Popcorn Shrimp Recipe

Do you ever just get a random craving for some popcorn shrimp? No? Okay, I guess it’s just me. Well, that’s how this Popcorn Shrimp Recipe came about. I knew I wanted some crunchy, savory and fried shrimp so I looked through my pantry to see what I had that could make this happen. Luckily, frying the shrimp takes very basic ingredients so I’m sure you will all have the ingredients needed on hand. The only thing I had to go to the store for was the shrimp.

PREPARING THE SHRIMP

To make things easier, I bought frozen shrimp that was already precooked and deveined. This cuts the prep time dramatically. I placed the shrimp in cold water and set them aside to thaw for about 30 minutes. I then laid them out on a towel to dry. When it came to the breading, I had some extra Italian Bread Crumbs that I wanted to use up and they helped a great deal in bringing out the flavor. I naturally would have added some kind of spice to my recipe such as cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes but, I was sharing this meal with others who were not as adapted to spiciness. So I opted to take it easy on them. 

POPCORN SHRIMP RECIPE

Serve this recipe with your favorite sauce and it’s just as good as any other restaurant ordered popcorn shrimp! The sauce you see in the pictures is a new Avocado Cilantro Sauce recipe I recently made. It paired perfectly with the popcorn shrimp. I seriously couldn’t stop eating these mouthwatering little shrimps and wish I had made a double batch! Follow the directions below for this Popcorn Shrimp Recipe and let me know your experiences in the comments.

LOOKING FOR SIDE DISH IDEAS? CHECK OUT THESE RECIPES BELOW!

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2. Avocado, Corn Black Bean Salad
3. Creamy Dill Pickle Pasta Salad

Popcorn Shrimp Recipe

Course: Main Course, SeafoodDifficulty: Easy

Servings

40

popcorn shrimp

Prep time

30

minutes

Cook time

20

minutes

Calories

242

kcal

This Homemade Popcorn Shrimp Recipe is “popping” with savory goodness and fried to golden perfection!

Ingredients

• 40 medium sized frozen shrimps (cooked and deveined)

• 2 cups oil

• 1 egg

• ½ cup milk

• 1 cup flour

• 1 cup Italian bread crumbs

• ½ Tbs garlic salt

Directions

• Place the shrimp in a bowl of cold water and set aside to thaw for about 30 minutes. Place the thawed shrimp on a towel to dry. Remove and discard shrimp tails
• Mix the egg and milk in a small bowl until well combined
• In a separate bowl, mix the flour, bread crumbs and garlic salt
• Heat the oil in a deep skillet on medium heat until hot but not boiling
• Going one by one, coat each shrimp with the egg/milk mixture first, then dip the wet shrimp into the dry mixture making sure it is completely covered with a thick layer
• Once coated, drop the shrimp into the hot oil
• Fry the shrimp for about 5 minutes on one side, then flip the shrimp over with a metal spoon and fry the opposite side for another 5 minutes. (5 minutes is an approximation. You should make sure each side looks golden brown before removing from the oil. This may take a few extra or less minutes depending on how hot your oil is. It’s okay to remove sooner if they seem to be cooking faster. Make sure not to overcook or burn them.)
• Make sure to have a tray covered in paper towels ready nearby to put the shrimp on
• Remove cooked shrimp from skillet and place on the paper towel-covered tray so that the excess oil is absorbed
• Serve immediately with your choice of sauce

Notes

• Calories & Nutritional Info may vary based on different brands and ingredients used. Nutritional Info below was calculated using Very Fit Well’s Nutrition Calculator.