Description
This crispy Southern fried shrimp is golden, crunchy, and packed with flavor. With a simple buttermilk and cornmeal coating, it’s the perfect quick seafood recipe—ready in just 20 minutes! Serve it as a main dish, appetizer, or in a po’ boy sandwich for a true Southern treat.
Ingredients
1 lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined (tail-on optional)
½ cup buttermilk (or ½ cup milk + 1 tsp lemon juice or vinegar)
1 large egg
1 tsp hot sauce (Louisiana-style recommended)
2 tsp Creole seasoning, divided
¾ cup all-purpose flour
½ cup cornmeal (fine or medium grind)
½ tsp salt
Vegetable oil, for frying
Instructions
Prep the shrimp – Pat shrimp dry with paper towels to help coating stick.
Make the marinade – In a bowl, whisk together buttermilk, egg, 1 tsp Creole seasoning, and hot sauce. Add shrimp, toss to coat, and marinate for 10–30 minutes.
Prepare the coating – In a shallow dish, combine flour, cornmeal, remaining 1 tsp Creole seasoning, and salt.
Coat the shrimp – Remove shrimp from marinade, letting excess drip off. Dredge in flour-cornmeal mixture, pressing lightly to adhere.
Heat oil – In a large skillet, pour oil to about a 1-inch depth and heat to 350°F.
Fry the shrimp – Working in batches, fry shrimp for 1–2 minutes per side, until golden brown and crispy. Avoid overcrowding the pan.
Drain & serve – Transfer shrimp to a wire rack or paper towel-lined plate to drain. Serve hot with dipping sauce.
Notes
For extra crunch, double-dip shrimp: back into the buttermilk mixture, then coat again in flour-cornmeal mix before frying.
Keep fried shrimp warm in a 200°F oven if making large batches.
To air fry, lightly spray coated shrimp with oil and cook at 375°F for 8–10 minutes, flipping halfway.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Snack, appetizer
- Method: Pan-Fried
- Cuisine: Southern
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4 oz shrimp
- Calories: 285kcl
- Sugar: 1g
- Sodium: 790mg
- Fat: 14g
- Saturated Fat: 2g
- Unsaturated Fat: 11g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 19g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 22g
- Cholesterol: 220mg
Keywords: Southern fried shrimp, crispy fried shrimp, easy fried shrimp recipe