These Crispy Breaded Shrimp are seriously addictive with the perfect flavor and crunch! They’re super simple to prepare and make a great appetizer or main dish.
My daughter and I both share an appreciation for good food. One of our treasured activities together is trying out new restaurants and re-visiting favorite ones. Every time she comes down from Northern California, we make it a point to visit our food haunts.
These crispy fried shrimps were inspired by a previous visit to a popular Filipino restaurant in the city of Artesia. As we’ve been regular patrons for many years and have always enjoyed their ginataang gulay, binagoongan baboy, pancit guisado and crispy pata in the past, we ordered without checking their menu.
While we were waiting for our food, however, I decided to browse the menu booklet to find recipe inspirations and ideas for the blog. The list was mostly the usual Filipino fare, nothing out of the ordinary that I haven’t tried before or haven’t cooked myself.
Except for one item: Shrimp-charon! I was intrigued and wanted to try the dish but the amount of food we ordered was already more than two people can consume. I had to pass.
Instead, I flagged down the waiter and asked what shrimp-charon was. Breaded and deep-fried shrimps, he answered.
Breaded and deep-fried? Easy enough to recreate at home. And recreate I did, with great results if I may so.
Cooking tips
- Pat the shrimps dry so the breading adheres well. I like to use small size shrimps (71/90) to get a better shrimp and coating ratio.
- My favorite breading mix is three parts flour and one part cornstarch which delivers a light yet very crispy texture.
- Temperature, temperature, temperature! The right temperature is crucial to the success of any fried foods. Make sure the oil is hot enough so the breading crisps quickly and doesn’t fall apart. If you have a thermometer, check to make sure the oil is at 350 F. If you don’t have a thermometer, insert a wooden stick into the oil. The oil should be bubbling around the stick.
- Do not overcrowd the pan, fry in batches depending on the size of your cooking vessel. Make sure to heat oil back to 350 F before adding the next batch.
- Don’t drain the fried shrimps on paper towels as the paper towels absorb steam, turning deep-fried foods soggy. Instead, drain on a wire rack set over a baking sheet (to catch oil drips).
- I especially love these fried shrimps with a sprinkling of chili powder and a spritz of lime juice but you can season them any way you like. Try garlic powder, paprika, Cajun seasoning, curry powder, or just salt and pepper.
How to serve
- Crispy breaded shrimp are delicious as an appetizer drizzled with lime juice or dipped in your favorite sauces such as sweet and sour. They make a great lunch or dinner meal served with piping hot steamed rice.
- They’re also amazing nestled in warm corn tortillas for seafood tacos or stuffed in hoagies for sandwiches. Any way you enjoy them, they’re absolutely tasty!
How to store leftovers
- As with most fried foods, the shrimp are best enjoyed freshly cooked as they tend to lose crispness over time. I suggest preparing just enough for a meal for maximum flavor and texture.
- If you do end up with leftovers, transfer to a covered container and refrigerate for up to 3 days. To reheat, arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet and warm up in a toaster oven.
Ingredients
- 1 pound small shrimp (71/90), peeled and deveined
- 3/4 cup flour
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 eggs
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce
- canola oil
Instructions
- Rinse shrimp under cold running water and pat dry.
- On a shallow plate, combine flour, cornstarch, salt, pepper, paprika, and garlic powder. Stir until evenly dispersed.
- In a large bowl, combine eggs, milk, and hot sauce. Whisk until well blended and frothy.
- In a deep, wide skillet over medium heat, heat about 3 inches deep of oil.
- Working in batches, lightly dredge shrimps in flour mixture, shaking off excess.
- Dip in the egg mixture and then dredge again in flour mixture, patting down flour onto shrimp.
- Gently add into hot oil one by one (to prevent clumping) and deep-fry, turning as needed, for about 3 to 5 minutes or until golden and crisp.
- With a slotted spoon, remove from pan and drain on a wire rack set over a baking sheet. Season with chili powder and drizzle with lime juice, if desired. Serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition Information
“This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.”
Olivepie says
The new website looks great!!! I love your recipes!
Lalaine Manalo says
Thank you! I’m glad you like it. I’m still fixing a few things and will do a giveaway to celebrate the new design 🙂
Gigi says
what type of milk im to going to use?
Lalaine says
Just regular liquid milk, whole milk 🙂
ART GARCI says
Can you mail me your book Art Garcia
16354 Ella Blvd apt 3312
Houston , Texas 77090
Thank you so much
Lalaine says
Hello Art
Unfortunately, I don’t have a physical book but I do offer a FREE ecookbook for subscribers you can download and print. I will email you the download link 🙂
Glenda says
what food goes well with shrimp-charon? please let me know as i’m planning to cook this soon, thank you for sharing this =)
Lalaine says
Hello Glenda
I like to enjoy these shrimps by themselves as appetizer but I am sure they’ll pair will with rice. You can also sandwiched them between hoagie rolls and top with coleslaw. Delicious!
teepee says
this is kinda new for me too, but looks pretty good and delicious, now i’m getting hungry,hehe… Would definitely try this one of these days. 🙂
Lalaine says
Hello Teepee
Hope you try it, masarap siya 🙂
Sheri says
Do the shrimp need to be submerged in the hot oil? Or just halfway and then turned? Thank you!
Lalaine says
Hi Sherry
Yes, the shrimps are deep fried and submerged in hot oil.
JEN says
I was wondering, is it really 1 tablespoon of salt? It seems a little bit too much that’s why. Thank you/
Lalaine says
I am sorry for typo. Yes, it’s supposed to be one teaspoon of salt. Thanks for bringing it to my attention 🙂