Honey Walnut Shrimp

Why This Recipe Works

It’s a last-meal kinda dish — Okay if the world ended right this minute and I had one last dying wish, I am fairly certain this honey walnut shrimp would be it: A big saucy, sweet, and incredibly yummy bowl of honey walnut shrimp. With a liiiitle bit of a kick, just the way it should be.

Shrimp — Shrimp is one of my favorite proteins, going way back to when I worked at a Chinese restaurant all throughout high school. By the time my shift ended, I had looked at so many plates of crispy, saucy shrimp going out to some lucky diners that it was all I could do to not take one of each plate and pop them in my mouth right then and there. Shrimp just does this dish so much justice. But, I have heard from a lot of you delightful readers that this works for chicken too! Either way — yum! 

So easy — Don’t be put off by a slightly long list of ingredients, it’s really not that much, and most of them are things you probably already have in your fridge or pantry. Plus, if you purchase shrimp that are already peeled and deveined, you’ll be steps ahead of the game! 

Walnuts — When I first heard about this dish, a long, long time ago, I was totally put off by the idea of walnuts with shrimp. Nuts…with shrimp? No way, too weird. Buuuut… the more I saw how popular a dish it was, the more my curiosity piqued and so one day I tried it, and, frankly, a monster was born. That’s all I wanted from there on out. And now I’m so glad I can make this delicious dish at home.

Ingredients

• Large shrimp — I always buy large shrimp, I know how long to cook them and there are always enough for everyone. Be sure to get them peeled, deveined, and tails removed — you’ll thank me later. 
• Eggs — Any old eggs will work. It helps the breading stick to the shrimp. 
• Water — Ha ha I think it’s funny I list this as an ingredient, but you need it. Tap water is fine. 
• Panko breadcrumbs — Panko makes a nice, crispy crust on the shrimp. You’ll love the texture it adds to this dish. 
• Flour — Flour helps to dry up the shrimp so that the egg can stick to it. 
• Oil — I use canola oil but you can also use vegetable, peanut, any low-smoke point oil will work well to cook up these shrimp. 
• Walnuts — You can’t have walnut shrimp without the walnuts. I use halves and pieces for the ultimate in crunch and chew. Make sure they’re fresh. Old walnuts can have a bad taste. 
• Sugar — White sugar is fine here. Use whatever brand you have. 
• Mayo — I used reduced fat mayo for a little healthier sauce but you can use full-fat or avocado mayo if you like. 
• Crushed red pepper flakes — Add just a pinch of spice with some red pepper flakes. 
• Garlic powder — The perfect seasoning for the shrimp, garlic powder really coats all of the shrimp and makes it taste extra delicious. 
• Salt — Any kind of kosher table salt is a good choice. 
• Honey — Regular old honey is good here. Use hot honey if you are in the mood for extra spice.
• Sweetened condensed milk — An essential part of the sauce ingredients, the sweetened condensed milk gives the shrimp sauce a slightly sweet taste while also helping it to remain creamy and really stick to the walnut shrimp.

Here’s How You Make It

Mix the sauce, cook the shrimp, put it all together, and devour. It’s that easy!

1. Whisk together all the sauce ingredients in a large bowl and set the sauce aside for a minute. (photo 4)
2. Add the sugar and 1 cup of water to a small saucepan and bring the mixture to a boil. Add the walnuts to the sugar water and boil them for 2 minutes. Drain the saucepan of the walnuts and extra simple syrup and transfer the walnuts to a clean surface where they can cool. (photo 1-3)
3. Rinse the shrimp and shake off any excess water. Add the flour to a large zip lock bag and then add shrimp then seal the bag and toss the shrimp and flour all around to give the shrimp a good coat. (photo 5)
4. In one small bowl, whisk together the eggs and water, then in another small bowl, add the panko crumbs. (not pictured)
5. Now for the best part: First, dip shrimp in the egg wash, then toss it in the panko crumbs to coat on all sides. (photo 6)
6. Heat the oil in a large pan or skillet over medium heat, then add the shrimp and sauté them for 4-5 minutes or until they turn pink and the breading is lightly browned.  (photos 7-9)
7. Once the shrimp are done cooking, add them to the sauce bowl and then toss to coat them in the sauce. Add the walnuts to the shrimp and garnish the whole thing with chopped green onions if desired. I love to serve mine with cooked rice. (photos 10-12)