Photo Collage of Honey Walnut Shrimp

This Honey Walnut Shrimp is easy to make, and so much better than takeout! Shrimp are coated in a puffy egg white cornstarch batter and fried until golden, then tossed in a creamy sweet sauce and caramelized honey walnuts.

Honey Walnut Shrimp is the first Chinese dish I fell in love with, and my favorite to this day.

Honey Walnut Shrimp - With Rice and Chopsticks

When my family and I went out to the Chinese restaurant the next town over, we would ALWAYS order it.

Being 9 years old, my brothers and I always wanted to order the “Pu Pu Platter” purely for name’s sake (you can imagine the snickering), but it was really the shrimp and the peking duck that we wanted to eat. So good!

For this dish, shrimp are coated in a whipped egg white and cornstarch batter and quickly deep fried until puffed and crispy. Then it’s tossed in a sweet, creamy sauce and served with caramelized candied walnuts.

Honey Walnut Shrimp Recipe - Plated with White Rice on Platter

How to Make Honey Walnut Shrimp:

To get started, combine honey, sugar, water, and salt in a skillet:

Adding Water to Sugar, Honey, and Salt in Skillet

Add the walnuts and bring to a boil:

Walnuts Cooking in Sweet Honey Sugar Glaze Mixture

Once the sugar is an amber color, remove the walnuts with a slotted spoon to a piece of parchment:

Candied Walnuts with honey Spread on Parchment Paper

Next, make the sauce for the shrimp by combining mayonnaise, sweetened condensed milk, honey, and lemon juice:

Honey Walnut Shrimp Sauce - in mixing bowl with spatula

If you have 10 minutes to spare, I recommend using homemade mayonnaise for the best flavor.

Then, make the batter for the shrimp! Whip egg whites and cornstarch until it’s thick and forms soft peaks:

Whipped Egg White Batter for Shrimp

Toss peeled and deveined shrimp into the batter, to coat:

Tossing Raw Shrimp in Egg White Batter with Hand

Deep fry the shrimp for 2-3 minutes until puffy and crisp:

Freshly Fried Battered Shrimp Draining on Paper Towel

Deep fry the walnuts for 1 minute, then add to the shrimp, and the sauce:

Tossed Together Walnuts, Shrimp, and Sauce Shows How to Make Honey Walnut Shrimp

It’s now ready to eat with some steamed rice or fried rice:

Honey Walnut Shrimp on Platter with White Rice

Enjoy!

A plate of Honey Walnut Shrimp with Rice

Honey Walnut Shrimp

Servings: 4
Prep Time: 20 mins
Cook Time: 15 mins
Total Time: 35 mins
This Honey Walnut Shrimp is easy to make, and so much better than takeout! Shrimp are coated in a puffy egg white cornstarch batter and fried until golden, then tossed in a creamy sweet sauce and caramelized honey walnuts.
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Ingredients

For the honey walnuts:

  • 1 cup water
  • 2/3 cup sugar
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 1 cup walnuts

For the sauce:

  • 1/4 cup mayonnaise
  • 2 tbsp sweetened condensed milk
  • 1 tbsp honey
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice

For the shrimp:

  • 1 pound 26/30 shrimp shelled and deveined
  • 2 large egg whites
  • 1/4 cup cornstarch
  • steamed rice or fried rice for serving

Instructions 

  • Combine the water, sugar, honey, and walnuts in a heavy bottomed skillet. There’s no need to stir it, it will spread on its own as it heats up. Bring to a boil, and watch very carefully as the mixture first dissolves the sugar, and then starts to caramelize to an amber color. This will go from perfect to burned very quickly, so keep an eye on it, and pull it off the heat when the sugar is amber colored.
  • Remove the walnuts with a slotted spoon to a sheet of parchment paper. Set aside.
  • Whisk to combine the mayonnaise, sweetened condensed milk, honey, and lemon juice. Set aside.
  • Preheat a deep fryer to 375 degrees F.
  • First, deep fry the walnuts for 1 minute, until golden brown. Then remove to a plate.
  • Now, deep fry the shrimp. Using a handheld mixer, whip together the egg whites and cornstarch until it thickens and forms soft peaks. Dip the shrimp into the batter, then deep fry in two batches for 2-3 minutes each time, until golden brown.
  • Drain on a paper towel, then toss in the sauce. Add the honey walnuts to the mix, and serve the dish with steamed rice. Enjoy!

Nutrition

Calories: 631kcal, Carbohydrates: 59g, Protein: 30g, Fat: 32g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Cholesterol: 295mg, Sodium: 1012mg, Potassium: 281mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 48g, Vitamin A: 25IU, Vitamin C: 5.8mg, Calcium: 221mg, Iron: 3.3mg

Nutrition is estimated using a food database and is only intended to be used as a guideline for informational purposes.

Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Chinese
Author: Joanne Ozug

[Post updated with new photos, writing, and recipe modification. Originally published January 2012]