This Butterfly Shrimp recipe offers tender, flavorful shrimp with an elevated presentation; great for cocktail parties, appetizers, or salad toppers. For the crispiest exterior, the shrimp are coated in a thin, flavorful batter and then fried to perfection. Check out my step-by-step photos and instructions for how to butterfly shrimp, for excellent results every time!
Butterfly Shrimp, a common option in the frozen food section at the grocery store, is infinitely better when made at home, from scratch. The difference between “regular” shrimp and butterflied shrimp is that the shrimp is cut and flattened to resemble the open wings of a butterfly. This technique means more surface area for seasonings and crispy coating, and more even cooking. Basically, it’s key to extra-fabulous deliciousness, and so worth a little extra effort!
What Makes These Butterfly Shrimp Impossible to Resist
In the Twin Cities area where we live, the Lake Elmo Inn is a restaurant legacy. It’s known across the region for its Sunday brunch and signature touches, like refreshing Lemon Sorbet palate cleansers, warm cinnamon towels, and Chocolate Covered Strawberries. They do so many dishes right, including their Pork Potstickers, creamy Minnesota Wild Rice Soup (they make it with duck!), Sin of the Inn (a decadent chocolate, caramel, and pecan dessert), and Chocolate Mousse — but my absolute favorite thing is their jumbo butterflied shrimp (they are actually GIANT!). They offer it either broiled or fried with a panko crust, with drawn butter or cocktail sauce. Of course I want to taste it ALL…and the Lake Elmo Inn always lets me order half broiled and half fried. Gosh, I love that!
WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT:
- Fantastically crispy. Frying the shrimp in oil gives you ultra-crispy restaurant-style shrimp at home, while keeping them tender and succulent beneath that crispity-crunchity coating. It’s absolutely worth it for this recipe!
- Quick to cook. Shrimp cooks fast anyway, but another beautiful thing about butterflied shrimp is that they cook even quicker than normal. Once the oil comes to temperature, you drop in the shrimp and each batch cooks in just 2-4 minutes.
- Perfect for a party – or a weeknight. Butterfly shrimp are impressive and fancy enough for a formal dinner party, yet easy enough for a weeknight meal when you want to serve something a little special.
Another shrimp recipe that I really like, this time with a very, very lightly crispy exterior, is my Honey Walnut Shrimp.
Enjoy!
What You’ll Need
Here’s a quick rundown of the ingredients you’ll need to make delicious crispy shrimp! Scroll down to the printable recipe card to find the exact ingredient quantities and full recipe instructions.
- Shrimp – You want raw shrimp for this recipe. I most often use 20-25 count shrimp, which means there are 20-25 shrimp per pound. See my Tips & Variations section below for information on using a different size, or what do if your shrimp has shells, legs, and/or veins.
- Salt & pepper – These season the shrimp very simply, yet perfectly.
- Flour – All-purpose flour helps dry out the surface of the shrimp so the eggs stick.
- Eggs – Helps the panko coating stick to the shrimp, plus adds rich flavor.
- Panko – Panko breadcrumbs are light and flaky, and add an extra-crunchy, delightful coating to the shrimp.
- Old Bay seafood seasoning – This traditional seafood seasoning mix provides a ton of flavor to the crispy exterior. I also use it in my simple Grilled Shrimp and Air Fryer Shrimp recipes, for maximum flavor with minimal effort. If you have another favorite seasoning for seafood, go ahead and use that.
- Lemon zest – Lemon is a natural pairing with shrimp, fish, and other seafood. It adds great acidity and bright citrus flavor. Besides offering some to squeeze over the finished shrimp, I also add some to the panko mix!
- Parsley – For a bit of freshness to offset the richness of the fried shrimp.
- Oil for frying – Choose your favorite neutral oil with a smoke point that allows for heating the oil to 350°F. Some options include canola oil, olive oil, and avocado oil.
How to Make Butterfly Shrimp
You can find the instructions in the printable recipe card below, but here’s a visual overview of the steps for making butterfly shrimp.
- Butterfly the shrimp. Slice the shrimp along the back (outside curve), cutting halfway through the shrimp. Then use your thumbs to open up and flatten the shrimp along this cut. This is what it means to “butterfly”. Repeat with the remaining shrimp.
- Season the shrimp. Sprinkle the butterflied shrimp with salt and pepper.
- Prep your dredging stations. Add the flour to one bowl, beat the eggs in a second, and combine the panko, seafood seasoning, lemon zest, and fresh parsley in a third.
- Dredge the shrimp. First coat the shrimp in the flour, then dip it into the egg (except for the tail), and finally roll the shrimp in the panko mixture. Shake off the excess after each step.
- Cook. Heat an inch of oil in a Dutch oven over medium/medium-high heat until it reaches 350ºF. Cook the shrimp for 2-4 minutes, or until beautifully golden, flipping the shrimp every minute or so.
- Drain away excess oil. Transfer to a wire rack set in a rimmed pan (or a paper towel lined plate) to drain away excess oil.
- Serve. Enjoy shrimp hot, with a sprinkle of fresh parsley and some lemon wedges for squeezing over the top. Offer one or more dipping sauces alongside. (See a number of great dipping choices below, in the section Serving Suggestions.)
Brenda’s Tips & Variations
I’ve got several tips for you, along with a few variations.
- Dry the shrimp well. Before coating the shrimp in batter, make sure to pat them dry with paper towels. This will help the batter stick better and give you a crispier coating. Excess water means soggy coating!
- Make sure the oil is sufficiently hot. It’s helpful to have a thermometer that clips onto the side of the pot for this recipe, so you know exactly what temperature the oil is. If it’s too hot, the shrimp will burn on the outside before cooking through on the inside; if it’s too cool, the shrimp will soak up oil and get soggy. You could also use an electric fryer if you have one.
- Avoid adding too many shrimp at once. Crowding the shrimp in the Dutch oven does not allow proper oil flow around each shrimp to cook properly. This also lowers the oil temperature and can lead to a soggy coating.
- Don’t overcook. Butterflied shrimp cook more quickly than even uncut shrimp, so do pay attention to time. You can’t judge their opacity since they’re coated in panko, but you can look for them to curl into a loose C-shape. (Tightly curled shrimp are over-cooked.)
- Go larger. I don’t recommend going with smaller shrimp, as you’ll end up with more coating than shrimp. But you can absolutely use bigger shrimp. Just keep in mind that cooking times will vary depending on the size.
- Can I use frozen shrimp? You sure can; I do it all the time! To defrost quickly, run frozen shrimp under cold water until defrosted. This usually takes 5 minutes or so.
- If your shrimp has tails, legs, and/or veins. Be sure to remove all of these before you start butterflying. Leave the tails on, though! Here’s what to do: Start by removing the shells. Carefully hold onto the tail of the shrimp in one hand. With your other hand, peel the legs away from the shrimp until the whole shell is removed and only the tail remains. If you see a dark vein/tract running down the length of the outside curve of the shrimp, use a paring knife to make a shallow cut to expose and remove it.
- Use other breadcrumbs. I highly recommend panko, for its excellent flaky crumb. But regular breadcrumbs will also work. You could also use pre-seasoned breadcrumbs and skip the Old Bay seasoning, for ease and a different flavor.
- Make them gluten-free. Simply swap in your favorite 1:1 all-purpose gluten-free flour and gluten-free panko.
Serving Suggestions
Serve butterfly shrimp as an appetizer with dipping sauces, such as Shrimp Dipping Sauce, Tartar Sauce, Cocktail Sauce, Sweet Chili Sauce, or good ol’ Ranch Dressing. So many dips, so little time!
As a main dish, with sides like Creamy Homemade Coleslaw and Cream Biscuits.
Over a salad, such as this fresh Strawberry Salad or Roasted Beet Salad.
As part of a surf-and-turf meal, with Garlic Butter Steak Bites or Grilled Ribeye.
How to Store and Reheat Leftovers
- Refrigerator: This shrimp is best enjoyed right away, so I recommend scaling down the recipe if you don’t think you’ll be able to finish it all. If you have any leftover butterfly shrimp, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- To reheat: Use a nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray; warm the skillet over medium heat and once it’s hot, quickly reheat the shrimp. Or use an air fryer.
More Tasty Shrimp Recipes
Fried Butterfly Shrimp
Ingredients
- 1 pound large (20-25 count) raw shrimp with tails on, peeled and deveined
- 1 teaspoon Morton kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 2 tablespoons Old Bay seafood seasoning, or your own favorite seafood seasoning
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon fresh minced parsley
- oil, for frying
- fresh lemon wedges, for serving
Instructions
- Butterfly the shrimp: Using a sharp paring knife, slice the shrimp along the back (outside curve) where the black vein was, cutting halfway through the shrimp. Then use your thumbs to open up and flatten the shrimp along this cut. Repeat with the remaining shrimp. Then pat the shrimp dry with a paper towel.
- Season the butterflied shrimp with salt and pepper.
- Add the flour to a small bowl.
- In another bowl, beat the eggs.
- In a third bowl, combine the panko breadcrumbs, Old Bay seasoning, lemon zest, and fresh parsley.
- Dredge the butterflied shrimp in the seasoned flour and gently shake off any excess. Then, holding onto the tail of the flour-covered shrimp, dip the body of the shrimp in the egg (do not dip the tail). Finally, roll the shrimp in the panko mixture, making sure to coat the entire surface that is dipped in egg, and pressing the panko on lightly as needed. Place coated shrimp on a plate. Repeat dipping process with remaining shrimp.
- Add an inch of oil to a large dutch oven over medium/medium-high heat and bring oil to 350°F. Once oil is at temperature, add a few shrimp (do not crowd the pan) and cook for 2-4 minutes, or until they are golden brown, flipping them every minute or so. Transfer cooked shrimp to a wire rack set in a rimmed pan (or a paper towel lined plate). Continue cooking the shrimp in batches.
- Enjoy shrimp hot, with a sprinkle of fresh parsley and some lemon wedges for squeezing over the top. Serve with Tartar Sauce, Cocktail Sauce, and/or Shrimp Dipping Sauce for dipping.
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