Honey Walnut Shrimp features crispy shrimp in a finger-licking-good sauce. This takeout favorite couldn’t be easier to make at home. Serve with fried rice or crab rangoon for a complete meal.
I love cooking with shrimp when I made fried rice or seafood pastas. I also love ordering it when I eat out like Bang Bang Shrimp at Bonefish Grill. We also love getting Honey Walnut Shrimp at Panda Express.
It is creamy, crunchy, and way easier than you might think to make at home!
Honey walnut shrimp originated in Hong Kong and is now popular on a wide variety of Asian restaurants menus from fast food to high-end.
We love this deep fried shrimp that is toseds in a simple sweet sauce. Can you believe it comes together in 25 minutes?
Serve with salad or rice for a complete meal.
Funfact: Did you knowAmericans consume over 1 billion pounds of shrimp a year. I’m pretty sure at least half of that is me making this recipe. Not even joking!
Why I Love This Recipe
- Crispy: Using cornstarch makes the shrimp super crunchy.
- Affordable: Resturants charge so much for shrimp dishes. Make them at home for half the cost.
- Perfect Sauce: Many recipes I’ve tried are just too sweet for a main dish. With just a tad of honey and sweetened condensed milk, this sauce is perfectly balanced.
- Quick: Get dinner on the table in less than 25 minutes. I bet you can’t make it to the drive through and back in that time. Go ahead I’ll wait here with my timer!
Ingredient Notes and Shopping Tips
- Shrimp: Fresh or frozen shrimp would fine in this recipe. I used frozen because my small town grocery store doesn’t carry fresh. To thaw frozen shrimp place in a bowl of cold water. Thoroughly pat dry before frying.
- Walnuts: For the most crunch use walnut halves, not pieces. If you don’t have them on hand pecans would be a good substitute.
- Honey: Use good quality local honey if possible. Pick it up at your local farmers’ market. Another liquid sweetener like pure maple syrup could also be substituted.
- Cornstarch: Cornstarch leads to light yet crispy batter. If you don’t regularly cook or bake with it, flour can be used instead.
How To Make Honey Walnut Shrimp
- Walnuts: Boil walnuts in sugar water for 2 minutes. Fry.
- Shrimp: Bread and fry shrimp.
- Sauce: Combine all sauce ingredients. Toss with shrimp and walnuts.
Tips and Tricks
- Dry Shrimp: Pat your shrimp as dry as possible. This will help the coating strick and for it to fry up nice and crispy.
- Use 2 Hands: Use one hand to dip your shrimp into the egg, and another into the cornstarch. This will prevent you from battering your hands themselves.
- Fry Carefully: Always add the shrimp into the pan away from you to avoid splattering. Cook only a few at a time to avoid lowering the oil temperature. This can lead to a soggy or greasy end product.
- Reheat: Reheat in the oven on a baking sheet at 350 degrees for 4-6 minutes.
More Copycat Recipes To Try
Copycat Pf Chang’s Lettuce Wraps
Applebee’s Fiesta Lime Chicken
Copycat Taco Bell Mexican Pizza
Honey Walnut Shrimp
Ingredients
- ½ Cup Water
- ½ Cup White Sugar
- ½ Cup Walnuts
- Vegetable Oil For Frying
- 1 Egg
- ½ Cup Cornstarch
- 1 Pound Shrimp Peeled and Deveined
- ½ Cup Mayonnaise
- 3 Tablespoons Honey
- 1 Tablespoon Sweetened Condensed Milk
- Green Onions Thinly Sliced For Garnish If Desired
Instructions
- In a large dutch oven, heat oil over medium high heat.
- Set up a dredging station with egg and cornstarch. Dip shrimp in egg, and then cornstarch.
- Fry for 5-7 minutes or until pink. Drain on paper towels. Fry walnuts for 1-2 minutes.
- Serve with walnuts and sliced green onions.
Notes
- Shrimp: Fresh or frozen shrimp would fine in this recipe. I used frozen because my small town grocery store doesn't carry fresh. To thaw frozen shrimp place in a bowl of cold water. Thoroughly pat dry before frying.
- Walnuts: For the most crunch use walnut halves, not pieces. If you don't have them on hand pecans would be a good substitute.
- Honey: Use good quality local honey if possible. Pick it up at your local farmers' market. Another liquid sweetener like pure maple syrup could also be substituted.
- Dry Shrimp: Pat your shrimp as dry as possible. This will help the coating strick and for it to fry up nice and crispy.
- Use 2 Hands: Use one hand to dip your shrimp into the egg, and another into the cornstarch. This will prevent you from battering your hands themselves.
- Fry Carefully: Always add the shrimp into the pan away from you to avoid splattering. Cook only a few at a time to avoid lowering the oil temperature. This can lead to a soggy or greasy end product.
- Reheat: Reheat in the oven on a baking sheet at 350 degrees for 4-6 minutes.
One of our favorites! Can’t wait to make it again!
This was so tasty and full of flavor! I love shrimp and this is my new favorite way to make shrimp! So excited to make this again!
This honey walnut shrimp recipe is loaded with flavors and so easy to make! LOVE this recipe!
Why have I never tried this at Panda Express?? It sounds and looks amazing! I will just have to try it out at home!
This looks really good! I’ve never tried it at Panda Express, but I’ll have to give your recipe a try because I love shrimp!
I’ve never had honey walnut shrimp, but it sounds fantastic. Do you think instead of frying, the shrimp could be just sauteed? Just thinking about the health factor (plus fryers terrify me… I’m a wuss, I know). Loving your blog!
Haha I am scared of frying too (every time!). I don’t think the coating would work well sautéed, but you could probably bake it instead. Air fryer might work too!