Panko Shrimp
Looking for a new way to cook prawns? These delicious Panko Shrimp are about to become your new favourite recipe… imagine plump and juicy prawns encased in the crispiest, crunchiest breadcrumb coating. Yum!
Servings: 2 servings as a main
Ingredients
For the prawns:
- 450 g shell-on tail-on jumbo raw prawns
- 2 large eggs
- 60 g plain flour
- 60 ml water
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 110 g panko breadcrumbs
- ¼ tsp smoked paprika
- Oil for frying
To serve:
- Freshly snipped chives
- Flaky sea salt
- Sriracha mayonnaise
Instructions
- Peel the prawns but leave the tail on. Using a sharp knife, carefully devein them - it can be a bit fiddly and time consuming, but is definitely worth it (you could ask your fishmonger to do this bit for you). Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- In a medium-sized bowl, mix together the eggs, flour and water until just combined. Season generously.
- In a separate bowl, mix together the panko breadcrumbs and smoked paprika.
- One at a time, dip each prawn in the batter, then place in the paprika-panko breadcrumbs, turning to coat (press down to ensure the breadcrumbs stick).
- Fill a large deep-saucepan, casserole pan or deep-fat fryer ⅓ full of oil and heat until it reaches 190C. Line a plate or baking tray with kitchen paper.
- Slowly lower the prawns into the hot oil and fry for about 2 minutes on each side - or until crispy and golden brown. Once you get the hang of it, you can fry in batches of 3 or 4 at once - don’t do too many or you will overcrowd the pan.
- Carefully remove the prawns from the oil using a slotted spoon and place on the kitchen-paper lined plate or baking tray to absorb any excess oil. Repeat with the remaining prawns.
- Serve warm sprinkled with freshly snipped chives, a sprinkling of sea salt and sriracha mayonnaise. Enjoy!
Notes
Scroll up for a step by step guide on how to make panko shrimp.
To store: Any leftover panko shrimp can be transferred to an airtight container and kept in the fridge for 3 days. They are best fresh, of course, but leftovers are always worth keeping for a quick lunch.
To reheat: Reheat in the air fryer at 200c until crispy and hot all the way through - around 3-4 minutes. Otherwise, the oven works well too. Preheat to 200c and reheat for 5-7 minutes.
To freeze: You can batter and cover the shrimp in the panko breadcrumbs. Lay on a lined baking tray and transfer to the freezer, just to firm up. Once firm and the batter is well stuck to the shrimp, transfer to an airtight container or freezer bag and place back in the freezer. They will keep in the freezer for up to 2 months. When ready to eat, fry in hot oil as instructed. They will need longer than 2 minutes to cook through from frozen, around 5 minutes but it will depend on the size of your shrimp and the thickness of the batter. Test one by cutting into it to check it's fully cooked - it should be opaque in the middle.
Make ahead: Only fry these panko shrimp when ready to eat, as they are best fresh from the fryer. If you want to get ahead, I would use the freezer method as above.
Baking instead of frying: Note that it won't be as crispy. Batter and cover shrimp in panko as normal. Lay on a lined baking tray, and drizzle with a little oil. Bake at 220C/200c fan for 5 minutes until starting to crisp before turning over and cooking for a further 3 minutes. Or until the prawn is golden, crispy and cooked through. The exact time will depend on the size and shape of your shrimp.
Overcrowding: it is really important not to overcrowd the pan when frying or else the temperature could drop leaving you with oily, greasy prawns or the prawns could stick together - neither of which are what we are going for!
Serving suggestion: I love serving this with a spicy sriracha mayonnaise or adding them to a delicious bowl of sticky rice, cucumber, avocado, edamame beans and red onion, drizzled with a spicy bang bang sauce.