A simple Honey Walnut Shrimp recipe of succulent battered shrimp fried to crispiness, then tossed in a sweet, creamy sauce and candied walnuts.
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I only learned about Honey Walnut Shrimp when I first came to the US as a college student years ago. It wasn’t something that you’d normally see in Chinese restaurants back in Malaysia. But the minute I had my first bite, I was hooked!
It’s a Cantonese-style dish that originates from Hong Kong, which was popularized by Panda Express in the US. And I’m here to tell you that you can easily recreate this go-to takeout dish at home within 30 minutes!
Creamy Honey Shrimp
There’s no wondering why it is a favorite of many. You’ve got succulent shrimp that’s been battered and fried to crispiness, then tossed in a sweet, tangy, savory sauce together with candied walnuts. A combination that is *immaculate*.
And you only need 4 ingredients to achieve this delectable creamy sauce: mayonnaise, honey, lemon, and condensed milk.
If you’re like me and you like to hog the walnuts, then that’s another plus to making them at home! Make as much as your heart desires. 😉
Notes for Simple Honey Walnut Shrimp
- Coat shrimp – Hold shrimp by the tail and swirl the shrimp in the batter once to make sure it’s coated before frying.
- Batter consistency – The batter should not be watery. It should have a paste consistency. To avoid it being too thick, add the cornstarch bit by bit. If it’s watery, add a bit more cornstarch.
- Light & crispy batter – Use egg whites instead of whole eggs for a lighter and crispier batter.
- Medium heat for walnuts – When cooking the walnuts, make sure to not use high heat to prevent them from being burnt.
Here are more shrimp recipes for you to try:
- Hawaiian Garlic Shrimp
- Malaysian Fried Butter Shrimp/Prawn
- Easy Bang Bang Shrimp
- Vietnamese Fresh Spring Rolls (Shrimp & Smoked Salmon)
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Honey Walnut Shrimp
Ingredients
- 1 lb shrimp shell removed and deveined
Sauce
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1.5 tbsp condensed milk
- 2 tbsp honey
- 1/4 of a lemon about 1 tbsp of the juice
Sugar Walnuts
- 1/2 cup water
- 2.5 tbsp sugar
- 1/2 cup walnuts
Batter
- 1/2 cup and 2 tbsp cornstarch
- 2 egg whites
Instructions
Sugar Walnuts
- In a pan over medium heat, add water, sugar and walnuts. Stir and bring to a boil.
- Stir occasionally until the liquid thickens and reduces in volume. This takes about 2-4 minutes.
- Remove the walnuts and let it cool on parchment paper.
Shrimp
- Rinse the shrimp and season with salt and pepper.
- Make the batter by whisking the egg yolk until its foamy. Then add the cornstarch. Stir until you well combined.
- Add the shrimp. Mix well until coated.
- Heat up a pot of oil over medium heat. Once it's hot enough, add the shrimp one by one making sure it's coated with the batter.
- Cook in batches making sure not to overcrowd the pot.
- Remove after 3-4 minutes or until it's fully cooked. Double fry all the shrimp at once for another 3-4 minutes for crispy shrimp.
- Let it cool on a cooling rack for at least 5 minutes before mixing it with the sauce and walnuts. Serve and enjoy!
Sauce
- Make the sauce and set aside.
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