Honey Walnut Shrimp (Panda Express Copycat)
Servings 6 people
This Panda Express Honey Walnut Shrimp Copycat Recipe coats crispy deep-fried tempura shrimp in a tantalizing sweet and savory sauce that's served with candied walnuts.
Ingredients
- canola oil for frying
Candied Walnuts
- ½ cup water
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup walnuts
Sauce
- ⅓ cup honey
- 1 tablespoon garlic paste
- 1 tablespoon ginger paste
- 2 teaspoon rice wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 3 tablespoon water
Shrimp
- 1 lb jumbo shrimp peeled and deveined
- 1 cup tempura flour divided
- ⅔ cup water
- ¼ cup green onions diced
Instructions
- Pour 3 inches of canola oil into a wok and heat oil to 350°F. Depending on the size of the wok this could be anywhere from 1 to 3 cups, therefore go by the depth of the canola oil rather than measuring. You will want it to be deep enough that the shrimp does not hit the bottom as it fries, but not so deep that the shrimp is completely submerged.canola oil
Candied Walnuts
- Place a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the water and sugar to the saucepan and whisk until the sugar dissolves.½ cup water, ¾ cup granulated sugar
- Add in the chopped walnuts and bring to a boil. Boil for three minutes. Remove walnuts with a slotted spoon and place them onto a wire rack-lined baking sheet to dry.½ cup walnuts
Sauce
- Place a saucepan over medium heat. Add the raw honey, garlic paste, ginger paste, rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, and water. Bring to a simmer and reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes.⅓ cup honey, 1 tablespoon garlic paste, 1 tablespoon ginger paste, 2 teaspoon rice wine vinegar, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 3 tablespoon water
Shrimp
- Toss the shrimp with 2 tablespoons of tempura flour to coat.1 lb jumbo shrimp, 1 cup tempura flour
- Then, whisk to combine the remaining tempura flour with water. Dip shrimp one at a time in tempura batter. Immediately place the shrimp into the hot oil from the batter. Fry for 4 to 5 minutes. Flip the shrimp over halfway through cooking time.1 cup tempura flour, ⅔ cup water
- Remove the shrimp from the oil with a slotted spoon and place it on a wire rack line baking sheet to allow the shrimp to crisp as the excess oil drips off.
- Toss the shrimp in the sauce. Serve over rice and carnish with green onions and candied walnuts.¼ cup green onions
Notes
- Shrimp will keep for up to 4 days in the fridge. Can also be frozen for 30 days.
- We recommend canola oil because it has a high smoke point and neutral flavor that will not distract from the dish.
- Candied walnuts are quick and easy to make and set this dish apart from the rest. Boiling the walnuts helps to soften and the sweet glaze coats the outside of each walnut. Allow them to rest on a wire rack-lined baking sheet so the walnuts will dry and the sugar coating will seal.
- The sauce will thicken as it cools. Be sure to whisk well to combine the flavors of the sauce. Once the sauce is simmering lower the heat to low and let thicken and simmer as the shrimp are fried.
- Allow the batter to drip off for only a few seconds before adding to the oil. Tossing the shrimp in a small amount of tempura flour will help the batter to stick better to the shrimp. Don't hold the battered shrimp over the batter for too long or the breading will be too thin by the time it is fried. It may be a bit messy but it will taste much better if it has a thicker breading. The tempura will be crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside. Once the breading is golden brown it is time to remove it from the oil. We worked in batches, the first batch took 5 minutes total while the second was ready in 4 due to the amount of time the oil had been heating as well as the amount of oil in the wok decreasing from the first batch.
- The wire rack allows the air to circulate around the breading so it will dry crispy instead of soaking in the oil if left on a solid surface.
Nutrition
Calories: 353kcal | Carbohydrates: 60g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 95mg | Sodium: 651mg | Potassium: 167mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 41g | Vitamin A: 180IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 62mg | Iron: 1mg
Find it online: www.sugarandsoul.co/honey-walnut-shrimp/