Honey Walnut Shrimp Recipe

Wooden chopstick picking up honey walnut shrimp from a white plate.

5 from 1 vote

Honey Walnut Shrimp Recipe

Make the BEST honey walnut shrimp right at home! This restaurant favorite is incredibly simple with juicy EXTRA crispy shrimp, a sweet and creamy sauce, and the most irresistible candied walnuts you'll want to make in large batches!

Prep Time10

Cook Time30

Total Time40

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Asian, Chinese

Servings: servings

Calories: 452kcal

Author: Mikha S.

Ingredients

Candied Walnuts:

1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 1/2 tablespoons granulated white sugar
1/2 cup walnuts
1/8 teaspoon salt

Shrimp Batter:

5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
5 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
1 egg whisked
1/2 cup ice cold soda/seltzer water
1 pound jumbo shrimp deveined and peeled
Oil for frying vegetable, canola, grapeseed, or other high smoke point oil
½ teaspoon toasted sesame seeds optional for garnish

Sauce:

1/4 cup Japanese mayo
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoon condensed milk
1 teaspoon rice vinegar*
½ teaspoon salt

Instructions

Chill Ingredients:

In a metal mixing bowl, combine all-purpose flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt. Place in the fridge for 30 minutes to chill. Keep the shrimp, egg, & seltzer water in the fridge to chill as well.

Candied Walnuts:

Heat a medium-sized pot on medium. Add in butter and sugar to combine, then pour in walnuts. Continuously stir and cook for about 5 minutes or until a sticky caramel glaze forms over the walnuts. Keep an eye on them so they don’t burn.
Pour them onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Quickly dust them with salt then separate them so they don’t stick together as they cool. Set aside to allow them to cool completely, they’ll continue to harden & become crunchy!.

Cook Shrimp:

In a medium-sized pot, add enough oil for a deep fry, then heat on medium-high heat.
While the oil is heating, make the batter. Remove the bowl of dry ingredients from the fridge & add the egg & cold seltzer water. Mix until JUST combined - don’t overmix because the carbonation helps create a light crispy batter.
Dip the shrimp in the batter & coat evenly.
Check if the oil is hot by dropping a little batter in the oil. If it floats right away, the oil is hot enough. Slowly add shrimp into oil one at a time, working in batches to prevent overcrowding. Immediately begin stirring shrimp to prevent shrimp from sticking together. Cook for about 2-3 minutes, or until golden brown & crispy. You’ll know they’re ready if you no longer see big violent bubbles in the oil, it should be small bubbles, meaning less moisture & crispier shrimp! Remove and transfer to a wire rack or paper towel-lined plate.
Optional but HIGHLY recommended: Turn off heat & allow shrimp to rest for 15-20 minutes. This gives shrimp more time to release residual moisture, then the moisture will be fried away during the double fry for EXTRA crunchy shrimp for longer.
Reheat the pot of oil to medium-high. Once the oil is hot, double fry the shrimp! Again, work in batches if needed to prevent overcrowding. Cook shrimp for about another minute, or until you no longer see big violent bubbles in the oil & the shrimp is a deep golden color & crunchy. Transfer to a wire rack or paper towel-lined plate & allow to cool for 1-2 minutes. In the meantime, make the sauce.

Sauce:

In a large bowl, combine Japanese mayo, honey, condensed milk, rice vinegar, and salt until well combined.

Combine & Serve

Combine the shrimp & sauce, Toss in the candied walnuts, & garnish with sesame seeds. Serve immediately & enjoy!

Notes

Japanese Mayo: I HIGHLY recommend making the effort to get Japanese mayo at local Asian or Japanese markets. It's richer, creamier, and adds a subtle tang. Swapping it out will change the flavor of the sauce.
Oil for Frying: Use an oil with a high smoke point, such as grapeseed, canola, vegetable, or avocado oil. Avoid using oils such as olive oil with low smoke points.

Nutrition