Name: New Orleans-Style Fried Shrimp
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 50 min
Ingredients: 2 pounds raw 31-40 count peeled, tail off u0026 deveined shrimp; 3 teaspoons fine sea salt; 2 teaspoons smoked paprika; 1 teaspoon garlic powder; 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper; 1/2 teaspoon black pepper; 1 1/2 cup all purpose flour; 1 cup cornmeal; 1 cup buttermilk; 3 Tablespoons hot sauce (Cholula hot sauce or one of your choice); Canola or Vegetable oil for frying

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New Orleans–style fried shrimp are crisp, juicy, and full of bold Creole flavor. Plump shrimp are seasoned generously, with garlic, paprika, cayenne, salt and pepper, then dipped in a seasoned batter before frying to a golden crunch. Each bite delivers a mix of spice and sweetness from the shrimp, capturing the vibrant, soulful taste of classic New Orleans cooking.

This New Orleans-Style fried shrimp taste is amazing! It is a bit spicy but not too spicy. And it is very versatile. It can stand alone as an appetizer or served on a bed of lettuce. Try wrapping the fried shrimp in a tortilla or pile it on a french baguette for a Po’ Boy sandwich. Once you try this New Orleans-style fried shrimp recipe you will fall in love with it.

Tips

Use the right shrimp: I prefer to use “Wild Caught” shrimp. Wild caught shrimp generally offers a superior, brinier flavor, firmer texture, and natural color from their diverse ocean diet. Farmed shrimp are often milder, paler, and softer due to controlled feeds.

You can use any size shrimp, but I prefer 31-40 count peeled, tail off & deveined shrimp. (Basically this means there are 31-40 shrimp per pound.) While the shrimp’s back has been deveined, the underside has not and this size makes it easier to clean the underside. I know a lot of people don’t take the time to do the second deveining but I’m not comfortable eating shrimp poop.

Let the Batter Rest: After battering the shrimp, let it rest in the refrigerator for 20 minutes before frying. This helps the coating stick to the shrimp better so it doesn’t fall of when frying.

Oil Temperature: To cook the shrimp, heat the oil to 350 degrees F so your shrimp fries crispy. If the temp is too low, the shrimp will get soggy absorbing the oil. Too high and the batter will burn.

How To Make New Orleans-Style Fried Shrimp

Mix salt, paprika, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, salt and black pepper together in a small bowl. Divide the spice mixture in half.
Season the thawed and cleaned shrimp with half of the spice mixture.
Mix flour, cornmeal and the rest of the spice mixture together in a medium size bowl.
In a separate bowl, mix buttermilk and hot sauce together.
Working one at a time or in small batches, dip seasoned shrimp in buttermilk mixture, then gently dredge the shrimp in the dry mixture to coat it.
Place the coated shrimp on a parchment lined cookie sheet or plate. Refrigerate for 20 minutes.
Heat about 2 inches of oil in a deep, wide pan. Be sure the oil has reached 350 degrees F before frying.
Work in batches, fry shrimp until golden brown about 3-4 minutes per batch. Transfer to paper towels to drain.
Let cool and enjoy!

This recipe is adapted from Shrimp Po Boy by grandbaby-cakes.com

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