Skip to main content
Epicurious

Chicken-Fried Shrimp

Chicken-fried tenderloin steak was a top seller at Rebecca’s Table, but I have my bartender to thank for the idea that led to this variation. One night, a couple sat down to eat dinner at the bar, and the husband ordered chicken-fried steak. His wife liked the idea, just not the red meat part of it. So the bartender says, “Why don’t we do some shrimp for you?” She was thrilled. Served with chipotle ketchup, adapted from a recipe by Texas chef and author Terry Thompson-Anderson, chicken-fried shrimp became a best-selling appetizer. It’s also a natural for informal entertaining. Once guests arrive, fire up the skillet, and enlist a helper to dip the buttermilk-soaked shrimp in the seasoned flour mixture. Other guests would be well advised to stay nearby. Chicken-fried anything is best fresh from the frying pan. Set the shrimp on a communal platter accompanied with a big bowl of chipotle ketchup and let guests serve themselves. I guarantee the shrimp won’t last long.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    serves 8 as an appetizer

Ingredients

3 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups buttermilk, or enough to cover the shrimp
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
24 extra-large (16/20 count) shrimp (about
1 1/4 pounds), peeled and deveined
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning (such as Paul Prudhomme’s Seafood Magic)
1/4 cup canola oil, or more as needed, for frying
Chipotle Ketchup (page 254), for accompaniment

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Combine the eggs, buttermilk, 1 teaspoon of the salt, cayenne, and 1/2 teaspoon of the black pepper in a large bowl. Add the shrimp and stir so it is completely submerged (add more buttermilk, if needed). Marinate the shrimp at room temperature for at least 15 minutes.

    Step 2

    Combine the flour, Cajun seasoning, the remaining 1 teaspoon of salt, and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper in a large bowl.

    Step 3

    Have a baking pan or sheet of parchment paper ready near the stove top. Dip the shrimp, 1 at a time, in the flour mixture, coating evenly. Set the floured shrimp in the pan. Pour 1/4 cup of the oil into a large skillet set over medium-high heat.

    Step 4

    Once all the shrimp have been coated and the oil is shimmering with heat, add as many shrimp to the pan as will fit in a single layer without crowding. Cook the shrimp until golden brown and crisp, 1 to 2 minutes per side (flip with tongs). Serve immediately with ketchup. Continue until all the shrimp is cooked, adding more oil to the skillet if necessary.

  2. do it early

    Step 5

    The shrimp can sit in the buttermilk mixture, covered and refrigerated, for up to 4 hours before cooking. The seasoned flour mixture can be prepared in advance and held at room temperature. Prepare the ketchup ahead, up to 2 weeks, and store in a covered container.

Pastry Queen Parties by Rebecca Rather and Alison Oresman. Copyright © 2009 Rebecca Rather and Alison Oresman. Published by Ten Speed Press. All Rights Reserved. A pastry chef, restaurateur, and cookbook author, native Texan Rebecca Rather has been proprietor of the Rather Sweet Bakery and Café since 1999. Open for breakfast and lunch daily, Rather Sweet has a fiercely loyal cadre of regulars who populate the café’s sunlit tables each day. In 2007, Rebecca opened her eponymous restaurant, serving dinner nightly, just a few blocks from the café.  Rebecca is the author of THE PASTRY QUEEN, and has been featured in Texas Monthly, Gourmet, Ladies Home Journal, Food & Wine, Southern Living, Chocolatier, Saveur, and O, The Oprah Magazine. When she isn’t in the bakery or on horseback, Rebecca enjoys the sweet life in Fredericksburg, where she tends to her beloved backyard garden and menagerie, and eagerly awaits visits from her college-age daughter, Frances. Alison Oresman has worked as a journalist for more than twenty years. She has written and edited for newspapers in Wyoming, Florida, and Washington State. As an entertainment editor for the Miami Herald, she oversaw the paper’s restaurant coverage and wrote a weekly column as a restaurant critic. After settling in Washington State, she also covered restaurants in the greater Seattle area as a critic with a weekly column. A dedicated home baker, Alison is often in the kitchen when she isn't writing. Alison lives in Bellevue, Washington, with her husband, Warren, and their children, Danny and Callie.
TagsSouthwesternAmericanButtermilkDairyShrimpShellfishSeafoodMainStarterDinnerFryCookbooks
Read More
Mango Sticky Rice
Khao niaow ma muang, or steamed coconut sticky rice with ripe mango, is a classic in Thai cuisine—and you can make it at home.
Easy Egg Custard
With just a handful of ingredients, this old-fashioned egg custard is the little black dress of dinner party desserts—simple and effortlessly chic.
Simple Hot Cocoa for One
With rich chocolate flavor and easy customization, this hot cocoa recipe is just the one you want to get you through winter.
Dulce de Leche
Make this versatile caramel at home with our slow-simmered method using milk and sugar—or take one of two sweetened condensed milk shortcuts.
Béchamel Sauce
This classic 15-minute sauce is your secret weapon for homemade mac and cheese, chowder, lasagna, and more.
Mochiko Chicken
Hawai‘i's beloved fried chicken is crispy, sweet, and savory.
Kale and Brussels Sprouts Salad
Crunchy and crowd-pleasing, this salad can be prepared in advance and customized to your heart’s content.
Sheet-Pan Sausage With Corn, Peach, and Cucumber Salad
This summery sheet-pan dinner celebrates the bounty of the season and couldn't be simpler to make. Chorizo plays nicely with the salad, thanks to its spice.