Fried Shrimp Balls

4.53 from 65 votes
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Fried Shrimp Balls - Crispy and crunchy shrimp balls, a popular and delicious Chinese appetizer. Learn how to make this Cantonese dim sum with the recipe.

Easy and quick crispy Cantonese fried shrimp balls appetizer in a baking tray.
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Shrimp Balls

Recently, I shared an Instagram (follow me!) story of eating fried shrimp balls at a Chinese dim sum restaurant, and many followers asked me for the recipe.

Today, I am sharing with you my shrimp balls recipe. Don’t you think they look oh-so-adorable with the crispy and crunchy skin?


How To Make Shrimp Balls From Scratch

Crispy fried shrimp balls on a serving platter with dipping sauce.

This recipe is from the Crunchy Shrimp Balls recipe in my Easy Chinese Recipes cookbook. My cookbook is the highest rated Chinese cookery book on Amazon, so buy a copy if you haven’t.


How To Make Shrimp Balls

Close up of shrimp balls, deep-fried to golden brown.

Making shrimp balls is fun. First, you blend the shrimp and the seasonings to form a shrimp paste. Then you cut up the spring roll wrappers into strips.

Wet your hands with some water, make the shrimp paste into balls, roll them over the bed of spring roll strips, and off they go into a deep fryer or wok for deep-frying. The recipe is super easy and fail proof!


Dim Sum

Shrimp balls is a Chinese/Cantonese dim sum appetizer.

Fried shrimp ball is a great appetizer. It’s often served as a dim sum at Hong Kong-style restaurants or dim sum restaurants.

Dim Sum is quite a delicacy, with morsels of bite-sized appetizers served in bamboo steamers, or deep-fried to golden perfection.

I love shrimp and I can chow down dozens of these shrimp balls any time of the day! They are just wonderful.


Frequently Asked Questions

How many calories per serving?

This recipe is only 171 calories per serving.

Top down shot of shrimp balls coated with crunchy strips.

What To Serve With Fried Shrimp Balls

For a wholesome meal and easy weeknight dinner, I recommend the following recipes.

I hope you enjoy this post as much as I do. If you try my recipe, please leave a comment and consider giving it a 5-star rating. For more easy and delicious recipes, explore my Recipe Index, and stay updated by subscribing to my newsletter and following me on FacebookPinterest, and Instagram for new updates.


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4.53 from 65 votes

Fried Shrimp Balls

Fried Shrimp Balls – crispy and crunchy shrimp balls, a popular and delicious Chinese appetizer. Learn how to make this Cantonese dim sum with the easy recipe.
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Servings: 4 people
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Ingredients  

  • 1 lb. helled and deveined shrimp, defrost
  • 1 egg white, lightly beaten
  • 1 teaspoon salt or fish sauce
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1 tablespoon corn starch
  • 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
  • 1 tablespoon oil or some pork fat
  • 3 dashes white pepper powder
  • 8 pieces spring roll wrapper, 8-inch square

Instructions 

  • In a mini food processor, add the shrimp, egg white, salt/fish sauce, sugar, corn starch, sesame oil, oil and white pepper. Blend until the ingredients form the shrimp paste.
  • Fold the spring roll wrappers up. Cut the spring roll wrappers into tiny strips using a pair of scissors. Cut them into shorter strips. Lay them on a flat surface. Wet your hands and form the shrimp paste into balls (about 1 tablespoon) and roll the shrimp balls onto the bed of spring roll strips.
  • The spring roll strips will stick to the shrimp ball, as shown on the picture below.
  • Trim off the spring roll strips using a pair of scissors. Make sure that the strips coat the shrimp ball evenly. You can reuse the strips that had been trimmed off.
  • Deep fry the shrimp balls in a deep fryer or wok until they turn golden brown, about 5 minutes. Dish out, drain on paper towels, and serve hot with Thai sweet chili sauce or your favorite chili sauce.

Video

Nutrition

Serving: 4people, Calories: 171kcal, Carbohydrates: 5g, Protein: 24g, Fat: 6g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Cholesterol: 286mg, Sodium: 1487mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 1g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Please rate and comment below!

About Bee Yinn Low

Bee is a recipe developer and best-selling cookbook author, sharing easy, quick, and delicious Asian and American recipes since 2006. With a strong following of almost 2 million fans online, her expertise has been featured in major publications, TV and radio programs, and live cooking demos throughout the United States and Asia.

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Recipe Rating





57 Comments

  1. Tess says:

    5 stars
    Super easy to make and super yummy! Thank you for sharing ❤️❤️❤️!

  2. Anwar says:

    Hi. Is it possible to use shrimp paste for this, like the shrimp and fish lasted you see at Chinese grocery stores like 99 Ranch?

    1. Rasa Malaysia says:

      Yeah they should work but I don’t think I have seen shrimp paste at 99 Ranch.

  3. Lian Hua says:

    Hi, I’m thinking of attempting a vegetarian version of it for CNY. Can I just check with you if it is possible to make the paste + roll it with the wrappers and place them in the fridge the night before. And only deep fry it the next day. Do you think it is possible?
    Thanks a million!!!

    1. Rasa Malaysia says:

      Yes you can.

      1. Kathy H says:

        Hi, do you snip the wrappers dry or do you need to submerge them first? Can’t wait to hear from you. Look forward to making these. Thank you and stay safe!

        1. Rasa Malaysia says:

          Yes, snip them dry.

  4. Toni says:

    5 stars
    These are so yummy! I make them every year for Christmas Eve dinner and everyone loves them! So good!

    1. Sammie little says:

      Where is a restaurant that sells them in Fresno area

  5. Rachel Chan says:

    Hi Bee,
    Can i make in advance and freeze it till i ready to eat ?

    1. Rasa Malaysia says:

      I wouldn’t freeze them.

  6. Mary Bostow says:

    5 stars
    I made these for a family party and they were a hit! Thanks for the recipe they were delicious!

  7. beginnercook says:

    I experienced the same. The dough was loose. I did pat dry and blend the shrimp paste longer. I even put an additional 1/2 tbs cornstarch but still. I don’t know what’s wrong. was my egg too small?

    1. Rasa Malaysia says:

      That’s strange. The shrimp after blending should form into the sticky shrimp paste as in my pictures.

  8. cassandra says:

    4 stars
    miss, i made it and the outlook looks good but the meat is not spongy and chewy enough… a little loose. what is the tips to make the texture better?

    1. Rasa Malaysia says:

      Hi Cassandra, did you pat dry your shrimp with paper towels. Sounds like you have a lot of moisture content in the shrimp. Another tip is to blend the shrimp longer so the texture becomes sticky.

  9. xenia says:

    4 stars
    HI. Can i freeze the raw shrimp mixture if i make a large batch? if yes, how long is the max freezing standard of this shrimp mixture. It seems very yummy, and i would want to try it one of this days.

    1. Rasa Malaysia says:

      I don’t advise freezing it because it might change the texture. Best to make it fresh.

  10. NJ says:

    Hi would like to try this recipe, may I ask if
    frozen package prawns be suitable for this recipe instead of fresh ones.

    After rolling to wonton skin will the final suitable to be frozen and used as needed or is it better for immediate use?

    1. Rasa Malaysia says:

      Hi NJ, yes, you can use frozen shrimp. I wouldn’t freeze the shrimp balls after rolling as it would change the texture of the shrimp. Fry right away.