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Walnut Shrimp
5 from 2 votes

Walnut Shrimp

This walnut shrimp recipe features crispy shrimp and candied walnuts tossed in a sweet, creamy sauce. Recreate this iconic Chinese takeout dish at home, any night of the week, for a healthier twist that still gives you deliciously crispy and flavorful results without deep-frying! {Gluten-Free Adaptable}To make the dish gluten free, use dry sherry to replace Shaoxing wine. And use tamari instead of soy sauce.

Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
Total Time
20 mins
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 247 kcal
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Chinese

Ingredients

Glazed walnut
  • 1 cup walnuts roasted
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Sauce
  • 1/4 cup mayonnaise
  • 1 tablespoon sweetened condensed milk
  • 2 teaspoons honey (or maple syrup)
  • 2 teaspoons rice vinegar (or lemon juice)
  • 1/2 teaspoon soy sauce or soy sauce, light
Shrimp
  • 1 lb (450 g) Shrimp , peeled and deveined
  • 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon ginger grated
  • 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
  • 4 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil (for shallow fry)
  • green onion , sliced (for garnish)

Instructions

Marinate the shrimp
    Cup of Yum
  1. Mix the shrimp, Shaoxing wine, salt, ginger and white pepper together in a medium bowl. Marinate for 10 minutes while preparing other ingredients.
To make the glazed walnut
  1. Line a baking sheet or large plate with parchment paper.
  2. Heat the oil in a small or medium nonstick skillet over medium heat until just turning warm. Swirl the pan to let the oil coat as much surface as possible. Sprinkle the sugar into the pan in a thin layer.
  3. Turn to medium-low heat. Cook, swirling the pan occasionally, until most of the sugar has melted and starts turning an amber color, 3 minutes or so.
  4. Add the walnuts. Stir everything together to let the sugar coat the nuts as evenly as possible. Keep cooking and stirring until all the sugar has melted and the sugar turns a golden brown color, about 2 minutes. Then immediately transfer everything onto the lined baking sheet.
  5. Spread out the nuts again and separate them as much as possible using a spatula. Let cool until the coating has hardened, 5 minutes or so. Then you can easily break apart the nuts.
Mix the sauce
  1. Mix the mayonnaise, condensed milk, honey, rice vinegar, and soy sauce together in a small bowl. Stir to mix well.
Cook the shrimp
  1. Right before cooking, add the cornstarch to the marinated shrimp. Coat the shrimp evenly.
  2. Heat the oil in a medium-sized skillet over medium heat until hot. Add the shrimp without overlapping (you might need to cook in 2 batches). Let cook until the bottom turns golden. Flip and cook the other side until golden. Transfer the shrimp to a big plate to cool slightly.
Assemble
  1. Once the shrimp cool off a bit (*Footnote 1), transfer the shrimp into a big bowl without transferring the juice or oil pooled in the plate. Add the sauce and mix well.
  2. Add half of the glazed walnuts and give it a quick mix. Transfer everything to a large plate. Add the rest of the walnuts and garnish with sliced green onions. Serve immediately as a main dish.

Notes

  • The key is to cool the shrimp for a few minutes so it’s not hot enough to melt the mayonnaise, but don’t wait until it turns cold.

Nutrition Information

Serving 1serving Calories 247kcal (12%) Carbohydrates 21.4g (7%) Protein 6.9g (14%) Fat 15.1g (23%) Saturated Fat 2.8g (14%) Cholesterol 42mg (14%) Sodium 837mg (35%) Potassium 100mg (2%) Fiber 1g (4%) Sugar 10.2g (20%) Calcium 52mg (5%) Iron 1mg (6%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 4 servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories 247

% Daily Value*

Serving 1serving
Calories 247kcal 12%
Carbohydrates 21.4g 7%
Protein 6.9g 14%
Fat 15.1g 23%
Saturated Fat 2.8g 14%
Cholesterol 42mg 14%
Sodium 837mg 35%
Potassium 100mg 2%
Fiber 1g 4%
Sugar 10.2g 20%
Calcium 52mg 5%
Iron 1mg 6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.