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Soft Fried Shrimp

October 31, 2017 19 Comments

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15 minutes soft fried shrimp (软炸虾仁) is one of the most popular snack for my family, especially loved by children. Since shrimp is yummy enough, we use very basic seasonings and fry them with a light batter.

Soft fried shrimp| chinasichuanfood.com

This fried shrimp is different from popcorn shrimp, no hard crispy shells. Instead, those fried shrimps have a chewy and soft shell. We achieve this by controlling the viscosity of the batter. The final shrimp goes extremely with lots of seasonings and dipping sauces including salt and pepper, children’s favorite ketchup and sweet and spicy sauce.

Besides shrimp, this batter goes well with pork tenderloin, fish fillet and chicken breast too.

Soft fried shrimp| chinasichuanfood.com

Ingredients

  • 200g shrimp
  • 1/3 cup + 3 tbsp. cornstarch
  • 1 small egg
  • pinch of salt
  • 1/4 tsp. white pepper
  • oil for frying
  • salt and pepper for garnishing
  • ketchup for serving

Steps

Devine the shrimp and cut a small line on the back. Drain completely. Add pinch of salt and white pepper and marinating for 10 minutes, giving a foundation salty taste inside.

In a small bowl, crack a small egg (around 50g), then add the cornstarch in. Mix well and set aside for 10 minutes. It is very important to keep a ratio for the egg liquid and cornstarch. I have shown the texture in the picture, the batter should be slightly running but can form a thin lay on the shrimp. If you feel the batter is too thin, slightly add more cornstarch for adjusting. To prevent drying the batter, add only a small batch each time (recommend 1 teaspoon each time)Place the shrimp in and mix well.

Soft fried shrimp| chinasichuanfood.com

Heat around 1 and 1/2 cup of oil in a small pot until really hot, over 150 degree C. Then fry the shrimps by three batches until golden brown.

Soft fried shrimp| chinasichuanfood.com

Drain extra oil and sprinkle salt and pepper. For children, use ketchup as a dip.

Soft fried shrimp| chinasichuanfood.com

5 from 3 votes
Print
Soft Fried Shrimp
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
15 mins
Total Time
25 mins
 
A very popular and easy snack - soft fried shrimp
Course: Snack
Cuisine: Chinese
Keyword: Fried, shrimp
Servings: 2
Calories: 380 kcal
Author: Elaine
Ingredients
  • 200 g shrimp
  • 1/3 cup + 3 tbsp. cornstarch
  • 1 small egg ,around 50g
  • pinch of salt
  • 1/4 tsp. white pepper
  • oil for frying
  • salt and pepper for garnishing
Instructions
  1. taste inside.
  2. In a small bowl, crack a small egg (around 50g), then add the cornstarch in. Mix well and set aside for 10 minutes. It is very important to keep a ratio for the egg liquid and cornstarch. I have shown the texture in the picture, the batter should be slightly running but can form a thin lay on the shrimp. If you feel the batter is too thin, slightly add more cornstarch for adjusting. To prevent drying the batter, add only a small batch each time (recommend 1 teaspoon each time)
  3. Place the shrimp in and mix well.
  4. Heat around 1 and 1/2 cup of oil in a small pot until really hot, over 150 degree C. Then fry the shrimps by three batches until golden brown.
Nutrition Facts
Soft Fried Shrimp
Amount Per Serving
Calories 380 Calories from Fat 54
% Daily Value*
Fat 6g9%
Cholesterol 252mg84%
Sodium 782mg34%
Potassium 80mg2%
Carbohydrates 56g19%
Protein 20g40%
Vitamin C 4.1mg5%
Calcium 145mg15%
Iron 2.4mg13%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Soft fried shrimp| chinasichuanfood.com

Filed Under: fish and seafood

« Chongqing Mala Chicken
Chinese Braised Chicken (卤鸡) »

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  1. Shirley Foey says

    November 16, 2017 at 1:49 am

    What does “taste inside” mean in your instructions #1? These look delicious and I am anxious to try your recipe.

    Reply
    • Elaine says

      November 17, 2017 at 9:41 am

      I am referring the salty taste applied on the shrimp.

      Reply
  2. Linda says

    February 8, 2019 at 1:43 pm

    Thank you so much. I have been looking for a recipe like this for at least 15 years. My search begin ever since I moved away from a wonderful little Chinese restaurant that made shrimp that looked like this. I’m going to make them in hopes that they taste just like the ones my Chinese restaurant made. Thanks again

    Reply
    • Elaine says

      February 8, 2019 at 7:42 pm

      This is almost unknown outside China but really worth trying. Happy cooking and I hope you will enjoy it.

      Reply
  3. Vikki Treadway says

    May 1, 2019 at 7:53 am

    Love the idea, but did you leave out a liquid to make the batter?

    Reply
    • Elaine says

      May 3, 2019 at 9:11 pm

      Egg is enough working as liquid.

      Reply
  4. Yohan says

    May 6, 2019 at 3:17 am

    The 2nd ingredient line says “1/3 cup + 3 tbsp. cornstarch”. Is there a word missing after “1/3 cup” or is that really 1/3 cup of cornstarch and then another 3 tbsp of cornstarch?

    Reply
    • Elaine says

      May 6, 2019 at 7:55 am

      It is actually 1/3 cup + 3 tablespoon of cornstarch.

      Reply
  5. Helen says

    July 19, 2019 at 9:51 pm

    Thank you for the recipe it turned out amazing and I have been looking for a way to do this for years! However, 1 egg with 1/3 cup and 3 tbsp of cornstarch isn’t enough. It was thicker than peanut butter! I added 2 eggs and that was perfect.

    Reply
    • Elaine says

      July 21, 2019 at 8:23 am

      Thanks for the correctness. I will double check the the batter.

      Reply
  6. Sharon says

    August 21, 2019 at 12:42 am

    Am going too try this for my husband & myself!! Xx my fingers, I hope my come out looking like yours!! Thank you

    Reply
    • Elaine says

      August 21, 2019 at 7:31 am

      It is quite easy as long as the batter is well prepared. Let me know how it comes out.

      Reply
  7. Mark says

    December 29, 2019 at 3:06 am

    Had to adjust a bit as written it was too thick but it turned out great! Fast and delicious snack. Great with duck sauce!

    Reply
    • Elaine says

      December 29, 2019 at 9:34 am

      Thanks Mark.

      Reply
  8. Martha Misenheimer says

    May 1, 2020 at 4:33 am

    5 stars
    This recipe was amazingly simple and delicious! It took some time to fry, but the end result was worth it. I doubled the batter recipe, and had plenty for 1 pund of large shrimp. Thank you!

    Reply
    • Elaine says

      May 5, 2020 at 7:12 am

      Thanks for the feedback Martha. I loved it very much after finished too. Happy cooking.

      Reply
  9. Larry Vitor says

    November 28, 2020 at 8:50 pm

    5 stars
    This is a very good recipe. If you like fried calamari(squid) this also works great. This was a holiday appetizer from the fifties in my father’s house. When he could get it, he used sweet rice flour which is like a cornstarch. Seeing this recipe reminded me of those holidays so I made this for a Thanksgiving appetizer. Everyone loved it. Thanks for bringing back childhood memories.

    Reply
  10. Marty Hackle says

    February 14, 2021 at 6:36 am

    5 stars
    Thank you very much for this. This is exactly like the fried shrimp from a long gone restaurant in Rural Hall NC named China CIty. We used to go there in the early 1970’s. I have never found a Chinese restaurant with this type shrimp since.

    Reply
    • Elaine says

      February 18, 2021 at 10:47 am

      Marty,
      Yes, this is a very old and traditional recipe. As a grandma’s dish, the young generations don’t cook this frequently. I am so glad to know that you loved it. Happy cooking and enjoy the time in the kitchen.

      Reply

Hi, Welcome!

Please not be limited by site name, as Elaine shares Chinese recipes beyond Sichuan dishes. Know me more from About Page

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