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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!
Need more fun appetizers and finger food? Try my cream cheese stuffed peppers, bacon wrapped asparagus, tuna carpaccio, and cheese biscuits.
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!
What are shrimp chips?
Shrimp crackers, also known as prawn chips or prawn crackers, are a popular snack in Southeast Asia. A mixture of dehydrated shrimp and tapioca starch is ground into a dough, and once fried in oil, they expand into light and crispy chips. They’re usually found at Asian markets or restaurants as an appetizer.
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
- 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
I’ve included step-by-step photos below to make this recipe easy to follow at home. For the full printable recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
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 10-15 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.
- Fold them into your protein trail mix.
Use them in place of breadcrumbs for making tuna croquettes or salmon croquettes.
Arman’s recipe tips
- Make sure the oil is hot. Look for a temperature of 350F 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 temperature of the oil 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.
Prawn crackers are another name for shrimp chips.
More chip recipes to try
Shrimp Chips
Ingredients
- 1 package uncooked shrimp chips
- 1/4 cup safflower oil
Instructions
- Add oil to a deep pot.
- Once hot, drop a few crackers into the hot oil. Let it fry for 10-15 seconds, before removing from the oil and placing it on a paper towel to soak up excess oil.
- Repeat the process until all the shrimp chips are cooked.
Notes
Nutrition
Originally published July 2022, updated and republished May 2024
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.