Crispy Honey Walnut Shrimp in a sweet and creamy honey sauce is better than take-out. Cornstarch gives the shrimp a delightful crunch, and the caramelized nuts take this walnut shrimp recipe over the top. It’s finger-licking good and makes the perfect meal when paired with fried rice. If you love Panda Express Walnut Shrimp, this recipe is for you.
This honey shrimp is the perfect balance of sweet, savory and crunchy. The sauce is sweet but not overly sweet. The crunch from the walnuts adds a great mouthfeel and the leftover nuts are perfect for snacking.
If you love the crunchiness that nuts add to savory dishes try my Chinese Szechuan Chili Chicken or Authentic Kung Pao Chicken recipe.
Why You’ll Love This Walnut Shrimp Recipe
- It’s affordable. This is the perfect way to really jazz up a pound of shrimp using ingredients you have in your pantry.
- It’s flavorful. Slightly sweet and delightfully crunchy, you will love the flavor of this walnut shrimp recipe.
- It’s Fast. You can make this honey shrimp in under 40 minutes.
Honey Walnut Shrimp Ingredients
- Brown sugar: adds sweetness to the nuts.
- Water: will help to create a glaze.
- Walnuts: halves will be easier to work with and have more crunch than pieces. You can also substitute pecans if you prefer.
- Shrimp: select small raw shrimp that have been peeled, deveined, and removed tails.
- Seasonings: use a combination of onion powder, garlic powder, salt and black pepper to season the shrimp.
- Cornstarch: will give the shrimp some crunch and help thicken the sauce.
- Vegetable oil: used for frying.
- Mayonnaise: for the sauce.
- Sweetened condensed milk: gives the sauce a sweet and buttery flavor.
- Honey: use good quality honey. You can also substitute real maple syrup.
- Lemon juice: a touch of acid will balance everything out.
- Scallions: chopped green onions make a colorful garnish.
How To Make Panda Express Walnut Shrimp
- Prepare the glazed walnuts. Heat a medium pan with brown sugar, water and walnuts. Bring them to a boil and allow the sugar to thicken up without burning.
- Cool the walnuts. Spoon the walnuts over parchment paper and allow them to cool down and dry. Set aside.
- Fry the shrimp. Season the shrimp with onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Coat them with cornstarch.
- Deep fry the shrimp in batches until curled and lightly golden. Set aside.
- Prepare the honey walnut shrimp sauce. In a medium bowl, combine; mayonnaise, condensed milk, honey and lemon juice. Set aside.
- Combine and toss. Add the fried shrimp, walnuts and pour the prepared sauce on top. Toss everything until well combined.
- Serve. Garnish with spring onions and serve.
Tips To Make this Honey Shrimp
- Make the nuts first as they will become more crunchy as they cool.
- The cooking times for this recipe include the time it takes to make the nuts. You can prepare the nuts in advance and store in an airtight container. The rest of the recipe comes together in about 20 minutes.
- Thaw the shrimp ahead of time.
- Thoroughly dry the shrimp with paper towels before coating and frying.
- Fry in batches so the oil stays hot. This will keep the shrimp nice and crispy.
- The cornstarch coating will not turn very golden but the shrimp will be crunchy.
- This recipe has a light coating of sauce to reduce calories. You can double the sauce ingredients if you prefer.
Frequently Asked Questions
This flavorful walnut shrimp recipe originated in Hong Kong. This staple Cantonese dish can be found on menus in Chinese and American Chinese restaurants.
The honey shrimp at Panda Express is coated in a slightly thicker batter. This version is based more closely on the classic version of the dish and tastes even better!
Fresh or frozen and thawed shrimp is ideal for this recipe. You will be coating and frying the shrimp so do not select precooked shrimp.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge. Reheat on a sheet pan in a 350 degrees F oven for 4-6 minutes. You can also microwave but the shrimp and walnuts may become rubbery.
I wouldn’t recommend freezing this dish. The shrimp will not be very crispy and the sauce may separate when reheat.
Serve this tasty sweet and crunchy shrimp with steamed rice, fried rice, cauliflower rice and steamed veggies like broccoli or green beans.
More Take-Out Style Recipes
- Chinese Lemon Chicken
- Asian Beef Lettuce Wraps
- Easy General Tso’s Chicken
- Authentic Kung Pao Chicken
- Easy Chicken Lo Mein
I hope you enjoy all the recipes I share with you, including this delicious Honey Walnut shrimp recipe. I hope you try it, enjoy it, rate it, and share it with your friends and family!
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Crispy Honey Walnut Shrimp
Ingredients
To make glazed walnuts
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup walnuts halves
To fry shrimp
- 1 lb small raw shrimp peeled, deveined, and tails removed
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- vegetable oil for frying
To make sauce
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon sweetened condensed milk
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons scallions chopped
Instructions
- Heat a medium pan with brown sugar, water and walnuts. Bring them to a boil and allow the sugar to thicken up without burning.
- Spoon the walnuts over parchment paper and allow them to cool down and dry. Set aside.
- Season the shrimp with onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Coat them with cornstarch and deep fry the shrimp in batches until curled and lightly golden. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, combine; mayonnaise, condensed milk, honey and lemon juice. Set aside.
- Add the fried shrimp, walnuts and pour the prepared sauce on top. Toss everything until well combined.
- Garnish with spring onions and serve.
Notes
- Make the nuts first as they will become more crunchy as they cool.
- The cooking times for this recipe include the time it takes to make the nuts. You can prepare the nuts in advance and store in an airtight container. The rest of the recipe comes together in about 20 minutes.
- Thaw the shrimp ahead of time.
- Thoroughly dry the shrimp with paper towels before coating and frying.
- Fry in batches so the oil stays hot. This will keep the shrimp nice and crispy.
- The cornstarch coating will not turn very golden but the shrimp will be crunchy.
- This recipe has a light coating of sauce to reduce calories. You can double the sauce ingredients if you prefer.
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