.5 pounds) no shell shrimp.
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.
Mix it well and let it marinate for 15 minutes.
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.
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.
Turn off the fire and put the candied walnuts on a piece of parchment paper. Let it dry and cool off.
Cut 1 lemon (medium large sized) into half. Then, squeeze half the lemon for the juice. We only need 1 tablespoon of lemon juice.
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.
Mix the sauce well and let it set aside while working on the deep fry shrimp.
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.)
Coat all the marinated shrimp with sweet potato starch.
Pour 2 cups of vegetable oil into a pot. Turn on medium small fire.
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.
Deep fry the coated shrimp by batches (around 8-10 pieces each time), so it won’t be too crowded.
Fry until the shrimp are golden brown.
Drain the deep fried shrimp and put them on the plate with paper towels to absorb excess oil.
Wash 6 leaves of lettuce and dry them. Then, put them on the plate as decoration. (You can skip this step if you like.)
The following step, put the deep fried shrimp from step 17 into the sauce from step 10. Mix or toss it well with the sauce.
Lastly, add the candied walnuts from step 7 and mix it a little.
Pour the walnut shrimp on the plate and ready to serve.

Video

Notes

Cooking tips for how to make 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.

Nutrition