Southern Fried Shrimp

Breaded and fried until golden brown and delicious, these Southern Fried Shrimp are tender and juicy with an incredibly crispy crust.

Deep fried dishes aren’t an everyday occurrence in our house so this is definitely a splurge for us. Deep frying foods don’t require any special frying machines like you see on TV. All you really need is a good, heavy bottom pot. I like to use my 5-quart enameled Dutch oven. I think it’s the perfect size for small batch frying. I also use a candy thermometer that hooks onto the edge of my pan so I can tell when the oil is the absolute perfect temperature for frying.

PRO KITCHEN TIP:

• If the oil gets too hot it will smoke and burn, but if the temperature is too low, your food will absorb the oil and be greasy instead of forming that gorgeous golden and crispy crust. No one wants that!
  
• Use a Candy Thermometer to maintain the oil at 350 degrees F for frying. 

Being able to enjoy fresh local shrimp is a luxury – one I really, really enjoy. Supporting local is very important to my husband and I and shopping at establishments like Crosby’s Fish & Shrimp Co. makes that task very easy and affordable. Just for comparison, at our local grocery store, one pound of frozen, farm-raised shrimp costs anywhere from $13 – $18 per pound depending on shrimp size. When they are on sale, you might pay half that (buy one get one free) – again this is for frozen, farm-raised shrimp. The whole (head-on) shrimp at Crosby’s Fish & Shrimp Co. cost us an unbelievable $4 pound! I was astounded at the price – and the shrimp were amazingly tasty!

Earlier that day while we were at Folly Beach, SC which is known around these parts as the “Edge of America,”  I sat on the beach and watched the boat trolling for fish and shrimp out on the horizon. It made for quite a relaxing day – and made me absolutely crave fresh seafood. On the way home from the beach, we stopped by Crosby’s Fish & Shrimp and picked up a few pounds of fresh, local shrimp and some dressed (cleaned) whole black sea bass that were brought in off the dock earlier that morning. Swimming just hours before and on my plate for dinner that evening – now that’s fresh seafood!

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Southern Style Fried Shrimp

Breaded and fried until golden brown and delicious, these Southern Fried Shrimp are tender and juicy with an incredibly crispy crust.

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Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Servings: 4 servings

Author: Ronda Eagle | Kitchen Dreaming

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups milk [See Note 1]
• 1 cup hot sauce , like Texas Pete
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup cornmeal
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 2 tablespoons ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoons salt
• 2 lbs medium shrimp , peeled and deveined
• vegetable oil for frying , about 48 ounces

Instructions

• Preheat oil to 350 degrees F.
• Line a bowl or tray with paper towels and set aside.
• In a shallow baking dish, whisk together milk (or buttermilk) and hot sauce. In a separate shallow dish, whisk 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.
2. 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.

Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy, and is sourced from the USDA Food Database.

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This post was last updated on December 18th, 2019