If you’ve never had panko fried shrimp tossed in a Cajun spice blend, you're in for a treat. These fry up golden and juicy with the kind of crispy coating that rivals your favorite seafood spot. They’re easy to make, big on flavor, and perfect for dipping in Cajun Jalapeno Tartar Sauce or Cajun Remoulade.
To be honest, shrimp should be a staple ingredient in your freezer because of its versatility and quick cooking time. Having these on hand has gotten me out of a bind many times during busy weeknights when I needed to get dinner on the table pretty quickly.
This recipe is easy to make and the crisp crunchy texture makes this panko shrimp recipe over the top delicious.
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Ingredient Notes
Here are a few important notes to consider.
- Shrimp: Large or extra-large shrimp work best. I like to leave the tails on for presentation (especially if you're serving these panko shrimp as an appetizer), but that’s totally up to you.
- Cajun Seasoning: Instead of listing out all the individual spices, I use my signature Cajun mix. It’s smoky, savory, and brings just the right heat without overpowering the shrimp.
- Panko Breadcrumbs: For that extra-crispy crunch. Panko gives a lighter, airier texture than regular breadcrumbs.
Cree's Top Tips
- Always remove the black digestive tract from each shrimp and discard.
- It's important to dry the shrimp completely before seasoning and dredging if not the seasoning will not adhere to the shrimp.
- Use a cooking oil that has a high smoking point, for example, grape-seed oil, vegetable oil, avocado oil, or canola oil.
- The oil needs to be hot but not super hot to the point that it begins to burn. Use a cooking thermometer and allow the oil to reach 350 degrees F if necessary.
- Feel free to use any frying pan, but a cast iron skillet or Dutch oven is my favorite for frying and sauteing.
- Prep all the shrimp/dredge and place them on a baking sheet FIRST before pan-frying it will go faster.
- Pay attention and do not overcook (see recipe card below for detailed instructions on this panko fried shrimp recipe).
- Pan fry in batches if necessary DO NOT OVERCROWD the skillet.
How to Make Panko Fried Shrimp
- De-vein the shrimp by cutting a small slit and removing the black digestive tract that runs lengthwise along the underbelly and top of shrimp.
- Rinse under cold water and lay on top of layers of paper towels to absorb all the moisture.
- Make an assembly station and dredge each shrimp through flour, whisked eggs, and panko crumbs (IN THAT ORDER).
- Place shrimp on baking sheet after dredging.
- Add cooking oil to skillet and when hot, add shrimp and cook for 3 minutes then flip and cook for an additional 2 minutes.
- Remove shrimp from skillet and place on baking sheet lined with paper towels to absorb any excess oil.
- Serve these panko fried shrimp with your favorite dipping sauce.
What to Serve with Panko Fried Shrimp
Serve these panko fried shrimp alongside your favorite dipping sauce for dunking those crispy golden beauties. Of course, french fries, or these Crispy Oven Roasted Baby Potatoes, Herb Garlic Mashed Potatoes, would be amazing too. You can never go wrong with a Fresh Spring Mix Salad.
Store and Reheat
To store, place in a ziploc bag or airtight container with lid and place in the fridge for up to 2 days.
To reheat, simply place the leftover panko fried shrimp on a baking sheet lined with foil or without foil and place into a 375 degree preheated oven until shrimp are just warm. Do not cook too long in the oven.
FAQs
Yes, place shrimp on a baking sheet lined with foil or without foil and place in a 375 degree preheated oven until shrimp are warmed throughout. It may take 7 to 10 minutes.
Fried shrimp SHOULD always be deveined. This is done by cutting a small slit along the underbelly and top of the shrimp. Then removing the black digestive tract. The digestive tract can also appear white.
Always use raw shrimp when frying, sauteing, grilling or broiling. In fact, I do not recommend purchasing precooked shrimp from the market. Precooked shrimp could possibly contain bacteria or viruses that could potentially make you sick.
Shrimp should be fried just for a few minutes depending on the size of the shrimp. If not, they will become tough and taste rubbery. For this recipe, pan frying the shrimp for 5 minutes was perfect (3 mins on one side flip and fry for an additional 2 mins on the other side).
📖 Recipe
Easy Cajun Panko Fried Shrimp
Easy Cajun Panko Fried ShrimpEquipment
- Cast iron skillet or other frying pan
- Paring knife (used to de-vein shrimp)
- Baking sheet (for prepped and coated shrimp)
- Foil paper (for lining baking sheet for easy cleanup)
- Paper towels (used for drying shrimp)
Ingredients
- 2 lbs raw shrimp (for this recipe large size would be great. Frozen raw shrimp are perfectly fine.)
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 3 eggs (whisked )
- 1-½ cups panko crumbs
- 2 tablespoon Cajun seasoning (homemade or store brand)
- 2 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup grape-seed oil (or other oil with a high smoke point. depending on size of pan, feel free to add more oil if needed.)
Instructions
- Line a baking sheet with foil paper then a layer of paper towels on top of the foil paper. The foil paper is used for easy cleanup. Set aside.
- Create your assembling station: 1 bowl with flour; 1 bowl with eggs that have been whisked, 1 station with panko crumbs. Set aside.
- If the shrimp are frozen, you will need to defrost them first.
- If shrimp are already defrosted, use a paring knife to de-vein shrimp. Cut a slit along the underbelly and top of shrimp and remove the black digestive tract. You may also notice a thick white digestive tract.
- After the shrimp are de-veined, rinse under cold water then lay them on the prepared baking sheet in a single layer so the paper towels can absorb the moisture. Place additional paper towels on the top of the shrimp and gently press to absorb any excess moisture.
- Remove all paper towels including those that were used to line the baking sheet and discard.
- Add the Cajun seasoning and kosher salt and toss until all shrimp are coated.
- Meanwhile, pour cooking oil into skillet and place over medium to high heat and allow the oil to get hot (should be 350 degrees). The oil will shimmer when it's hot. Use a meat thermometer, if necessary to check the temperature of the oil.
- Now, coat each shrimp: 1) coat the shrimp in flour, 2) dip shrimp into egg mixture, 3) coat with panko crumbs. **Make sure you really coat the shrimp with the panko crumbs use your hands to completely cover the shrimp and gently pat the panko into the shrimp** REPEAT until all shrimp are completely coated.
- After coating each shrimp, place back on lined baking sheet.
- Pan fry each shrimp, one side for 3 minutes, using tongs, flip and pan fry the other side for 2 minutes. DO NOT OVERCROWD THE SKILLET, WORK IN BATCHES.
- Remove shrimp from oil and place on a separate baking sheet lined with clean paper towels to absorb any excess oil. Repeat until all have been pan fried.
- Serve with your favorite dipping sauce or make crispy shrimp tacos.
Video
Notes
- Always remove the black digestive tract from each shrimp and discard.
- It's important to dry the shrimp completely before seasoning and dredging.
- Use a cooking oil that has a high smoking point, for example grape-seed oil, vegetable oil or canola oil (I prefer grape-seed oil).
- The oil needs to be hot but not super hot to the point that it begins to burn use a cooking thermometer and allow the oil to reach 350 degrees F if necessary.
- Feel free to use any frying pan but a cast iron skillet is my favorite for pan-frying and sauteing.
- Create an assembly station for yourself, for example, you will need 1 mixing bowl for FLOUR, 1 mixing bowl for PANKO CRUMBS, 1 mixing bowl for WHISKED EGGS, 1 baking sheet for the PREPPED SHRIMP.
- Prep all the shrimp/dredge and place them on a baking sheet FIRST before pan-frying.
- Pay attention and do not overcook (see recipe card below for detailed instructions).
- Pan fry in batches if necessary DO NOT OVERCROWD the skillet.
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. For the most accurate results, we recommend calculating the nutritional information using the specific ingredients and brands you use.
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