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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.
Shrimp Balls
Recently, I shared an Instagram 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
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
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
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
Yes, frozen prawns will work just fine! Just be sure to thaw them completely and pat them dry with paper towels to get rid of any excess moisture. That’ll help get the right texture for the shrimp paste.
You can totally swap in crab, lobster, or salmon, but I’d suggest mixing them with shrimp. The shrimp really helps give the paste that perfect smooth texture and bounce, which helps the balls hold together. Just chop or process the crab, lobster, or salmon finely, then mix them with the shrimp for the best results.
If the texture is a bit loose, it’s likely because there’s too much moisture in the shrimp. Make sure to pat the shrimp dry with paper towels before blending. Also, blend the shrimp longer to get a stickier texture, which will help create that spongy, chewy consistency you’re looking for.
Yes, you can! You can prepare the shrimp paste ahead of time and store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two days. However, don’t freeze it, as freezing can affect the texture and consistency.
Yes. Just form the shrimp paste into balls and steam them for about 6-8 minutes, or until they’re fully cooked and tender.
You’ll want to snip the spring roll wrappers dry. No need to soak them beforehand.
I don’t recommend it. Freezing can affect the texture of the shrimp mixture, making it watery and less bouncy once thawed. The spring roll strips can also lose their crispiness and might not fry up as light and crunchy. For the best texture and flavor, it’s best to make them fresh!
You’re better off using avocado or peanut oil for deep frying! Both have high smoke points, so they can handle the heat and keep everything crispy. I’d skip olive oil for deep frying, though—it has a lower smoke point and could end up burning.
Yes. Just pop them in the air fryer at 375°F (190°C) for about 10–12 minutes until they’re golden and crispy. Give them a light spray of oil for the best crunch. Air fryers can vary, so keep an eye on them as they cook!
If your shrimp balls flattened, it might be because the shrimp were a bit too wet, which can make the paste too loose. Make sure to pat the shrimp dry before mixing everything together. If the mixture still feels a little too loose, you can add a bit more cornstarch to help hold it together. Also, try not to overcrowd the pan when frying—this will help them keep their shape and stay nice and crispy.
You can easily reheat them in the air fryer at 350°F (175°C) for a few minutes until they’re nice and crispy. If you’re in the mood for that fresh-out-of-the-fryer crunch, just refry them in hot oil for 1–2 minutes until golden. Or, if you prefer the oven, pop them in at 375°F (190°C) for about 5–7 minutes. Either way, they’ll be as tasty as when you first made them!
This recipe is only 171 calories per serving.
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 Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram for new updates.
Other Recipes You Might Like
- Shrimp Potstickers
- Chicken Wontons
- Spring Rolls
- Crab Rangoon
- How to Make Fish Balls
- Vietnamese Sugar Cane Shrimp (Chao Tom)
Fried Shrimp Balls
Ingredients
- 1 lb. shrimp, defrost, shelled and deveined
- 1 egg white, lightly beaten
- 1 teaspoon salt , or fish sauce
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 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 or fish sauce, sugar, cornstarch, sesame oil, oil, and white pepper. Blend until the ingredients form a smooth shrimp paste.
- Fold the spring roll wrappers and cut them into thin strips using scissors. Then cut the strips into shorter lengths. Lay them on a flat surface. Wet your hands and shape the shrimp paste into balls (about 1 tablespoon each), then roll the shrimp balls in the spring roll strips.
- The spring roll strips will stick to the shrimp balls, as shown in the picture below.
- Trim the spring roll strips with scissors, ensuring the strips evenly coat the shrimp ball. You can reuse the trimmed strips.
- Deep-fry the shrimp balls in a deep fryer or wok until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Remove, drain on paper towels, and serve hot with Thai sweet chili sauce or your favorite chili sauce.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This is my families favorite appetizer.
I always make it and its a super hit.
First time I ate it at the Chinese restaurant and then I googled.
Found this recipe and made it. turned out super duper hit.
Try it and you wont regret.
As a matter of fact I’m planning to make it this weekend…
cheers everyone :)
Thanks.
Can I rewarm the cooked shrimp balls? If so, how?
Just reheat with microwave or fry again.
I tried making these and they turned out so good.
I air fried mine for 14 min @325° Crunchy and flavorful.
Can I air fried instead?
Yes you can try!
Can I make the shrimp concoction ahead of time and refrigerate it
Not freezing but you may chill it overnight.
I made 2 versions of this recipe one with and one with out the wrapper strips. I prefer without the strips. They crisped up well and were tasty. The ones with the strips took the same time to cook but the strips were extremely hard. The wrappers were fresh and I had no problems with wontons.
Would these come out well using crab, lobster or salmon?
You need to mix shrimp if using crab, lobster or salmon.
can you make and freeze these and fry from frozen?
No I won’t do that.
Can this be done on Instant Pot and how long
No, you can’t use IP to fry.
The shrimp balls flattened a bit when fried. Tastes great but looked like a hamburger. What could I do to avoid this?
Sounds like your shrimp might be too wet. Did you pat dry?
Hi there, Can I use the same recipe without the wonton skin and steam it as steam shrimp balls ?
Yes you can!
Hi,
Is it possible to air fry the shrimp balls rather than deep frying?
If it’s better to deep fry, can I use avocado, olive or peanut oil?
Yes it should be fine.
What alternative can i use besides the wonton wrapper? I dont have it in my pantry. Tomorrow is football game. Would vietnamese wrapper be okay? Any ideas?
Vietnamese wrapper doesn’t really work for this recipe.