Shrimp chips
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These shrimp chips are so crispy, crunchy, and loaded with savory flavor. Made with 2 ingredients and ready in under a minute, I serve them with everything!
I never shy away from unconventional recipes, especially my snack recipes. When I happened to see a bowl of vibrant-colored shrimp crackers floating past me at my local Asian restaurant, I knew I had to learn how to make them!
The most challenging part was knowing how long to fry the crackers. I found the trick is to take them out of the pot just before you think they’re done, since they’ll continue to crisp up as they’re removed from the oil. Then, you can toss them in seasonings, stick with my base recipe, and enjoy them with savory dips, or crush them atop a fresh green salad.
What are shrimp chips?
Also known as prawn chips or prawn crackers, they’re a popular snack in Southeast Asia. They’re a mix of dehydrated shrimp and tapioca starch ground into a dough. Once they’re fried, they quickly expand into light and airy chips.
They’re easy to find at most Asian markets, but today, I’m going to share my failproof recipe!
Table of Contents
Why I love this recipe
- Made with only 2 ingredients. All you need are uncooked prawn crackers and oil for frying.
- Easy to customize. You can buy them in all sorts of fun colors, add an array of spices, or serve them with your favorite dipping sauces.
- Ready in seconds. Once the oil is hot, the chips fry up in literally seconds.
Ingredients needed
The full printable recipe with measurements is in the recipe card below.
- Frying oil. I used safflower oil, but any neutral oil with a high smoke point will do, like canola oil, palm oil, or peanut oil.
- Uncooked prawn crackers. I got mine at my local Asian market, but I’ve noticed some mainstream grocery stores sell them in the Asian aisle. Choose the plain or colored ones, whichever you prefer.
How to make shrimp chips
Step 1- Prep work. Add oil to a deep pot.
Step 2- Fry. Once hot, drop a few crackers into the hot oil. Let them fry for 3-5 seconds before removing from the oil and placing it on a paper towel-lined plate.
Step 3- Repeat and serve. Repeat with the remaining chips, then serve warm.
What to serve with prawn crackers
I love the authentic flavor of these chips as is, but of course, they’re even better paired with dips and other Asian dishes. Here are some ideas:
- Serve them with dips, like tempura sauce, potsticker sauce, sweet Thai chili sauce, or peanut-soy sauce, or stick with the seafood theme and serve them with smoked tuna dip.
- As a side dish or appetizer alongside honey walnut shrimp, Mongolian chicken, or Korean chicken wings.
- Crumble them up on top of Asian cucumber salad, or add crunch to your summer rolls.
- Use them in place of breadcrumbs to make tuna croquettes or salmon croquettes.
Arman’s recipe tips
- Make sure the oil is hot. Check the temperature to 350°F-375°F before frying the chips. If you don’t have a thermometer, carefully drip 1-2 drops of water into the pot. If it sizzles, you’re ready to fry.
- Fry in batches. If you fry too many at once, the oil’s temperature will drop, and the chips will get soggy and fry unevenly.
- Eat them fresh. These chips have the best texture right after frying, so aim to enjoy them as fresh as possible.
- Add seasonings. Toss the chips in salt, black pepper, paprika, onion powder, or Chinese five-spice for more flavor.
Storage instructions
Up to one week: Place the leftovers in a ziplock bag and store it at room temperature.
Two weeks or more: Freeze leftovers in a shallow container for up to two months.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, real shrimp is added to the mix before being dehydrated.
The number one reason shrimp chips don’t puff up is that the oil isn’t hot enough. In testing, I found that the ideal temperature for frying the chips is 350-375°F (175-190°C), which is pretty standard for deep-frying or shallow-frying foods.
This is the opposite of the point above: shrimp chips burn quickly if the oil is too hot or if the chips are left in the oil for too long. They only need around 3-5 seconds to puff up.
More chip recipes
Shrimp Chips
Ingredients
- 1 package uncooked shrimp chips
- 1/4 cup safflower oil
Instructions
- Add oil to a deep pot.
- Once the temperature of the oil reached 350°F-375°F (use a thermometer to check), drop a few crackers into the hot oil. Let it fry for 3 to 5 seconds, then remove it from the oil and place it on a paper towel to drain excess oil.
- Repeat the process until all the shrimp chips are cooked.
Notes
Nutrition
Originally published July 2022
I love learning new recipes, I will definitely try this out and share with my family and friends.
Here’s another great recipe! This one is for making potato chips in seconds! Buy a bag of potato chips, open the bag, eat and enjoy!
Hi Arman,
Where do I find shrimp chips in Boynton Beach, FL? No Asian takeout sells them and there are no asian grocers.