Fried Shrimp is so much easier to make at home than you think. Just a few, simple pantry ingredients to create this fried shrimp batter using flour and cornmeal to make it crispy, and now you’ll know how to make pan fried shrimp for easy dinners and it will become a true favorite!
Roll up your sleeves, break out your pans and get to dredging. You’re less than 30 minutes away from crispy fried shrimp and old bay cocktail sauce or the dipping sauce recipe I share below, at home tonight.
Post originally created in 2021, updated in September 2023.
Serving tip: Serve this with steak! Not sure how to make steak? Here’s my favorite restaurant-quality steak recipe to use: How to Cook Steak!
Jump to:
- ❤️ Why You’ll Love this Recipe
- 🤔 How do you make crispy fried shrimp?
- 🧾 Recipe Ingredients
- 👩🏻🍳 Step by Step Directions:
- 🥫 Dipping Sauce Recipe for Shrimp
- 💭 Recipe Pro Tips
- ✅ Tips for How to Batter Shrimp
- ⏲ How long do you fry shrimp for?
- 🍟 Side Dishes to Serve with Southern Fried Shrimp
- ❄️ How to Store Leftover Shrimp
- 🍤 More Recipes You’ll Love
- 📖 Recipe
- 💬 Comments
Hey there! Meg here and I’m so excited to share another recipe with you all! I know how much you loved this grilled shrimp so this will be another seafood recipe to add to your cookbook!
❤️ Why You’ll Love this Recipe
I don’t know about you but sometimes I find making fried foods at home kind of intimidating unless it’s air fryer shrimp.
When frying, there’s the whole dredging process and the sometimes messy, frying of the food in hot oil. But I’m here to tell you, you will LOVE how easy this recipe is and it’s way better than the store-bought, frozen breaded shrimp, that’s for sure!
Plus, using cornmeal and flour together in the batter, creates a crispy shrimp that’s hard not to love!
🤔 How do you make crispy fried shrimp?
The mixture of flour and cornmeal adds such a delicious crust to the shrimp. The cornmeal adds a crazy crunch and the flour adds its own wonderful touch for the crispiest fried shrimp!
A good amount of onion powder, garlic powder, kosher salt, and a nice sprinkle of cayenne pepper in the batter also bring lots of flavor and interest.
🧾 Recipe Ingredients
The ingredient list for this fried shrimp recipe is small and basic but it packs a punch! You’ll find that ingredients are similar for other fried recipes on the blog, so if you have pork chops handy, you’ll also love this fried pork chops recipe!
*Be sure to see the recipe card below for the full ingredients list & instructions!*
Shrimp + Oil
- Canola oil for frying (or vegetable oil)
- 24 ounces large raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
Egg Wash
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup buttermilk (or milk)
- 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp. black pepper
Batter and Shrimp Seasoning
Keeping the seasoning simple is key for a crispy coating! Just a few favorite spices really give this shrimp, tons of flavor! You’ll be using these spices to mix with the flour and cornmeal!
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup cornmeal
- 2 tsp. kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp. black pepper
- 2 tsp. garlic powder
- 2 tsp. onion powder
- 1 tsp. cayenne pepper
Optional Dipping Sauce:
- 3/4 cup mayo
- 1/2 cup sweet chili sauce
👩🏻🍳 Step by Step Directions:
Before beginning: Heat oil in a large, heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat. Line a large plate with a paper towel, set aside.
- In a cake pan, pie plate, shallow dish or shallow bowl, whisk together eggs and buttermilk. Add 1/2 teaspoon of salt and pepper. (Image below.)
- In another cake pan, mix together the flour, cornmeal, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and cayenne pepper.
- Add shrimp to the egg mixture and coat shrimp well.
- A few at a time, add the shrimp to the flour/cornmeal mixture and coat completely. (Place on a clean plate while you bread the remaining shrimp.)
- Add shrimp to skillet in a single layer, making sure not to overcrowd the pan. Let shrimp cook and fry for 3 minutes, until crispy and to a golden brown perfection.
- Remove shrimp from oil with a slotted spoon and drain on a prepared plate that has layers of paper towels to soak up any excess oil. Continue until all shrimp is fried.
🥫 Dipping Sauce Recipe for Shrimp
Mayo and sweet chili sauce mix up to a creamy, spicy, slightly sweet sauce that really compliments the crispy, tender fried shrimp.
- Place the may and sweet chili sauce in a separate small bowl.
- Mix together the ingredients until evenly combined and serve with the cooked fried shrimp.
💭 Recipe Pro Tips
The Key to Less Mess: Ideally, set up two pie plates to create a breading station. You can use bowls if necessary but the wide, shallow shape of pie or cake pans makes the process much easier. One cake pan will have the liquid ingredients, in this case, an egg and buttermilk. The second pan will hold the dry ingredients, flour, cornmeal, and spices for a major flavor punch.
✅ Tips for How to Batter Shrimp
This is by far the best shrimp batter, and after so many others have made this too and left reviews saying they think it’s delicious too… it’s safe to say it’s an easy recipe that you’ll want to cook shrimp in from here on out!
Use one hand (I usually use my left since I move through the process left to right) to coat the shrimp in the egg mixture. Pick up the shrimp with the wet hand and place it in the dry mixture. Now use your other hand to gently coat the shrimp.
Because you aren’t going back and forth with both hands they aren’t getting goopy and gross. One hand will have egg and one hand flour but not a big lumpy mess.
It’s not anything revolutionary but it makes a big difference in the mess level of battering and frying.
⏲ How long do you fry shrimp for?
Once the shrimp are all nicely coated, to the oil they go. You can fill a rimmed skillet with a few inches of oil or you can use a deep fryer if you have one. Either option will work well and fry those shrimp up super quick. We’re talking 3 minutes quick.
So the whole process from start to finish is about 15 to 20 minutes. Restaurant quality fried shrimp at home in less than 20 minutes. I call that winning.
If you don’t want to make the sauce recipe above, here are some other dipping options for your shrimp that you will love:
- honey mustard
- cocktail sauce
- spicy ketchup
- country gravy
- tartar sauce
- hot sauce
- remoulade sauce
- ranch
🍟 Side Dishes to Serve with Southern Fried Shrimp
Serve this southern fried shrimp recipe (or so we think it’s “southern”) with Amish potato salad or a side salad to round out your meal and enjoy. P.S. that side salad will give you LIFE.
Or, serve popular side dishes for fried shrimp, such as:
- fried mushrooms
- hush puppies
- potato wedges
- french fries (or polenta fries or eggplant fries for healthier options)
- roasted brussels sprouts
- corn on the cob
Or, if you want to serve it alone, you can easily add lemon wedges to the side and even a little chopped fresh parsley if you like!
❄️ How to Store Leftover Shrimp
To store any leftover shrimp, store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
How to Reheat Fried Shrimp
When ready to reheat the fried shrimp, using the air fryer works amazingly well! Or, you can bake it in the oven or a toaster oven (around 400 degrees for a few minutes until heated through) to crisp it up a little.
Using a microwave can leave the fried shrimp soggy but it’s definitely a way you can reheat if preferred.
🍤 More Recipes You’ll Love
Want more yummy recipes? You’ll also love this shrimp baked potato, grilled shrimp marinade recipe. Or, if you love fried recipes, this country fried steak is a great southern staple.
This fried rice recipe is perfect to create a fried shrimp rice recipe.
Or serve up this fried shrimp recipe as an appetizer with some of our other favorite easy appetizer recipes that we have here on the blog.
📖 Recipe
Crispy Fried Shrimp Recipe
Ingredients
- Canola oil for frying
- 24 ounces large raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
Egg Wash
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup buttermilk (or milk)
- 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp. black pepper
Batter
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup cornmeal
- 2 tsp. kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp. black pepper
- 2 tsp. garlic powder
- 2 tsp. onion powder
- 1 tsp. cayenne pepper
Dipping Sauce:
- 3/4 cup mayo
- 1/2 cup sweet chili sauce
Instructions
- Heat 1/2-inch of oil in a large, heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat. Line a large plate with a paper towel, set aside.
- In a cake pan or pie plate whisk together eggs and buttermilk. Add 1/2 teaspoon of salt and pepper.
- In another cake pan, mix together the flour, cornmeal, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and cayenne pepper.
- Add shrimp to the egg mixture and coat well. A few at a time, add the shrimp to the flour and coat completely. Place on a clean plate while you bread the remaining shrimp.
- Add shrimp to skillet making sure not to overcrowd the pan. Fry for 3 minutes, until crispy and golden brown. Drain on prepared plate. Continue until all shrimp is fried.
Dipping Sauce
- Mix mayo and sweet chili sauce in a bowl for dipping.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more.
monica says
this recipe reminds me of some fried shrimp I had in Charleston and it was amazing! thank you for sharing so I can make it at home!
Jessica says
That is so awesome!! You’re so welcome and I’m thrilled that you liked it. Thank you for sharing!
Agnes says
So good! Love all things shrimp! These are so bomb in a corn tortilla with some slaw.
Jessica says
Hi Agnes, thank you so much for leaving a comment! I’d love it if you left a star-rated review if you get a chance!
Betsy says
Wonderfully easy & so delicious! My new favorite shrimp! The kids LOVE these! So wonderfully poppable! Great as an appetizer, dinner, or even after school snack!!
Jessica says
Thank you so much Betsy!! I’m so excited that you liked this shrimp too!
David E. Roy,Ph.D. says
I came across your website on 1/19/2022 and enjoyed your specific suggestions and your informality but I had a question about the recommended temperature of the oil (since there wasn’t one). I mentioned I was relatively new to cooking and therefore wondered if others more experienced would automatically know without being told. My question was (as is) genuine; it was not an effort to be snide and critical. But for some reason, you deleted my entry, which was very disappointing.
Jessica says
Hi David (E. Roy, Ph.D.), I’m sorry if you feel your comment was deleted. I actually don’t remember seeing a comment about the temperature of oil and do my best to try and respond to all comments. (I get a LOT each day, so I do my best, while I also try to manage my family and this blog.) It could be possible, that instead of deleting the comment, it ended up in the spam folder and those are emptied/deleted often as they are a security risk, or that it never went through. Sometimes comments won’t push through due to glitches, so hopefully that’s all it was. But I understand if you’re disappointed… I’m disappointed in technology at times too and also wish I could please everyone but I can’t, even though I try to! Have a great day.
David E. ERoy says
Is there an understanding with pan frying about the temperature not being an issue? Typically, I aim for the oil to be 350 to 375, though it is difficult to measure because that oil lacks depth. A laser guide can be helpful as can spot checking with a good instant thermometer. The recipe looks good and I will rate it after trying!
Cheryl says
This is a recipe I will try again.
Jessica says
Oh good, I’m so glad to hear it Cheryl, thank you!
Erin says
This is the perfect fried shrimp recipe! Great flavor and crispy texture! Even reheated they are delicious and not rubbery, like some shrimp can be.
Jessica says
That’s so awesome to hear, thank you so much for sharing and for leaving a review!
Patricia says
I was looking for a easy fried shrimp recipe I a definitely going to try this
Jessica says
Oh good! I hope you love it Patricia! So many have so far!!
JANET M. says
These shrimp were a BIG hit! They are easy to make and were very tasty. I don’t know when my family has been so excited about a meal. We will definite have this again!
Jessica says
Awww! This is great to hear. Thank you so much for letting us know!
Lisa says
I tried this just now. Came out good. . The only thing I did wrong was I guess the Oil I used ? My oil turned black while I was cooking. I used wesson oil. seems like I maybe used too much breading. My shrimp batter when done looked dark. But tasted good.
Jessica says
Oh wow! Yeah I’m not sure why it would do that. Thank you for sharing that you tried the recipe, and glad that it tasted good!
Donna says
This is a great recipe. Per hubby, “Mark THAT recipe and don’t change a thing!” Thank you for sharing.
Jessica says
Ahhh!!! Haha, that’s fantastic and I’m so glad to hear it. Thank you for sharing!
Crystal Warner says
Great mix for my family! My husband hates cornmeal batter and I don’t like flour batter! Just perfect with great flavor!
Jessica says
Excellent! I’m so glad that you liked it. Thank you so much for sharing!
Debbie says
Substitute crushed saltine crackers for the cornmeal. My Mom used this and wow it delicious crunchy shrimp.
Jennifer says
Delicious! First time making fried shrimp and I will definitely be making it again!
Jessica says
Yay! I’m so glad that you enjoyed it, thank you for sharing and for the review!
Karen B Stone says
I’m assuming you mean “1/2 inch” of oil?
Jessica says
Yes! Thank you for catching that. I’ve corrected it!
Vonne says
That looks like a great recipe. Does it translate well as a chicken dish for those of us who have shellfish allergies?
Allyson Zea says
Wow this does look absolutely fabulous!!!!
Jessica says
Awww!!! Haha! Thank you!
Becky Hardin says
This shrimp would be a huge hit at my house. A must try for sure.
Jessica says
Oh yay!! I’m so glad they’ll love it! 🙂
lauren kelly says
This is one of those few recipes that my whole family would eat! I am saving this recipe for sure!
Jessica says
Woo hoo!! So glad it’s helpful! XO
CathY says
Would the mixture stick on shrimp that was bought already steamed and frozen or does it need to be raw shrimp?
Courtney says
You made the whole process so easy with such great tips! So tasty 🙂
Jessica says
Oh good! I’m so glad! Thank you! XO
Steph says
We are huge shrimp lovers around here and this recipe turned out great!
Jessica says
Yay!! I’m so glad! Thank you so much!