Southern Fried Shrimp is so simple to make at home. Made with a buttermilk and Old Bay seasoned flour for a crispy and delicious coating. A delicious dinner or easy appetizer for game day parties and celebrations.
Shrimp is one of our favorite meals and this Easy Barbecue Grilled Shrimp is always a hit and this Jambalaya never fails to please.
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How to Make Southern Fried Shrimp:
- Peel and devein shrimp.
- Pour buttermilk into a bowl.
- Dip shrimp in buttermilk and shake off excess.
- Mix flour and Old Bay Seasoning in a gallon zip top baggie or a bowl.
- Place 4 or 5 shrimp into seasoned flour. Zip bag and shake to coat shrimp, or dredge through flour coating all sides.
- Shake off additional flour and place on a clean baking sheet.
- Pour oil into a dutch oven or heavy bottom pan over high heat until it reaches 350°.
- Cook shrimp, a few at a time for 1-2 minutes or until golden brown and reaches at least 145° internal temperature.
- Use a spider strainer to remove shrimp.
- Drain on a paper towel lined wire rack placed over a baking sheet.
Serve crispy fried shrimp with delicious Cocktail Sauce or this White Barbecue Sauce!
Since we built our outdoor kitchen off of the pool area last summer, we have been doing most of our deep frying outside. Best idea ever! All of the mess and the smell of the grease from frying is outside instead of in my kitchen.
What's the Best Pan for Deep Frying?
We have a propane burner - like for a turkey fryer and use our Dutch Oven for deep frying. The cast iron is perfect for deep frying, maintaining the oil temperature perfectly. A thermometer is super handy to make sure your oil stays at the proper temperature.
How Long Do You Fry Shrimp?
Shrimp cook really quickly. The oil temperature should be 350-375° and the shrimp will cook in 1-2 minutes.
What Kind of Oil is Best for Fried Shrimp?
Peanut Oil is the best. It has a high smoke point and provides great flavor for deep frying.
Vegetable Oil also works well. It is less expensive and also has a good smoke point for deep frying.
Growing up in the family catfish restaurant, I truly learned to appreciate everything deep fried! Some of my favorites are Chicken Fried Steak Bites with Country Gravy, Fried Pickles, and Fried Apple Hand Pies just to name a few.
Delicious Dishes to Complete Your Meal:
We love make this grilled pineapple shrimp has become one of our favorites and Shrimp and Grits is on the must-try list.
Shrimp is quick and delicious! These recipes have amazing flavor and are sure to be family favorites! Made a quick and easy honey mustard sauce and quickly grilled. The flavor combination is phenomenal! The perfect addition to your weekend grilling plans. A great surf and turf appetizer with perfectly grilled steak and buttery shrimp. Great for a special occasion or weekend cookout. Shrimp cocktail is the classic appetizer. Made so easily with a homemade cocktail sauce. This is sure to be the first thing to disappear at your next get together. Quick and easy shrimp recipe to make on the grill with tons of delicious garlic butter flavors. Perfect to serve as an appetizer or main course.More Delicious Shrimp Recipes
Grilled Honey Mustard Shrimp
Steak and Shrimp Appetizers
Shrimp Cocktail
Grilled Garlic Shrimp
IF YOU LOVE THIS RECIPE AS MUCH AS I DO, PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT AND A FIVE STAR REVIEW, AND BE SURE TO HELP ME SHARE ON PINTEREST!
Southern Fried Shrimp
Easy Southern Fried Shrimp is a delicious dinner or appetizer for any occasion.
Ingredients
- 1 pound jumbo shrimp 21/25 count, peeled and deveined
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 ½ tablespoons Old Bay Seasoning
- 4 cups vegetable oil for frying
- Cocktail Sauce for Serving
- White Barbecue Sauce for dipping
Instructions
- Pour buttermilk in a bowl.
- Mix flour and Old Bay Seasoning together in a shallow dish.
- Dip shrimp in buttermilk and dredge in flour mixture. Shake off excess flour and place on a lined baking sheet.
- Place oil in a Dutch oven or heavy pan and heat to 350°.
- Fry shrimp a few at a time, 1-2 minutes or until golden brown. Use a digital thermometer to test shrimp is at least 145° internal temperature.
- Remove to a paper towel lined wire rack over a baking sheet to drain.
- Serve with cocktail sauce or white barbecue sauce for dipping.
Notes
Store leftover shrimp in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 2 days.
To reheat shrimp, place on a baking sheet in a single layer. Bake in a 375° oven for about 5- 8 minutes until heated through.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 525Total Fat: 17gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 14gCholesterol: 242mgSodium: 1566mgCarbohydrates: 55gFiber: 2gSugar: 5gProtein: 35g
Nutritional calculations are estimated and may not be accurate.
Julia
These add shrimp look perfect! I need an outdoor kitchen now....frying outside is genius.
Trey Oubre
Southerners don't use old bay seasoning, and there is no such thing as fresh frozen shrimp right off the boat. They don't freeze them on the boat. There either fresh or frozen.
Milisa
Hi Trey,
You are right, they don't freeze them on the boat but they are frozen and thawed three times by the time I get them. My main point is that I really like knowing right where my food comes from. As far as southerners not using Old Bay, if they don't they are missing out! Southern Living Magazine seems to agree https://www.southernliving.com/seasonings/spices/old-bay-seasoning.
~Miss
Maisha
I'm from the South, I use Old Bay and I love it.
Tom
Me too!
Susan
Me too
Niecce
Ha 🙌🏽
Zoey
Southern Living knows pretty much nothing about the South. He is right. We don't use Old Bay in the South. So, you got this recipe from Southern Living. That's called plagiarism, dear.
Milisa
Hi Zoey,
I think you misunderstood. I am only quoting Southern Living talking about Old Bay Seasoning's uses in southern cuisine. The recipe is my own, so no plagiarism here. If you read the comments, there are plenty of us southerners that do use Old Bay, so I don't think you can speak for all of the south in this instance. You might try Old Bay, it's pretty delicious even if its origins are not southern.
~ Milisa
Tierney
Actually, Trey Aubre is incorrect. They do freeze them on the boat. It’s called IQF and a lot, if not most of the shrimp boats use this method. The boats are even referred to as freezer boats. How do I know? Born and raised in Bayou La Batre and have worked and been around shrimp boats my entire life.
Brad McElhannon
Trust me. Southerners DO use Old Bay.
Milisa
Thanks Brad!
A ture sothern
Old Bay has no place in a southern recipe. That's the point I immediately stopped reading.
Mary Ann
Yes, Trey. Some commercial fishing boats actually freeze their catch on board. And Yes - folks from the South also use Old Bay. Apparently you don't, which is fine. And last but not least - it would be "They're" NOT "There".
Bre
The south is considered anywhere below the Mason-Dixon Line. Old Bay is popular closer to the East Coast, while creole and Cajun seasonings are more popular closer to the Gulf of Mexico. You can use Tony Chachere’s or Tony’s Spice and Herb as well.
John
Yes, Ole Bay has become very popular in the South. Many, many recipes I see even here in Louisiana use Ole Bay. I don't understand this as there are so many good Canjun/Creole and seafood seasoning to choose from down here.
Freda Wampler
My Mama was from Alabama and when I was a kid (in the 50s and 60s) She would ask her sister who was in Alabama, send her up some Old Bey because she couldn't find it in Pittsburgh at that time. So I'm not sure where you got your information.
Eileen
Shrimp all put in a freezer immediately after pulling from the traps on the boat. So. Yeah
Dane
Amen
Lisa
Do you use raw shrimp?
Milisa
Hi Lisa,
Yes, use raw shrimp for this recipe, peeled and deveined.
~ Milisa
Huck
Trey REPORTED cackling idiotic posts are against tos.
Dean Sapp
Southerners need to check out Old bay or J.O. Spice . We are kicking it here in Maryland And stop boiling everything, STEAM it
Zoey
We wouldn't dream of boiling or steaming or shrimp or oysters here in the South. We like seafood deep fried with hush puppies
Milisa
Zoey,
Deep fried is our favorite for sure!
~ Milisa
Aimee Shugarman
It doesn't get much better than southern fried shrimp!
Linda
Those shrimp look so crispy and fried to perfection I'm drooling over here! I love to cook outside and having an outdoor kitchen sounds like a dream. I'll have to give these a try in the near future.
Jacqualine Freeman
We don't have buttermilk in Hawaii. Is it going to be good with milk?
Milisa
Hi Jacqualine,
You can use milk or you can stir about a tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar into the milk for a buttermilk substitute. I hope you try this shrimp.
~Milisa
Kay
How to make buttermilk:
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon baking soda
Combine the 2 ingredients in a bowl and stir. Let sit for about 5 minutes and the milk turns into buttermilk. Enjoy those fried shrimp!
Brandon
Lol I don't know where you came up with this.....I'm pretty sure you just made a concoction people use to soften their feet. This comment was in 2019, I hope you have learn how to make buttermilk by now.
Darryl
How come you don’t have butter milk in Hawaii??? I’m on the Big Island in Kona and we have plenty of butter milk.
Freda Wampler
I don't like to drink buttermilk but love to cook with it. I get powdered buttermilk from the store or on line and keep it in the freezer.
Misha
We tried both your miso honey garlic shrimp recipe and the southern fried shrimp recipe this week. Both were outstanding. The family loved them. Thank you!
Milisa
Misha,
I am so glad y'all enjoyed them! Shrimp is my favorite for a quick dinner! Thanks for stopping by to let me know. You made my day!
~Milisa
Sha
I fried some colossal shrimp. I did not have buttermilk so I put 1bsp of lemon juice in a cup of milk. I also added to the seasoning with some cayenne because I love some spice! I must say this was a delicious recipe! Thank you so much for sharing!
Jennifer Banz
I'll take a plate full please! Thanks for sharing!
Meagen Brosius
My husband loves shrimp so these were a big hit in our house! We will definitely be making these again!
Lynda
Absolutely delicious! I got the 16/20 shrimp and they cooked up beautifully! I have been craving fried shrimp all summer. I've tried three different restaurants in land locked Albuquerque, but none of them held a candle to your recipe. Thank you!!
Tako Pete
I have caught shrimp from Brownsville, TX to Key West, FL. On a freezer boat. Yes we do freeze them on the boat.
Tommy Vinson
Miss You Knocked It Out this Time,
Love all Your Resipies,
jeanette west
Just curious if there would be a way to do this in an air fryer? Maybe spritz it with oil??? The recipe sounds AMAZING!!
Milisa
Hi Janette,
I haven't tried it in the air fryer but I think it would work. Definitely with a spritz of oil. Let me know how it does if you try it.
~ Milisa
Tsquared
I used canola oil at 350 for 1 minute 45 sec and a good portion of the breading fried off. These were 20 to 24 per pound shrimp. They were perfectly cooked with little breading. I will try it again with peanut oil next time and do two batches with one at 350 and the other at 375..
BTW: I grew up 45 miles from the GA coast line and 45 miles from the FL state line. Old Bay is a seasoning staple in that area.For a Low Country Boil the liquid Old Bay Crab boil is the way to go.
Milisa
Make sure your shrimp is dry - easy to pat dry with paper towels before you bread them. That might help the breading stick. Peanut oil is the best if you have it. That's what my folks always used in our catfish restaurant and it sure makes a difference.
~ Milisa
Leah
If you don't have buttermilk, 1 cup milk + 1 Tbsp white vinegar and let sit in fridge for 10 minutes before using works well. I'm lactose intolerant and used almond milk instead and it worked great!
Milisa
Hi Leah,
Thanks for the tips!
~ Milisa
CJ
Very good we loved it and I'm not a fan of shrimp...I'm a lobster girl but I will make this again yummy
Milisa
Hi CJ,
So glad you liked it!
~ Milisa
Jim S
The basic recipe above (buttermilk and flour seasoned with salt and a bit of cayenne) produced the best fried shrimp I have ever had. 2 minutes cooking time for jumbo shrimp was perfect. Brava!
Milisa
Hi Jim,
So glad you tried it!
Milisa
Tommy
When Talking Shrimp
OLD BAY FIRST CHOICE
Milisa
For sure!
Kim
Thanks so much for sharing this recipe, Miss! I love fried shrimp but have never made it at home. I always treat myself at seafood restaurants, though. I am going to try this with your oven baked tater tots this weekend. 🙂
Milisa
Thanks Kim!
Michael L Garland
Old Bay is made in Baltimore about 30 miles south of the Mason Dixon. Chesapeake Bay area for sure. Ya'll are welcome south and north alike
Tamatha Davis
Eastern NC girl here( an hour from the coast) everyone uses Old Bay! I was looking for a recipe that didn’t use cornmeal I normally use 1/2 cornmeal 1/2 flour but just realized I am out of cornmeal. Thank you for your delicious recipe! Be kind!