🍤 Mom’s Classic Diner-Style Fried Shrimp
Crispy, golden, juicy shrimp with that nostalgic old-fashioned diner crunch!
🛒 Ingredients
1 lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails on or off
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
½ tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper
½ tsp cayenne pepper, optional
2 large eggs
½ cup buttermilk or regular milk
1 tsp hot sauce, optional
Vegetable or peanut oil, for frying
Lemon wedges, for serving
🍤 Instructions
Prepare the shrimp: Pat the shrimp very dry with paper towels. This helps the coating stick and keeps it crispy.
Make the coating: In a shallow bowl, combine flour, cornmeal, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, black pepper, and cayenne.
Make the egg wash: In another bowl, whisk together eggs, buttermilk, and hot sauce.
Coat the shrimp: Dip each shrimp into the egg mixture, letting the excess drip off. Then dredge thoroughly in the seasoned flour mixture, pressing gently so the coating sticks.
Heat the oil: Pour about 2 inches of oil into a heavy skillet or Dutch oven. Heat to 350°F (175°C).
Fry: Carefully place shrimp into the hot oil in small batches. Fry for about 2–3 minutes per side, depending on size, until golden brown and cooked through.
Drain: Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate or wire rack. Let the oil return to temperature before frying the next batch.
🍋 Serve With
Lemon wedges
Tartar sauce
Cocktail sauce
Creamy coleslaw
French fries
Hush puppies
