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Crispy honey walnut shrimp coated in creamy sauce and topped with green onions and candied walnuts over shredded cabbage.

Honey Walnut Shrimp Recipe (Crispy Shrimp with Candied Walnuts)

by hungrycuriouskat
Golden fried shrimp tossed in a creamy sweet sauce with crunchy candied walnuts for the ultimate takeout comfort dish.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time 2 hours
Course Entrée, Main Course
Cuisine Cantonese, Chinese-American
Servings 3

Ingredients
  

Candied Walnuts

  • 1 tbsp water
  • 1 tbsp granulated sugar
  • 1/2 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 1/3 cup walnuts chopped

Shrimp

  • 350 g shrimps peeled and deveined
  • 1/2 cup sparkling water
  • 1/2 cup cornstarch
  • 1 tbsp all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp salt

Coating

  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

Sauce

  • 1/4 cup kewpie mayo
  • 2 tbsp honey
  • 1 tbsp condensed milk
  • 1 tsp sriracha
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1/4 tsp salt

Garnish

  • 1 pc green onion chopped
  • 1 cup cabbage shredded

Instructions
 

Candied Walnuts

  • In a saucepan, add the sugar, water, and butter and heat over medium heat.
  • Once the sugar has melted and is gently simmering, add the chopped walnuts.
  • Stir everything until all the walnuts are coated in the syrup. Keep stirring until the mixture becomes glossy and the liquid has evaporated.
    • Be very careful not to overcook it, as it can turn grainy. You want a consistency where the walnuts are still glossy and well coated in syrup, which is why it’s important to quickly remove them from the hot pan once the liquid evaporates to stop the cooking process.
  • Immediately spread the candied walnuts onto a plate lined with parchment paper and let them cool for 5 minutes.

Fried Shrimp

  • Lightly toss the shrimp in all-purpose flour to coat them before dipping into the batter.
    • This will help the batter stick to your shrimp, as it is quite thin.
  • In a bowl, mix together the cornstarch, flour, cold sparkling water, and salt. Mix just until combined. Do not overmix!
    • The cold sparkling water helps slow down gluten development in the flour, but just to be safe, mix the batter only until it’s combined. The more you mix, the more the gluten develops.
  • Pour in the flour-coated shrimp and lightly toss until each piece is fully coated in the batter.
  • In a pan, add neutral oil for frying and heat it over medium-high heat.
    • The oil in the pan should cover at least half of the shrimp while frying.
  • One at a time, drop in the shrimp. Make sure there’s enough space between each piece, as they may stick together while frying.
  • Cook each side until crispy and lightly golden brown. This should take about 2-3 minutes per side.
  • Let the fried shrimp rest on a wire rack while you make the sauce.
    • The wire rack helps keep the shrimp’s crispy exterior intact. If you don’t have a wire rack, you can also use a metal strainer. The key is to avoid placing the shrimp on paper towels, as this can make one side soggy.

Creamy Sauce

  • In a small bowl, mix the Kewpie mayo (you already know), honey, condensed milk, lemon juice, and salt until well combined.

Assembly

  • In a large bowl, toss in the candied walnuts and shrimp. Drizzle the sauce on top. You can start with half first, then taste and adjust if you don’t want it too saucy, but I must warn you, it’s addicting.
  • Serve over shredded cabbage and garnish with green onions. Best enjoyed with rice (duh!).
Keyword Chinese shrimp recipe, crispy honey walnut shrimp, fried shrimp recipe, honey shrimp recipe, honey walnut shrimp, Panda Express honey walnut shrimp, shrimp with candied walnuts