Restaurant Quality Honey Walnut Shrimp at Home! This Honey Walnut Shrimp Recipe is the perfect balance of crunchy, sweet, and savory.
Juicy shrimp are dusted with cornstarch, pan fried until crispy, then tossed with a smooth shrimp glaze and candied walnuts. The process is similar to what we use to make Boom Boom Shrimp.
Honey shrimp go well with Empress Chicken, Hunan Shrimp, Hunan Beef, Pad Woon Sen, or Fried Rice (or even Instant Pot Sushi Rice).
Panda Express walnut shrimp
If you love Panda Express Honey Walnut Shrimp, you’ll love this copycat version. It’s as close to reality as you can get. By “genuine” I mean the American-Chinese hybrid found in fast-casual chains.
ingredients
It doesn’t require a lot of non-pantry ingredients. For the full list of honey shrimp ingredients, see the recipe card below.
shrimp – Raw, fresh or frozen (and thawed)
walnut – Add as many as you like! Do you prefer pecans? Swap them for the walnuts.
Sweetened condensed milk – Not to be confused with condensed milk.
rice vinegar – If you don’t have one on hand, you can substitute apple cider vinegar or lemon juice.
Shrimp glazed with honey
This Honey Shrimp Frosting is a very important part of the final product! Don’t use cheap mayonnaise as you will taste it in the first bite.
Another “no no” is replacing the sweetened condensed milk with condensed milk. The flavor of the shrimp glaze is absent and considerably thinner.
How to do
Honey Walnut Shrimp doesn’t take a lot of time to make, but it’s all hands-on time. For the full recipe to prepare Panda Express Prawns, see the recipe card below.
walnuts – The candied walnuts will harden as they dry, so prepare them first.
Sauce – Prepare the sauce to be ready once the fried shrimp are removed from the hot oil.
prepare shrimp- Butterfly (optional) the shrimp and dredging in cornstarch.
cook shrimp – Fry the prawns for 2-3 minutes, remove and toss with the sauce.
Velvety flesh
This Honey Walnut Shrimp recipe reflects a process known as “velvet meat.” It’s a crucial step in Chinese cooking, so don’t skip it!
In short, it coats the meat, in this case shrimp, with eggs and cornstarch before cooking to create a juicy and silky-textured shrimp versus chewy and dry shrimp.
To streamline this version, we eliminated the egg washing step. So not technically 100% “velvety”, but you get the same result.
expert tips
- Smash the shrimp for maximum shrimp-to-sauce ratio.
- Make sure the shrimp are 100% dry before adding the cornstarch. You will find that the end result suffers as the coating does not adhere.
- Don’t overfill the pan. Fry in batches to avoid the temperature of the oil dropping, resulting in mushy shrimp.
- This Honey Walnut Shrimp Panda Express recipe is best when enjoyed right away.
Honey walnut shrimp recipe
Hailing from Hong Kong, honey walnut shrimp is considered a classic Cantonese dish. It’s a staple on the menus of most American Chinese restaurants; This version is closely aligned with Panda Express Walnut Shrimp.
With this you can create your own version! Here are some common variations:
Honey Walnut Shrimp Recipe Variations
Honey Walnut Chicken
Omit the shrimp and substitute chicken. You just need to add a few extra minutes when cooking the protein.
Spicy honey shrimp
Like some warmth? For an extra kick, add 1/2-1 teaspoon red pepper flakes to the sauce.
Honey Walnut Shrimp
Prawns are similar to shrimp in shape and texture, but sweeter. Replace in equal parts.
Chow Mei fun
egg drop soup
Korean Beef Bulgogi
Ahi Tuna Poke Bowl
Instant Pot Chicken Adobo
Servings: 6 People
Calories: 1295kcal
PREPARE WALNUTS AND SAUCE
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Rinse the walnuts with water and let them dry before proceeding. If you add wet walnuts to the oil, it will spit out hot oil. Don’t try.
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In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, condensed milk, honey, rice vinegar, and salt. Set aside (not in the fridge).
MAKE THE CANDIED WALNUTS
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Preheat oil in a small saucepan (enough to cover a piece of shrimp) to 325°F. Add the dried walnuts to the oil and dry until golden brown, 3-4 minutes.
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Remove the walnuts with a slotted spoon and place on a plate lined with kitchen paper to drain. Put aside. Turn off the oil while you continue with the next steps.
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Preheat a second small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the sugar, water and salt and stir until the sugar and salt have dissolved (about 2-3 minutes).
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Add the walnuts to the syrup. Continue stirring until there is no more liquid at the bottom of the pan and the syrup is not dripping off the walnuts. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, making sure the walnuts are not touching.
FRY THE PRAWNS
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Place the cornstarch in a shallow bowl and lightly dredge all the shrimp. Set aside for 3-4 minutes. Don’t throw away the remaining cornstarch.
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Turn the heat back on and heat the oil to 350°F.
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Dredge the shrimp a second time in the cornstarch, shaking off the excess. Repeat until all shrimp are coated twice.
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Add the shrimp to the oil one at a time to avoid splashing the hot oil. Get the shrimp in as quickly as possible to ensure even cooking. If necessary, work in batches.
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While the shrimp are cooking, turn them a few times to ensure even cooking. Bake until golden brown, about 2-3 minutes.
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Remove the shrimp with a slotted spoon and place in a large heatproof mixing bowl. Pour the mayonnaise sauce over the shrimp and toss gently to coat.
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Place the shrimp on a serving plate or bowl and garnish with candied walnuts and chives.
Note 2 – Do not use pre-cooked shrimp. It overcooks and becomes chewy and rubbery.
Calories: 1295kcal | Carbohydrates: 20G | Protein: 18G | Fat: 130G | Saturated Fatty Acids: 11G | Polyunsaturated fat: 43G | Monounsaturated fatty acids: 74G | Trans fats: 0.5G | Cholesterol: 129mg | Sodium: 260mg | Potassium: 305mg | Fiber: 1G | Sugar: 12G | Vitamin A: 36ie | Vitamin C: 0.5mg | Calcium: 92mg | Iron: 1mg