Crispy Shrimp with Cocktail Sauce
Shrimp cocktail turned crunchy, with tail-on shrimp breaded and fried hot and fast, served alongside a horseradish sauce mixed sharper than you would buy.
- Course
- Appetizers
- Time
- 35 min
- Servings
- 6
Cooking Notes
- Dry the shrimp thoroughly before breading so the coating adheres. Moisture trapped under the crust encourages it to slide off once the shrimp hits the heat.
- Cook the shrimp in batches and stop as soon as they are opaque and curled. Shrimp overcook quickly, and extra time makes the interior rubbery even if the coating still looks good.
- Keep the cocktail sauce cold and serve it alongside the shrimp rather than tossing the shrimp in it. That preserves the crisp coating and gives a clean hot-cold contrast.
Recipe Card
Crispy Shrimp with Cocktail Sauce
By Gabriella
- Category
- Appetizers
- Total Time
- 35 min
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lbs large shrimp, peeled with tails on
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1 1/2 cups panko breadcrumbs
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 3/4 cup ketchup
- 3 tbsp prepared horseradish
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- Neutral oil, for frying
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- Lemon wedges, for serving
Instructions
- 1
Stir the ketchup with the horseradish and lemon juice, season it, and chill the sauce while you work on the shrimp.
- 2
Pat the shrimp completely dry and season them, then set up flour, egg, and paprika-spiked panko in three shallow dishes.
- 3
Dredge each shrimp in flour, egg, and panko, pressing the crumbs on firmly so the coating stays put in the oil.
- 4
Fry in batches in an inch of 360F oil for about two minutes per side until golden and just cooked through.
- 5
Drain on a rack, salt right away, and serve piled around the cocktail sauce with plenty of lemon wedges.
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