Seafood lovers will flip for these crispy breaded Kickin’ Fried Shrimp. The crunchy coating is perfectly seasoned and provides extra crunch by combining both flour and cornmeal. In warm weather or cool, these fiery shrimp are sure to start a party whenever they’re served. Set-up a condiment station for dipping then step aside and watch your family and friends dig in.
These mouthwatering shrimp fall into the category of special treats for my family. Contrary to common thought about life in the South, deep fried dishes aren’t an everyday occurrence at our house so when we splurge, we do it right! Shrimp is definitely on our short list of favorite golden-fried dishes following close behind chicken, of course. The flour-cornmeal breading for my kickin’ shrimp provides just the right balance between crispy and crunchy. It’s always a plus that fried shrimp cook quickly, too. They’re easy to pop and even harder to stop popping making them guaranteed to disappear in flash. Serve them with tarter sauce, cocktail sauce or one of our favorites, Yum Yum Sauce.
You may also like: Kickin’ Shrimp Dip, Buttery Sheet Pan Garlic Shrimp and Grilled Sticky Honey Lime Shrimp.
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Helpful Kitchen Items:
Kickin' Fried Shrimp
Servings 10
Ingredients
- 2 lb medium raw shrimp peeled, deveined tails removed
- 2 1/2 cup self-rising flour
- 1/2 cup plain yellow cornmeal
- 3 1/2 tsp seafood seasoning divided [i.e. Seafood Magic, Old Bay, Cajun-Creole]
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 2 large eggs beaten
- 1 1/2 cup whole buttermilk
- oil for frying
Instructions
- Season the shrimp with 1/2 tsp seafood seasoning and set aside.
- In a medium mixing bowl, sift together the self-rising flour, cornmeal, 3 tsp seafood seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, and ground cumin.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together 2 large eggs and 1 1/2 cups whole buttermilk.
- Toss the seasoned shrimp with 1/3 cup of the seasoned flour-cornmeal breading.
- Spread out into a single layer so they won't clump.
- Dip each piece in the buttermilk-egg wash.
- Toss in the seasoned flour-cornmeal breading shaking off any excess.
- Heat 4 inches of oil in a dutch oven or heavy bottomed saucepan to 350°F. Do not overfill the pot.
- Fry the shrimp in batches for 2-3 minutes [depending on the size of the shrimp] until golden and crispy. Adjust the heat periodically to maintain the temperature of the oil while frying.
- Use a slotted spoon to remove the crispy golden shrimp to a paper towel lined pan to drain.
- Repeat until all of the shrimp is fried. Sprinkle with additional seasoning after frying, if desired. Serve immediately with your favorite dipping sauce.
Recipe Notes
Self-rising flour has salt and baking powder already added. The baking powder adds a light and crispy texture to the breading that makes it so delicious! The salt in the flour and in the seafood seasoning makes it unnecessary to add additional salt to the breading. If needed, adjust to your taste.
Nufsaid says
Sounds yummy just like the rest of your recipes! What dipping sauce do you have in the picture?
Melissa says
Thanks so much. The sauce pictured is a roasted red pepper tarter sauce. I’ll have to add the recipe to this one soon.
Sharon says
Why wouldn’t this work for chicken also?
Melissa says
Sounds like a great experiement.
Lauren says
These shrimp are amazing! We live in Charleston, SC. They are better than any we’ve had in the many seafood restaurants here. Bravo!
Melissa says
That’s high praise thanks so much. I’m glad you loved these!
Margo says
Do you have your own app?
Had save some of your recipes and had a hell of a time finding them … forgetting your name
Bought the shrimp but, needed to more ingredients.
Melissa says
Hi Margo, I don’t but be sure to subscribe for email updates and bookmark my website in your browser.
Michele says
Delicious!!!