Southern Fried Shrimp

4.92 from 116 votes
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This Southern Fried Shrimp recipe is easy, delicious, super easy to make. Crunchy on the outside and bursting with flavor. In about 15 minutes, from start to finish, you’ll have a tasty meal of crispy seafood ready to go.

fried shrimp in a blue small bowl

I don’t know about you, but I’m obsessed with shrimp and a good majority of people would agree with me. Shrimp is an extremely popular food around the world, and apparently, it has been for thousands of years.

These shrimp are super crispy and I don’t know about you but I prefer shrimp fried with just flour. I’m not a fan of a panko or cornmeal coating for fried shrimp.

I have countless shrimp recipes simply because I can’t get enough of it and neither can my family. Some of our favorites we like to make often are Crunchy Honey Walnut Shrimp, Saucy Shrimp, and Honey Garlic Shrimp.

How to Make Southern Fried Shrimp

  1. Soak the shrimp – In a large bowl, mix together the milk, ½ teaspoon salt, the black pepper, half the granulated garlic, half the paprika, and half of the oregano. Add in the shrimp and let soak for 10 minutes.
  2. Coat the shrimp – Once the shrimp is finished soaking, shake free of excess milk. Mix together the remaining spices and flour on a plate and coat the shrimp well. Make sure you coat the shrimp really well with flour. Coat them several times with the seasoned flour. You should not be able to see the shrimp under the flour. 
  3. Fry the shrimp – Heat the oil to 375 degrees and fry each batch of shrimp for about 1-2 minutes or until it’s nice and crispy.
  4. Serve – Allow the shrimp to cool a bit and serve!

 

seasoned flour in a cake pan and seafood soaked in milk in a white bowl.

Recipe Tips and Variations

  • Serving sauces – If you enjoy dipping your shrimp in a sauce, you can serve these fried shrimp with honey mustard, tartar sauce, sriracha mayo, etc. I served it with honey mustard. 
  • Use uncooked shrimp   In order for your shrimp to really soak up flavor, they need to be the uncooked kind you get from the store. If they’re already pink in the package, this means they’re cooked and won’t really soak up any flavor through the prepping process. If the shrimp are a grey color, then those are the kind you’re looking for. Be sure they’re deveined and peeled for your convenience. 
  • Make it spicy – Add some cayenne pepper to the recipe for extra spice. 

 

fried shrimp in an iron skillet with oil.

Can You Fry Already Cooked Shrimp?

Of course, you can! Already cooked shrimp is, well, already cooked, so you don’t have to wonder if it’s already finished. However, for this recipe, it’s much better, flavor-wise, to use uncooked shrimp. It’s definitely up to you on whether or not you want to use cooked shrimp. I just like to use uncooked because it allows the flavors to soak into the shrimp more for a better flavor.

Top Tip: 

Serve these with honey mustard! So good.

 

a hand dipping a fried shrimp in a honey mustard sauce.

What Goes Good with Southern Fried Shrimp?

Crispy shrimp go well with so many sides. However, there are certain sides that are more popular than others when it comes to shrimp. Some of these sides include Creamy Coleslaw (if you like spicy, try this Creamy Sriracha Coleslaw), Corn on the Cob, Creamed Corn, or even Cheesy Corn. Of course, you can’t forget the Hush Puppies, and while you’re at it, throw in some Cheese Garlic Biscuits, Deep Fried Mac n Cheese Balls, Honey Jalapeno Cheddar Cornbread, or a Tomato Avocado Salad. You can even use the shrimp to make another meal altogether. For example, you can use your shrimp to make a po’boy sandwich, shrimp salad, sliders, etc. So many ideas and ways to use shrimp – it’s crazy!

You can find more delicious recipes and cooking tutorial videos on Youtube and Facebook.

fried shrimp in a blue small bowl
4.92 from 116 votes

Southern Fried Shrimp

Crunchy flavorful shrimp fried to perfection. Dip these in honey mustard or serve as a main entree.
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 4 minutes
Servings: 6
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Ingredients 

  • 1 lb raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 tsp salt, or to taste
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper , or to taste
  • 2 tsp granulated garlic
  • 2 tsp paprika
  • 2 tsp oregano
  • 1/2 cup whole milk
  • oil, for frying

Instructions 

  • Add the milk, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 tsp oregano, 1 tsp paprika, 1 tsp granulated garlic, and shrimp to a large bowl and let it sit for 10 minutes.
  • Season the all purpose flour with the remaining salt, paprika, oregano, granulated garlic, and black pepper.
  • Remove the shrimp from the milk mixture and coat well with the seasoned flour. Make sure to coat the shrimp really well with lots of seasoned flour. You should not be able to see the shrimp under the flour.
  • Fry the shrimp for 3-4 minutes or until crispy in oil. The oil should be about 375 degrees F.
  • Remove the shrimp from the oil and place it on a plate with paper towel.
  • Serve immediately and enjoy.

Nutrition

Calories: 171kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 193mg | Sodium: 1179mg | Potassium: 139mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 411IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 143mg | Iron: 3mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 4 minutes
Course: Appetizer, Main Entree
Cuisine: American
Servings: 6
Calories: 171
Keyword: Crispy Shrimp, Fried Shrimp, Southern Fried Shrimp
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4.92 from 116 votes (96 ratings without comment)

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Recipe Rating




38 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    This recipe is perfect! Better than any fried shrimp I’ve ever had at a restaurant and cheaper too. I will never use cornmeal on shrimp again. I highly recommend this dish.

  2. 5 stars
    This was amazing!! Definitely also recommend the creamy sriracha coleslaw? Has anyone tried using an air fryer? Is that possible?

    1. So glad you enjoyed both recipes, Alicia! I haven’t tried it in the air fryer, but I’m sure it will work. Please let us know if you do try it 🙂

  3. 5 stars
    I had left-over shrimp for a recipe I used the other and my husband was wanting fried shrimp. So I searched for a recipe and so glad I came upon this one. They were do easy and EXCELLENT! Thank you!

  4. 4 stars
    These shrimp were perfectly seasoned although I added a little onion powder and Old Bay. I used them in a po” boy with a muffuletta mayonnaise! Awesome!

    1. Thank you, Lin! I did not, I fried them in a cast-iron skillet on my stovetop. But you may certainly use a deep fryer.

  5. Omg! This fried shrimp recipe was hands down the best and easiest recipe I’ve made. This is a keeper. I’ll be making it more often and sharing with friends and family.

  6. 5 stars
    Delicious, fast and easy! Thank you! This was exactly the type of recipe I was looking for, I almost ate all of the shrimp myself. I will definitely add to my repertoire.