If I had served these Old Bay southern fried shrimp on a platter I would’ve given them a ’10’ out of 10 possible points. But, served in a basket I would give them an ’11’. That’s because baskets make everything taste better. True story. Smash burgers? Better in a basket. Onion rings or fries? Way better in a basket. Ditto fried fish and a host of other foods. There’s something about it for me. It’s the hands-on eating experience. It just makes foods taste even better!
As easy as they were to make, these southern fried shrimp pack serious flavor thanks to one of my favorite seasonings, Old Bay. There’s no such thing as too much Old Bay for me. Make these shrimp and serve them with fries… and then sprinkle the fries with Old Bay and you’ll be happy too. The shrimp taste better with Old Bay. And so do the fries!
Tail On. Tail Off. Perfect Either Way.
I prefer to keep the tails on when I make Old Bay southern fried shrimp. I like having the handles. And I also like to think that the tails slow me down a bit. Otherwise, I’d just pop them in my mouth like popcorn and the entire basket would be gone before I knew it. The tails increase the time I have to enjoy them because they are GREAT!
Butterflied For Fun
You can also butterfly the shrimp before coating them in the batter. Since it was just me I didn’t go through the extra effort. But if I was serving these to friends or family, I would butterfly them first. Butterflying them accomplishes two things. First, it makes the shrimp look bigger. People think they are getting more. Second, there’s more surface area for batter. And more batter means more flavor. And last, they look cool!
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Also try my honey hot fried shrimp.
Old Bay Southern Fried Shrimp
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound shrimp jumbo
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 ½ tablespoons Old Bay Seasoning
- vegetable oil for frying
- cocktail Sauce for serving
Instructions
- Heat oil in a deep fryer or Dutch oven to 350 F.
- Peel and devein the shrimp, leaving the tails on if desired.
- Pour the buttermilk into a bowl.
- In a shallow dish or baking dish, combine the flour and Old Bay Seasoning.
- Working in batches, dip the shrimp in the buttermilk.
- Shake off excess then dredge in the flour mixture, coating well. Shake off the excess.
- Fry 2-3 minutes or until golden brown, removing to a paper towel-lined plate or wire rack to drain while cooking the remaining shrimp.
- Serve with cocktail sauce for dipping.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional values are approximate.
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