Ebi Fry, an easy Japanese-style dish of shrimp dipped in egg, flour and panko, then fried until it turns to a delicious, crispy golden brown. Serve with some tartar sauce, or even on a bed of hot white rice.
*This post may contain affiliate links which helps bring you delicious recipes for free.
As a kid, ebi fry and shrimp tempura were my gateway to Japanese cuisine, and ones that I would always order whenever given the chance. Though honestly, these succulent shrimps are still a favorite to this day. By what means shrimp tempura differs from ebi fry, however, is the batter that it’s coated with, which uses flour, egg, and a bit of starch for that airy and crispy bite.
Succulent Ebi Fry
Ebi fry is a Japanese shrimp dish that’s dipped in egg, flour, and panko crumbs, then fried until it turns into a beautiful golden brown. It has that delightful crunchy texture, and is prepared similarly to other fried dishes such as korokke. It’s often eaten as a dish on its own with a side of tartar sauce or tonkatsu sauce, but it’s not unusual to pair it up with a bowl of hot white rice. (Which is just the way I like it!)
This breaded fried shrimp is one of the more popular Japanese-style Western dishes, known as “yoshoku”. Some other yoshoku dishes include omurice, curry rice, tonkatsu, and chicken katsu curry.
Notes for Ebi Fry (Fried Shrimp Japanese-style)
- Cleaning Shrimp – I mix the peeled and deveined shrimp with 1 tbsp of corn starch and then rinse it off. This helps to get rid of the fishy smell.
- Shrimp prep (for straightening) – You can skip the shrimp prep (straightening the shrimp), but ebi fry is traditionally straight.
- Cut off tail – Cut off a little bit of the end of the tail to prevent oil explosion when frying because of the water trapped there.
- Am I prepping it correctly? – You want to feel like a little bit of “tearing” when straightening to know if you’re doing it right.
- Air fry option – You can also air fry this at 390°F for 10 minutes. Make sure to spray a layer of oil on the bottom of the air fryer basket before placing in the shrimp.
Other Japanese recipes for you to try:
- Crunchy Creamy Crab Croquette
- Karaage Don
- Gyudon (Japanese Beef Rice Bowl)
- Spicy Tuna Onigiri (Japanese Rice Balls)
- Japanese Creamy Curry Udon
RECIPE
Ebi Fry (Fried Shrimp Japanese-style)
Ingredients
- 1 lb shrimp
- 2 eggs
- 3 tbsp flour
- Panko crumbs
- Salt
- Pepper
- Tartar sauce
Instructions
Shrimp prep (for straight ebi fry)
- Peel the skin off the shrimp and only leave the tail. Rinse and devein.
- Optional: Mix the peeled and deveined shrimp with 1 tbsp of corn starch and then rinse (see notes).
- Cut off a little bit of the end of the tail to prevent oil explosion when frying because of the water trapped there.
- Make slits on the underside of the shrimp and flip it over.
- Press down and bend the shrimp backwards (see notes).
- Pat dry then season with salt and pepper.
Dredging
- Break two eggs in a bowl and whisk it.
- Season with a pinch of salt and pepper.
- Add flour and mix it all together. Prepare the panko crumbs in a separate tray.
- Coat the shrimp with the egg mixture then with the panko crumbs.
- Heat oil over medium heat and once it's hot enough, fry the shrimp for 3-5 minutes or until golden brown.
- Let the shrimp rest on a cooling rack for a few minutes and serve with tartar sauce or as a side for your favorite dish. Enjoy!
Leave a Reply