Hot Honey Fried Shrimp
Hot honey shrimp is shrimp fried in panko and glazed on one side with a butter, honey and buffalo sauce mixture. So one side is covered in this sticky honey and spicy goodness and the other is nice and crunchy. I like to do 2 shrimp on a toothpick so they resemble a yin yang when they come out of the fryer. But that’s purely for aesthetics. You can just fry them separately and they taste the same. Great for game day.
Ingredients For Hot Honey Shrimp
| Ingredient | Notes |
|---|---|
| Large raw shrimp | Peeled and deveined. I kept the tails on but you don’t have to. |
| Cajun seasoning | Any seafood seasoning you like. Added prior to the breading. |
| Flour | All purpose. Will be the first layer. |
| Eggs | Beaten for an egg wash. |
| Panko | Breadcrumbs. Last layer. What makes them crunchy. |
| Oil | For frying. About 2 inches deep in a shallow pan. |
| Butter | Unsalted. Half a stick goes in the sauce. |
| Honey | Just honey. We’re using regular hot sauce, not hot honey. |
| Hot sauce | Buffalo wing sauce. I used Frank’s RedHot. |
| Toothpicks | Regular ones work. Long ones or sandwich picks let you see them. Remove the plastic ends. Optional. |
| Ranch or blue cheese | For dipping. Or don’t use any. |
See the recipe card below for how much of each you need.
Using A Toothpick
Place one shrimp curled on a surface. Take another shrimp and place it on top going in the opposite direction. You want their heads to meet and tails pointing opposite ways. Stick the toothpick through one tail, through the heads, and out the other tail. It will keep them together while you’re dredging them and in the fryer.
I used regular toothpicks. If you want to see the pick and have something to grip onto, use the longer sandwich picks and remove the plastic ends. Regular extra long toothpicks work too.
You can skip this step if you want. Just bread and fry each shrimp individually.
My Process For Making Hot Honey Shrimp
Remove the shells from the shrimp and devein. Keep the tails on if desired.
Take 2 shrimp and line them up head to head. Stick a toothpick through.
Season both sides of the shrimp with Cajun seasoning.
Line up 3 bowls. Flour, egg and panko. Dredge your shrimp in the flour. Then egg. Finally press into the panko. Set them on a wire rack until you’re ready to fry.
Heat oil in a shallow pan. About 2 inches of oil. Fry the shrimp in batches for about 2 minutes on each side until golden brown. Do not overcrowd your pan.
In a small saucepan combine the butter, honey and hot sauce. Heat on low until melted and combined. Keep it on low.
Brush on one side of the shrimp.
Enjoy with ranch or blue cheese. Or nothing.
See the recipe card below for more details.
Why Only One Side?
Once you dip fried shrimp in sauce they lose their crispiness pretty quickly. That’s why hot honey shrimp only gets sauce on one side. So I like to only put sauce on one side. When you take a bite you get the sticky honey hot sauce and the back side is crunchy, which is what we want from panko. If you like your shrimp covered in sauce, have it on the side and dip.
The Hot Honey Sauce
Made with butter, honey and hot sauce. Cook on low heat. You’re just melting butter, not trying to cook anything. If your sauce gets too hot it will be hard to spread. Change the ratios to make it spicier or sweeter.
Store and Make Ahead
Hot honey shrimp is easy to prep ahead. You can bread your shrimp and store them in the refrigerator on a tray until ready to cook. Cook when you’re ready to serve. If you have leftovers, warm them up in an air fryer or oven to help crisp them back up. They will become soggy in the microwave.
Author’s Notes
Toothpicks Are Optional
Putting a toothpick through these is optional. You can also just do the shrimp on their own if that’s easiest for you. These are mainly for presentation purposes.
Brush the sauce on only one side of the shrimp. That way the other side stays nice and crispy.
Serve with your favorite dipping sauce. You can do ranch, you can do blue cheese, or just straight up like that. These are perfect for game day.
Miguel
Tips From Miguel
- Remove the plastic from your toothpicks if using the ones with plastic on them.
- Season your shrimp before you bread them. You want that Cajun under the panko.
- Don’t overcrowd your pan. It will lower your oil temp and your shrimp will soak up oil instead of frying.
- Brush. Don’t dip.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you use hot honey on hot honey shrimp?
You can brush bottled hot honey on your shrimp. It will not have the same flavor as this recipe though, because we are using honey, hot sauce and butter. You get that tangy hot sauce taste and the richness from the butter.
Can you air fry hot honey shrimp?
Yes. Spritz your breaded shrimp with oil and air fry until crispy. They may not be as crunchy as when fried, but you can still brush the one side.
How hot should fried shrimp be?
According to the USDA your shrimp should be cooked to 145 degrees. Cooking them in 2 inches of hot oil for about 2 minutes per side will get your shrimp to that temp. Cut one open if you’re not sure. If it’s opaque all the way through, they’re done.
Can I fry the shrimp with the toothpick in?
Yes. As long as they are wood you can fry them with the toothpick in. Just remove the plastic if you’re using the ones with plastic on them.
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- Buffalo Parmesan Garlic Wings
- Fried Mushrooms and Onion Rings
- Parmesan Garlic Grilled Chicken Wings
- Nashville Hot Chicken Pizza
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Hot Honey Fried Shrimp Recipe (Crispy Panko)
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Remove the shells from the shrimp and devein them. Leave the tails on for presentation or remove them.
- Optional: lay one shrimp curled on the board, lay a second on top facing the opposite direction so the heads touch and the tails point opposite ways. Run a toothpick through one tail, through the heads, and out the other tail. If using sandwich picks, remove the plastic tips first.
- Season the shrimp on both sides with Cajun seasoning.
- Set up three bowls: flour, beaten eggs, panko. Dredge each shrimp or pair in flour, dip in egg, then press into the panko until fully coated. Set on a wire rack until ready to fry.
- Pour about 2 inches of oil into a shallow pan and heat it. Around 350°F is the target for panko.
- Fry in batches without crowding the pan, about 2 minutes per side, until golden brown and cooked through. Shrimp should reach 145°F internal and be opaque all the way through.
- In a small saucepan over low heat, combine the butter, honey and buffalo sauce. Stir until the butter melts and the sauce is smooth. Keep on low. Do not let it boil.
- Brush the sauce over one side of each shrimp only, leaving the other side crispy.
- Serve right away with ranch, blue cheese, or no dip at all.
