Perfectly golden, these easy Mexican fried shrimp are perfectly battered and fried till crispy! Served with a spicy dipping sauce, they are the perfect appetizer.
Prep Time30 minutesminutes
Cook Time15 minutesminutes
Total Time45 minutesminutes
Ingredients
For the Batter and Shrimp:
1poundjumbo shrimp, peeled and butterflied, tail on
1cupall purpose flour
½teaspoongarlic powder
½teaspoonsalt
¼teaspoonblack pepper
¾cupwater
1egg
Oil for frying, peanut, vegetable, or canola
Lime wedges, optional for serving
For the Sauce:
⅓cupmayonnaise
1tablespoonminced pickled jalapeños
1teaspoonjalapeno brine
1teaspoonlime juice
1teaspoonchopped cilantro
½teaspoonWorcestershire sauce
Instructions
Sauce:
Combine all the sauce ingredients together and keep cold until ready to serve.
Shrimp:
Make sure the shrimp has been cleaned and patted dry. Set aside.
In a bowl, whisk to combine the flour, garlic powder, salt and pepper.
Place ½ cup of the flour mixture in a bowl and mix with water and the egg. Stir till combined. It will be like a pancake batter.
Heat a ½ inch of oil in a pan.
Hold the shrimp by their tails and dip them into the batter, then into the flour.
Place the shrimp, a few pieces at a time in the hot oil. Cook on each side till lightly browned. Place shrimp on paper towel lined plates and continue frying until all shrimp are cooked.
Serve with lime slices and sauce, as desired.
Notes
Storage: Fried shrimp are best served fresh. However, you can store leftovers in an airtight container, in the fridge, for up 3 days. I recommend reheating them in an air fryer to try to get them crispy again!