Crispy Popcorn Shrimp

These crispy popcorn shrimp are little bites of golden, crunchy goodness! Juicy shrimp get coated in seasoned panko and fried until perfectly crisp. Serve them hot with a squeeze of lemon and cocktail sauce for dipping!

A Party Favorite for Good Reason

That crunch! The seasoned panko coating fries up light, golden, and extra crispy with juicy shrimp tucked inside.

Cook Your Way: Fry, bake, or air fry! I’m sharing three cooking methods, and each one gives you crispy, crunchy shrimp everyone will love.

Made for Dipping: Cocktail sauce is a classic, but these are just as good dunked in spicy mayo, remoulade, or tartar sauce.

Ingredients for Crispy Popcorn Shrimp

Choose Small Shrimp: Use peeled and deveined shrimp, preferably 51/60 or 61/70 count. If using frozen shrimp, thaw them completely and pat them very dry with paper towels before breading. Removing excess moisture helps the coating stick and crisp up.

Go for Extra Crunch: Panko breadcrumbs give the shrimp a light, crispy coating. You can also use regular breadcrumbs or a mix of both. Gently press the crumbs onto each shrimp so the coating stays put while cooking.

Use a Neutral Oil: Vegetable, canola, or peanut oil all work well for frying. The amount you need will depend on the size of your pan, but aim for about 1½ to 2 inches of oil.

How to Make Crispy Popcorn Shrimp

Don’t let frying shrimp intimidate you! These popcorn shrimp are surprisingly easy to make. They’re such a fun appetizer for game day or parties, especially served alongside mozzarella sticks, jalapeño poppers, or buffalo chicken dip.

Set Up the Breading Station: In a shallow dish, add all-purpose flour, garlic powder, paprika, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Whisk to combine. In another shallow dish, whisk together the egg and milk. Place panko breadcrumbs in a third shallow dish.

Bread the Shrimp: Pat shrimp dry, then coat in the flour mixture a few shrimp at a time. Shake off the excess flour, then dip in the egg mixture. Finally, coat with the breadcrumbs and lay the shrimp on a baking sheet until all shrimp are coated.

Fry: Heat oil in a cast iron pan or deep fryer to 350ºF. Fry the shrimp in batches for 2-3 minutes, until golden brown.

Drain and Serve: Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. Sprinkle with additional salt while still hot. Serve crispy popcorn shrimp immediately with cocktail sauce and lemon wedges.

Alyssa’s Pro Tip

Watch the Oil Temperature: Keep the oil as close to 350°F as possible. If it’s too hot, the coating can burn before the shrimp cook. If it’s too cool, the shrimp can soak up oil and turn greasy. An instant-read thermometer makes this easy.

Kitchen Tools Used

Shallow Dishes: Three for the flour, egg, and panko.

Cast Iron Pan: Keeps the oil temperature steady while frying.

Spider Skimmer or Tongs: Safely turns and removes the shrimp.

Instant-Read Thermometer: Keeps the oil near 350°F for crispy shrimp.

Cooking Methods for Crispy Popcorn Shrimp

Bake

Preheat the Oven: Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly grease with cooking spray.

Bread the Shrimp: Follow steps 1 and 2 as written to set up the breading station and coat the shrimp.

Bake the Shrimp: Arrange the shrimp in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet and lightly spray the tops with cooking spray. Bake for 6 minutes, flip, and spray again if needed. Bake for another 6 minutes, or until golden and cooked through.

Serve: Season with a little extra salt while hot. Pair with lemon wedges and your favorite dipping sauce.

Air Fry

Preheat the Air Fryer: Preheat the air fryer to 400°F.

Bread the Shrimp: Follow steps 1 and 2 as written to set up the breading station and coat the shrimp.

Air Fry the Shrimp: Lightly spray the breaded shrimp with cooking spray and arrange them in a single layer in the air fryer basket. Air fry for 2 minutes, flip, then cook for another 2–3 minutes, or until golden and cooked through. Work in batches if needed to avoid overcrowding.

Dig In: Enjoy the shrimp hot and crispy with cocktail sauce, spicy mayo, or tartar sauce for dipping.

Crispy popcorn shrimp are coated in seasoned panko and fried until golden and crunchy. Serve them hot with lemon and your favorite dipping sauce!

Course Appetizer

Cuisine American

Keyword crispy popcorn shrimp recipe, fried shrimp, popcorn shrimp

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Servings servings

Calories 344kcal

Author Alyssa Rivers

Equipment

1 Cast iron skillet

Ingredients

1 pound small raw shrimp peeled and deveined½ cup all-purpose flour1 teaspoon paprika1 teaspoon garlic powder½ teaspoon onion powder½ teaspoon salt½ teaspoon pepper1 large egg¼ cup milk1 ½ cups panko breadcrumbsvegetable oil for frying

Instructions

To a shallow dish, add ½ cup all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon paprika, ½ teaspoon onion powder, ½ teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper. Whisk to combine. In another shallow dish, add 1 large egg and ¼ cup milk and whisk together. Place 1 ½ cups panko breadcrumbs in a third shallow dish.

Pat 1 pound small raw shrimp dry, and then coat a few shrimp at a time in the flour mixture. Shake off the excess flour, then dip in the egg mixture. Finally, coat with the breadcrumbs and lay the shrimp on a baking sheet until all the shrimp are coated.

Heat vegetable oil in a cast iron pan or deep fryer to 350 degrees. Fry the shrimp, working in batches, for 2-3 minutes, until golden brown. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. Sprinkle with additional salt while still hot. Serve immediately with cocktail sauce and lemon wedges.

Notes

Storing Leftovers

In the Refrigerator: Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Reheat: Reheat in the oven or air fryer at 400ºF until hot and crispy.
In the Freezer: Cool completely, then freeze in a single layer before transferring to a freezer-safe container. Freeze for up to 3 months.

Nutrition

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