This quick and easy recipe for Crispy Pan-Fried Shrimp features fresh, succulent, briny Gulf shrimp. They are lightly coated with flour and then pan-fried in a small amount of olive oil until they are golden brown, crispy and delicious.
These crispy pan-fried shrimp are perfect for a quick family weeknight dinner, but it’s also a dish you would be proud to serve guests or a special occasion.
Because of its simplicity, this pan-fried shrimp recipe is one of my favorite “go-to” dishes! Like my recipes for Fried Crab Claws, Deviled Crab, and Fried Oysters, it’s easy, we love it, and it can be on the table in less than 15 minutes.
Because the seafood is cooked in only a small amount of olive oil, this recipe is healthier than regular fried or deep-fried, where they are submerged in oil.
These delectable crustaceans cook in a matter of minutes and are low in calories, low in carbohydrates and rich in protein and nutrients.
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📋 Ingredient notes:
- Shrimp – fresh or frozen and thawed. You will need either jumbo (21-25 per pound) or extra-large (26-30 per pound). They also need to be deheaded, peeled, and deveined. You can leave the tails on or not.
- Flour – all-purpose coats the seafood and produces a flavorful crispy crust.
- Kosher salt and ground black pepper – nothing fancy here. Both seasonings enhance all of the other flavors.
- Garlic powder – just a bit adds a mild garlicky essence to the crust.
- Olive oil – just a small amount is used to pan-fry the seafood You can substitute any neutral flavor vegetable oil you prefer or have on hand or use coconut oil.
🥘How to make pan-fried shrimp:
- Heat the olive oil in a large non-stick skillet or saute pan over medium-high heat.
- While the oil is heating, add flour, salt, pepper, and garlic powder to a gallon-size Ziploc bag. Add the shrimp and shake well.
- Shake off any excess flour and add the shrimp to the pan in a single layer. Do not crowd them.
- Pan-fry for one minute on the first side or until they are golden brown and crispy. Then use a fork or fish turner to turn over and cook on the other side for another minute or so.
- Place the shrimp on a paper towel to drain, and repeat the steps.
- Serve immediately with cocktail sauce, tartar sauce, or remoulade.
📖 Recipe variations:
You can change up this recipe to use ingredients you might already have on hand or to suit your family’s preferences. Here are just a few ideas:
- Change up the seasonings: instead of the ingredients I have listed, use Old Bay Seasonings, Cajun or Creole seasonings, or seasoned salt and lemon pepper.
- You can substitute cornstarch for the flour.
- After coating the shrimp in flour, dip them in a beaten egg mixture, and then you can dredge them in cornmeal, cracker crumbs, bread crumbs, or even a coconut and panko coating before pan-frying them.
- Before you remove the seafood from the skillet, add some buffalo sauce, and voila, you have Buffalo Shrimp. You can also use this recipe to make Fried Shrimp Tacos and Shrimp Po’Boys.
💬 Recipe FAQs:
Because they can be thawed and cooked quickly, I almost always have a bag of frozen raw, peeled, and deveined shrimp in my freezer for nights when I need a quick and easy dinner.
The best way to thaw them is to place them in the refrigerator and let them thaw overnight before you cook them. However, we all know that isn’t always possible. To quickly thaw them in about 15 minutes, put them in a colander in the sink and let cold water run over them.
Shrimp are sold by their size and by the pound. Unfortunately, sizes are not regulated, so it’s best to buy them by weight. The bigger they are, the fewer you get per pound. For adults, I usually plan for about ten to twelve per person.
I like to serve pan-fried shrimp with either Cheese Grits or Southern Potato Salad, Southern Hush Puppies, and cole slaw.
Pan-fried shrimp are best eaten right after they are cooked. However, if I do have leftovers, I frequently use them to make Shrimp and Bacon Quesadillas or add them to fried rice.
You can store leftovers in a plastic storage bag in the refrigerator for up to three days. Be careful when reheating them because it’s easy to dry them out and overcook them.
Pan-frying is cooking food that has been coated in a batter or coating, in a small amount of oil, until a crispy golden brown crust forms.
On the other hand, pan-searing is cooking food that is not usually coated in a hot skillet, with just enough oil to keep it from sticking until the outside is caramelized.
👩🏻🍳 Sharon’s tips:
- You will have leftover seasoned flour that you can reuse the next time you make this dish. Just pop the bag containing the flour in the freezer and pull it out when you need it again.
- Whether you leave the tails on or take them off is a matter of personal preference. I usually leave the tails on if I am serving this dish as an appetizer. However, when I am serving this recipe for dinner, I have them removed.
- When purchasing fresh shrimp, look for ones that are firm to the touch and smell like a day at the beach. Don’t purchase them if they are mushy or have a strong odor.
- Special tools are available that make peeling and deveining these crustaceans easier, but I usually ask the folks at the seafood store I frequent to take care of that task for me.
- Shrimp can go from perfectly cooked to overcooked and tough in a matter of seconds, so watch them carefully while they are frying.
- This dish is best made right before you serve it. However, when we have guests, I like to prepare the seasoned flour mixture ahead and add the oil to the skillet, so all I have to do is coat the shrimp and fry them, which just takes minutes.
🦐 More shrimp recipes:
- Creamy Shrimp Pasta with Blue Cheese
- Easy Southern Homemade Shrimp Burgers
- New Orleans-Style Shrimp Creole with Cajun Cream Sauce
- Best Bacon Wrapped Shrimp Recipe with Brown Sugar
- Crab Stuffed Shrimp (Easy & Elegant)
- Best Cajun Shrimp and Grits Recipe (Creamy & Cheesy)
- Hot and Cheesy Baked Shrimp Scampi Dip
- Creole Shrimp Toast – Easy & Cheesy
If you need more ideas or menu suggestions, here’s a link to view all my seafood recipes.
★★★★★ If you make this recipe, please leave a comment and give it a star rating. I would love to know how you liked it!
Thanks so much for visiting Grits and Pinecones! I hope to see you again soon!
📋 Recipe:
Easy Crispy Pan-Fried Shrimp
Ingredients
- 1 pound shrimp Fresh or frozen, either jumbo (21-25 per pound) or extra-large (26-30 per pound). Deheaded, peeled, and deveined.
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ cup olive oil
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large non-stick skillet or sauté pan over medium-high heat.
- While the oil is heating, add flour, salt, pepper, and garlic powder to a gallon-size Ziploc bag. Add the shrimp and shake well.
- Shake off any excess flour and add the shrimp to the pan in a single layer. Do not crowd them.
- Cook the shrimp for one minute on the first side or until they are golden brown and crispy. Then use a fork or fish turner to turn over and cook on the other side for another minute or so.
- Place the shrimp on a paper towel to drain, and repeat the steps with the remaining shrimp.
- Serve immediately with cocktail sauce, tartar sauce, or remoulade.
Can these be made ahead and warmed in low oven
Hi Ali,
Because shrimp cooks so quickly and can become tough and chewy if overcooked, for the best results, I wouldn’t try to make them ahead. They take less than five minutes to cook. What you might want to do is get your flour mixture and pan ready and then cook them right before you want to serve them. That said, I eat the leftovers cold and also warm them up to make shrimp quesadillas. So if it’s just you and your family and you want to make them ahead and reheat them then that’s fine as long as you understand they will not be quite as good reheated. If you are making them for company, I definitely wouldn’t make them ahead.
All the best,
Sharon
This recipe is to die for, the shrimp are crispy on the outside and so soft on the inside. I did change one item, I used a white pepper which was so good, made them have a little spicy bite to them.
Nice recipe. Both easy and tasty. Thank you! Will use this a lot! Some minor adjustments – I used Garlic Salt instead of salt and powder separately. Just a personals preference. I also added a very little butter to help the oil spread and add a little flavor – about 1 teaspoon (1 pad), Also, I used Tupperware instead of a bag. It’s easier to store and to work with and it’s more environmentally friendly. I am going to try the suggested brussels-sprout salad next! Looks very good!
Was watching Diners Drive ins and Dives….seen a floured shrimp recipe we wanted to try. Dang, couldn’t find the episode again! So googled lightly floured shrimp and found yours!!! Made, and let me tell you It’s Our New Favorite!!!! Will probably never make our shrimp any other way, it’s absolutely wonderful! We Love it!!
Thx for the GREAT recipe for pan fried shrimp. Deep fried is just too messy & I’ve been looking for an alternative. Made it dead on to the recipe.
With the simple flour mix, it should be easy to alter & make it your own.
86 the deep fried & wife will now let me bring fried shrimp back into the kitchen.
Thx again for sharing
Hi Hugh, I am so glad you liked it, and thank you too for taking the time to leave a comment! It’s one of my favorites, too, and I make it often.
All the best,
Sharon
Hi Sharon I searched for a recipe for pan fried shrimp and I’m so glad I came across yours. Very easy and very tasty. I love to cook and enjoyed this very much. Everyone loved them as well. Thank you
Hi David, I’m so glad you enjoyed them. A friend shared this recipe with me many years ago, and it’s so easy we have it often. It’s definitely one of my “go-to” recipes.
Thanks so much for taking the time to let me know!
All the best,
Sharon
Flour won’t stick at all..
Hi Tobias, can you give me a little more info? What kind of flour are you using? Are you having a problem with the flour sticking to the raw shrimp or not sticking to the shrimp while it is cooking? In general, flour sticks to anything moist, so I am surprised you are having this problem, but I am happy to help you troubleshoot to figure out what might be going on.
All the best,
Sharon
This was the easiest to make and best tasting fried shrimp I’ve ever had. Looking forward to using this recipe again and again.
I’m so glad you liked them. They are a favorite at our house too!
Happy Thanksgiving!
Sharon
I tried this last night. They tasted great and it was super easy to prepare but they weren’t as crispy as I had hoped, bordering on soggy. I did them 2 mins a side. Could it be that the pan wasn’t hot enough? Or too much oil?
Hi Dave,
It’s hard to say what the problem might have been and it definitely could have been any of the things you mentioned. These pan-fried shrimp will never be quite as crispy as shrimp that have been deep-fried. But, they shouldn’t have been soggy. Did you drain them on paper towels after cooking? And, if so, did you eat them immediately? If you left them too long on the paper towels that could have caused it or possibly the pan not being hot enough when you started.
All my best,
Sharon
I love this recipe! I’ve never fried my shrimp before and this was so quick and easy to make. I used frozen shrimp, defrosted them under cold water and lightly padded dry before adding to the flour mixture. Since the shelter in place I’ve made this recipe a few times now but add cajun seasoning to mine with a little bit of garlic powder. So good! Thank you for sharing!
Hi Maria, I’m so happy you liked the shrimp and I love the fact that you have made this recipe your own with the addition of the spices. Thanks so much too for taking the time to let me know!
All the best,
Sharon
Hi, just tried this recipe. Put the shrimp on top of a ceaser salad. It was so good. A keeper. Did not change anything. Thank u.
Hi Diane,
Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment. I’m so glad you enjoyed the shrimp! It’s definitely one of my go-to recipes!
All the best,
Sharon