This pan-fried shrimp recipe is a cooking staple in my household. It’s easy to make and takes no more than 20 minutes. The end result is a lightly fried, tender, flakey shrimp that is truly delicious. The key is adding flour to the shrimp before you put it in the pan.
Who remembers dal, rice, and fried prawns for afternoon lunch? I do and while so simple it used to be one of my favorite meals because I LOVE prawns or shrimp.
The best this about seafood is that it cooks quickly and easily. It makes the best side dish with any main course. In our home fish and seafood are often the perfect side with pulses, lentils, and legumes.
Ingredients and substitutes
- Shrimp - Use large shrimp or king prawns for this recipe. Leave the tails on as it makes a pretty presentation.
- Flour - we coat the shrimp in flour before pan frying because it gives them a nice color and slightly crisp coating. You can also use cornstarch. Cornstarch can make the shrimp more Krispy.
- Spices - I am using both sweet and hot paprika along with turmeric. But you can also add other spices like cumin, coriander, etc.
- Lemon juice - adds a nice freshness to the prawns and helps take some of the fishy smell away.
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Ingredients
- 12 large Shrimp or Prawns
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon Black pepper
- 1 teaspoon Sweet paprika
- ½ teaspoon Hot paprika
- ½ teaspoon Turmeric
- ½ cup All-purpose flour for coating
- ¼ cup Vegetable oil for pan frying
- ¼ cup Fresh cilantro finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon Lemon juice
Instructions
- Shrimp - Remove the shells but keep the tails on the shrimp. Pat them dry with a paper towel. Season the shrimp with salt, pepper, and lemon juice.
- Marinate - Place the shrimp in a medium bowl. Season the shrimp with salt, pepper, and spices. Set aside to marinate for 10 to 15 minutes. Pro tip - these marinated prawns can be left in the fridge overnight.
- Coat - In a flat tray add the flour and season it with salt and pepper. Drop the shrimp one at a time into the flour and coat it well on all sides. Dust off the excess flour and set them aside. Pro tip - flour gives the shrimp a nice golden color.
- Pan fry - in a frying pan (preferably non-stick) add the oil on medium-high heat. Drop the shrimp one at a time making sure to leave space between them.
- Cook - Let the shrimp cook for 3 minutes on one side then turn them over with a tong and cook on the other side another 2 minutes. Garnish with freshly chopped cilantro and a squeeze of fresh lemon juicePro tip - shrimp will turn a lovely pink in color when cooked. Do not overcook as they can become very chewy.
Recipe Video
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