Description
Crave-worthy honey walnut shrimp brings San Francisco’s classic Chinese restaurant favorite right to your kitchen with crispy, glazed goodness. Candied walnuts and golden shrimp create an easy restaurant-quality meal that makes dinner feel special without complicated techniques.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 1 pound large shrimp
- ½ cup walnuts
- 4 large egg whites
Batter and Coating:
- ⅔ cup mochiko (glutinous rice flour)
- 1 cup vegetable oil for frying
Sauce and Sweeteners:
- ⅔ cup white sugar
- 2 tablespoons honey
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon sweetened condensed milk
- 1 cup water
Instructions
- Combine 1 cup water with ⅔ cup white sugar in a saucepan. Bring your mixture to a rolling boil over high heat.
- Carefully drop ½ cup walnuts into the boiling syrup. Cook for exactly 2 minutes, then transfer nuts to a clean cookie sheet to dry and crystallize.
- Grab a medium mixing bowl and vigorously whisk 4 large egg whites until they become light and foamy.
- Gradually fold ⅔ cup mochiko flour into your whisked egg whites, stirring until the batter reaches a smooth, slightly thick paste-like consistency.
- Pour 1 cup vegetable oil into a deep skillet. Heat oil to 350°F over medium-high heat, watching for slight shimmering.
- Dunk each peeled 1-pound shrimp into the mochiko batter, ensuring complete coverage. Gently lower coated shrimp into hot oil.
- Fry shrimp in small batches for 4-5 minutes, rotating once, until they turn a beautiful golden brown color.
- Remove fried shrimp using a slotted spoon. Place them on paper towels to drain excess oil and cool slightly.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together ¼ cup mayonnaise, 2 tbsp honey, and 1 tbsp sweetened condensed milk until smooth.
- Gently toss your crispy shrimp in the creamy sauce, ensuring each piece gets evenly coated.
- Sprinkle the candied walnuts over the sauced shrimp just before serving for maximum crunch.
Notes
- Candying the walnuts creates a sweet crunch that elevates the entire dish, so take care to watch them closely while boiling to prevent burning.
- Whisk the egg whites thoroughly to ensure a light, crispy coating that helps the shrimp become golden and delicate when fried.
- Use fresh, high-quality shrimp and pat them completely dry before battering to achieve the crispiest possible texture.
- For a gluten-free version, replace mochiko flour with cornstarch or a gluten-free all-purpose flour blend to maintain the same crispy coating.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 7 minutes
- Category: Shrimp
- Method: Boiling
- Cuisine: Chinese-American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 3 to 4
- Calories: 551 kcal
- Sugar: 35 g
- Sodium: 230 mg
- Fat: 34 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 27 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 43 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 28 g
- Cholesterol: 195 mg