Honey walnut shrimp is a scrumptious and indulgently sweet dish that beautifully captures the essence of Chinese American cuisine. I fell in love with this dish the moment I tasted this for the first time many years ago. At the time, I had very little experience with Chinese food. We were at a restaurant, celebrating one of my friend’s birthdays and several platters of food were brought out to the table. Not sure which one to try, my friend leaned over and said, “you’re going to want to try that one, it’s really good.” Thankfully, I trusted her judgement and couldn’t imagine life without honey walnut shrimp from that point on.
Ingredients in Honey Walnut Shrimp
Candied walnuts: These delectable walnuts are a delightful blend of sweet and salty flavors, enhanced by an amazing crunch. Preparing candied walnuts is a breeze. Simply make a quick syrup with sugar and water. Then, toss in the walnuts, stir until they are thoroughly coated, and voilà! The result is a crisp, caramelized treat that perfectly complements the shrimp.
Shrimp: The shrimp are lightly coated with a delicate tempura batter and fried to golden perfection. The tempura batter produces a feather-light, crispy, and puffy shell that encases the succulent shrimp. Even after being drizzled with the sweet sauce, surprisingly this crispy coating retains its delightful texture in every mouthwatering bite.
Sweet Sauce: The final step in preparing honey walnut shrimp is to coat the shrimp and walnuts with the luscious, sweet sauce. This sauce is made with sweetened condensed milk, lemon juice, honey and creamy homemade mayonnaise. This recipe only uses 2 tablespoons of condensed milk, therefore, it’s worthwhile to make your own rather than opening a can. Even more, homemade condensed milk can last in the refrigerator for up to 6 months!
Preparation, Servings, and Storage
Honey walnut shrimp is simple to prepare in less than 30 minutes, making it a great meal for busy weeknights. One batch of shrimp yields six generous servings, so you will want to have about 3 cups of hot fresh white rice prepared to serve with this shrimp. This dish is most delicious served hot and fresh, but it can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Although the tempura batter will not be as crispy after refrigerating, the dish still retains its sweet, delicious flavor.
Honey walnut shrimp
Equipment
- small mixing bowl
- 2 bowls
- Large cast iron skillet
- Small saucepan
- medium sized mixing bowl
Ingredients
Candied Walnuts Ingredients
- 3 tbsp Sugar
- 1 tbsp Water
- 1/2 cup Walnuts
Shrimp Frying Ingredients
- 1 pound Shrimp
- 1/4 tsp Sea salt
- 1/4 tsp Black pepper
- 3 Egg whites
- 1/2 cup Tapioca flour
- 2 tbsp Avocado oil
Sweet sauce Ingredients
- 3 tbsp Condensed milk
- 1 tbsp Lemon juice
- 2 tbsp Honey
- 1/4 cup Mayonnaise
Garnish
- 1 Green onion, diced
Instructions
Candied Walnut Instructions
- Heat the sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium heat.
- Once the sugar has dissolved, add the walnuts. Stir to coat with the sugar syrup.
- Remove the walnuts onto a sheet of parchment paper and set aside.
Sweet sauce Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, combine the condensed milk, lemon juice, honey, and mayonnaise. Stir to combine. Set aside.
Shrimp Frying Instructions
- Begin heating the avocado oil over medium heat in a large cast iron skillet.
- Dry the shrimp with paper towel and season with salt and pepper.
- Add the eggs to a bowl and beat the egg whites until light and fluffy.
- Add the tapioca flour to another small bowl.
- Once the oil is hot, dip the shrimp in the egg whites, then into the tapioca flour, and place into the skillet. Fry the shrimp 3-4 minutes and flip to fry the other side. When the shrimp are done, transfer to a paper towel lined plate to drain the excess grease.
- Toss the shrimp and candied walnuts in the sweet sauce, garnish with green onions, and serve hot with fresh hot cooked rice.
Nutrition
