crispy Southern fried shrimp recipe – The Ultimate Guide to Deep Fried Shrimp

This Crispy Southern Fried Shrimp Recipe delivers with a golden, crispy crust and a juicy center. Best for fish fries, family dinners, and gatherings — learn why this recipe works.

This Southern fried shrimp recipe delivers a crispy, golden crunch with tender, juicy shrimp inside, thanks to its cornmeal-infused breading and precise frying method. Whether it’s a family dinner or a weekend fish fry, this timeless comfort food hits all the right notes — a crunchy exterior, flavorful seasoning, and a quick cook time that make it a go-to weeknight favorite.

Why This Recipe Works

• Deep frying at 350–375°F seals in juices while crisping the coating.
• Cornmeal in the breading gives a distinct Southern crunch.
• Triple dredging (dry → wet → dry) ensures the crust sticks and stays crunchy.
• Easy pantry ingredients make this accessible and repeatable.

What Often Goes Wrong (and How to Fix It)

• Shrimp turns chewy: Frying too long. Fix: Cook in small batches 1-2 min only.
• Breading falls off: Shrimp not patted dry or the dredge order was wrong. Fix: Dry shrimp well and follow dry→wet→dry dredge.
• Greasy shrimp: Oil too cool or overcrowded pan. Fix: Maintain 350°F and fry in small batches.
• Burnt exterior before cooked interior: Oil too hot. Fix: Keep between 350–375°F.

Ingredient Substitutions

Ingredients (and What Each Does)

** You can find the full recipe ingredients and instructions on the printable recipe card below.

• Shrimp, peeled & deveined: Tender seafood base.
• Vegetable oil: High-heat frying medium.
• Milk (or buttermilk): Moisturizes and helps breading adhere.
• Hot Sauce: Adds subtle heat and flavor.
• All-purpose flour: Base of crispy crust.
• Cornmeal: Adds signature Southern crunch.
• Baking powder: Lightens breading for extra crispiness.
• Black pepper & salt: Essential seasoning.

How to Make Crispy Southern Fried Shrimp

** You can find the full recipe ingredients and instructions on the printable recipe card below.

1. Heat oil to 350–375°F.
2. Prepare wet and dry dredges with ingredients from the recipe card.
3. Coat shrimp dry → wet → dry.
4. Fry in batches until golden brown.
5. Drain and serve hot.

Recipe Tips and Tricks

• Use a thermometer to hold oil between 350–375°F.
• Pat shrimp completely dry before dredging.
• Don’t overcrowd the fryer — it cools the oil.
• Serve immediately for best texture.

Recipe Variations

1. Air Fryer Version – Lower crunch but less oil.
2. Cajun Spice Kick – Add cayenne/Creole seasoning.
3. Gluten-Free – Use GF flour + GF cornmeal.
4. Beer Batter – Swap dredge for beer batter.

Serving Suggestions

• Classic sides: coleslaw, fries, hushpuppies.
• Po’ boy sandwiches with lettuce & remoulade.
• Green salad or corn on the cob.

New Life for Leftovers

• Chop chilled fried shrimp into tacos.
• Toss into creamy pasta with lemon zest.
• Make a crunchy shrimp salad wrap.

Storage

• Fridge: Airtight container for up to 3–5 days.
• Freezer: Freeze on a sheet, then bag up to 3 months.
• Reheat: Oven or air fryer at 350°F until crisp.

People Often Ask (FAQs)

Q: Can I use frozen shrimp?
A: Yes — fully thaw & pat dry first.

Q: How do I keep shrimp crispy?
A: Serve fresh hot; store on wire rack to avoid steam.

Q: Can I bake instead of fry?
A: Yes — will be less crispy but healthier.

Final Thoughts – TL;DR

This Southern-fried shrimp recipe makes shrimp that are crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside, every single time. The cornmeal coating gives it that classic Southern crunch, while quick-frying keeps the shrimp tender rather than rubbery. It’s easy to make with pantry ingredients and perfect for fish fries, family dinners, or piling onto a po’-boy sandwich. If you’ve ever struggled with greasy or soggy fried shrimp, this recipe shows you exactly how to get it right.

Southern Fried Shrimp

Ronda Eagle | Kitchen Dreaming

Looking for tips and tricks for making the perfect fried shrimp? Get all the best recommendations for selecting the right oil, cooking vessel, variations, cooking times, shrimp dipping sauces, alternate cooking methods, and serving suggestions. Get all your Fried Shrimp FAQs answered! Breaded and fried until golden brown and crispy, these Southern Fried Shrimp are tender and juicy with an incredibly flavorful crust. Serve with your favorite dipping sauce.

5 from 3 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 25 minutes mins

Cook Time 2 minutes mins

Course Dinner

Cuisine American

Servings 4 servings

Calories 564 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 2 lbs Shrimp , peeled and deveined, tails on (medium, Large, or Jumbo) [See FAQs below]
• vegetable oil for frying , about 6 cups. Canola, Vegetable, or peanut oils work best. [See FAQs below]

For the Wet Dredge

• 1/2 cup milk You may also substitute buttermilk, nut milk, water or coconut for dairy free [See Note 1]
• 1/4 cup hot sauce , your favorite brand

For the Dry Dredge

• 2 cups all-purpose flour , for GF, use GF AP flour, like Bob's Redmill.
• 1/4 cup cornmeal for GF, use GF cornmeal flour, like Bob's Redmill.
• 2 teaspoons baking powder for GF, use GF baking powder. Read label – not all are GF.
• 1 tablespoon ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon salt

Optional Dipping Sauces

• Tartar Sauce
• Seafood Cocktail Sauce
• Marie Rose / Fry Sauce
• Big Mac Sauce

Optional Garnishes

• 1 Lemon , cut into wedges
• parsley chopped as a garnish

Instructions

 

• Preheat oil to between 350 degrees F and 375 degrees F. [See Note 2]
• Line a bowl or tray with paper towels and set aside.
• In a shallow baking dish, whisk [paid link] together milk (or buttermilk) and hot sauce. In a separate shallow dish, whisk [paid link] together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, black pepper, and salt.
• Dredge the shrimp in the dry mixture first, then into the wet mixture, and finally into the dry mixture again. Shake off any excess flour between each dredging.
• Deep-fry in small batches being careful not overload the fryer (which drops the oil temperature resulting in oily food). Fry for about 2 minutes or until lightly golden brown.
• Remove from oil with a slotted spoon and drain on the paper towel lined baking tray. Serve warm.
• Store any leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat in the oven at 350 degrees F for 5-10 minutes to re-crisp outer coating.

Notes

1. You may substitute buttermilk or use 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar to milk to make homemade buttermilk for this recipe.
2. Using a thermometer to tell when the oil is at the correct temperature for frying is key. Too cool and the food will absorb the oil. Too hot and the flour will cook quickly leaving the inside undercooked. The temperature of the oil will dip as food is added into the oil, especially if the pan is over-crowded.

FAQs

What is the Method to fry shrimp?

Deep-fried foods don’t require any special frying machines or deep fryers. All you really need is a good, heavy bottom pot to make pan-fried shrimp. A 5-quart enameled cast-iron Dutch oven is the perfect size for small batch frying and cast iron is perfect for deep frying since it maintains the oil temperature perfectly.

What shrimp is best for Fried Shrimp?

Fresh local shrimp has great flavor but frozen or farm-raised shrimp may also be used. As far as size, it really depends on your intention. For popcorn shrimp, use small shrimp. For a stand alone main meal, I prefer large or extra-large (Jumbo) shrimp.

What is the best oil for Frying Shrimp?

Honestly, there are three to choose from canola, vegetable, or peanut oil. Canola Oil – is an incredibly versatile neutral-flavored cooking oil. It’s great for many different kinds of frying. Similar to vegetable oil in cost, it is an economical choice. Since it has a high smoke point, it can be cooled, filtered, and reused before discarding. Store used oil in an appropriately labeled bottle for up to 1 to 2 months. Before next use, uncap and smell the oil. If there is even a hint of rancidity or any type of “off” note, it’s time to toss it out.

What is the best temp for frying Shrimp?

Shrimp cook rather quickly so the optimal frying temperature of the oil should be between 350 degrees F and 375 degrees F.

Ho long to cook Fried Shrimp?

Depending upon size and oil temperature, the shrimp will cook in just 1-2 minutes.

How Do you store leftover fried shrimp?

Store any leftovers in an air-tight container or zip-top bag in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

How Do you reheat fried shrimp?

Reheat in the oven at 350 degrees F for 5-10 minutes to re-crisp outer coating.
The air fryer is also great for this and restores the outer coating to a nice crispiness. Set the air fryer to 350 degrees F for 5 minutes.

Can Fried Shrimp be Frozen?

Absolutely. Place cooled shrimp in an air-tight, freezer-safe container or zip-top bag for up to 3 months. Heat from frozen by preheating the oven to 400 degrees F. Arrange frozen shrimp on baking sheet. Bake 18 minutes on middle oven rack. For best results, turn shrimp over after 6 minutes.

Nutrition

Serving: 8ozCalories: 564kcalCarbohydrates: 60gProtein: 56gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 578mgSodium: 4456mgPotassium: 583mgFiber: 3gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 107IUVitamin C: 9mgVitamin D: 1µgVitamin E: 3mgVitamin K: 4µgCalcium: 502mgFolate: 141µgIron: 8mgZinc: 5mg

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

More Recipes You’ll Love

 If you loved this Southern Fried Shrimp, you might also enjoy more recipes from our Seafood Collection. Looking for even more ideas? Browse our full set of Recipe Group Boards to find your next favorite meal.

📌 Save this recipe for later