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    Home » Recipes » Dairy-Free

    Updated: Apr 24, 2023 by Marc · 6 Comments

    Ebi Fry (Japanese Fried Shrimp)

    With ultra-crispy panko surrounding plump juicy shrimp, I've developed several techniques for making the best Ebi Fry (エビフライ) or Japanese fried shrimp that I'm going to show you in this recipe.
    Recipe Video Pin
    With plump shrimp encased in a cracklingly crisp panko crust, this Ebi Fry, or Japanese fried shrimp, is easy but insanely good!

    Ebi Fry (エビフライ)

    Ebi Fry, or panko fried shrimp, is a dish beloved by children across Japan, and it's often included as an option for teishoku meal sets and bento box lunches. To be perfectly honest, I never really cared much for Ebi Fry, but while testing different techniques to develop this recipe, I found a winning combination that produces plump, juicy fried shrimp with the perfect ratio of ultra-crispy crust. Here are my tricks for the best Ebi Fry!

    Table of contents

    • Ebi Fry (エビフライ)
    • Why This Recipe Works?
    • Ingredients for Ebi Fry
    • How to Clean and Prepare the Shrimp
    • How to Make Ebi Fry
    • Other Shrimp Recipes
    • FAQ

    Why This Recipe Works?

    • Dry brining the shrimp with baking soda and salt before washing it not only firms up the shrimp's texture it also eliminates any unpleasant shrimpy odors. 
    • Coating the shrimp with batter before the panko ensures a nice thick, crispy crust that doesn't go soggy very quickly. It's also more foolproof than the usual 3-step flour/egg/panko process as it's harder to end up with bald spots.
    • Cutting small slits into the shrimp's belly and giving its backside a massage keeps them from curling up when you fry them. 
    • Scraping out the liquid inside the tails prevents them from bursting in the hot oil when you fry them. 
    Ultra-crispy panko shrimp or Ebi Fry is a staple in Japanese homes, and it's super easy to prepare.

    Ingredients for Ebi Fry

    • Shrimp - Because the batter coating method results in a thicker crust, I recommend using the largest shrimp you can find to ensure you get a good ratio of crust to shrimp. I used 13/15 black tiger, which means there were 13 to 15 shrimp per pound. These can also be labeled "colossal".
    • Dry Brine - For the dry brine, I like using a combination of baking soda and salt. The baking soda firms up the texture of the shrimp while deodorizing it. The salt seasons the shrimp while drawing out excess moisture from the shrimp. 
    • Batter - The batter is a combination of egg, water, and flour. Because the size of every egg differs, you may need to add more water or flour to get the right consistency.
    • Panko - I've used fresh panko, which you can make by removing the crusts from stale sandwich bread, tearing it into pieces, and pulsing them in a food processor until you have some shaggy breadcrumbs. Dried panko from the store will also work. 

    How to Clean and Prepare the Shrimp

    The first thing you need to do is peel and devein the shrimp, I have a detailed tutorial on cleaning shrimp, but there are a few differences for this recipe. The main one is that you want to leave the last segment of the shell and the tail on. This is not only decorative; it gives you something to hang onto when you batter and bread the shrimp. Because we leave the tail on, it's important to remove the telson (the sharp spike in the center of the tail) as it tends to burst when you put the shrimp in the hot oil. 

    Then you can work the baking soda and salt into the shrimp using your hand. Let this rest for a few minutes, and then rinse the shrimp thoroughly until the water runs clear. Drain the shrimp well and use paper towels to dry it off. 

    Straightening shrimp for making ebi fry so that they don't curl.

    To prevent the shrimp from curling, you can make 4-5 slits into each shrimp's underside at a 45-degree angle. Then, flip them over and press on the backside with your fingers. You should hear a popping noise as the muscle fibers separate but don't go overboard here, or the shrimp will turn to mush. 

    Preparing shrimp for ebi fry.

    Finally, you'll want to use a knife to scrape out any water in the tail. This also creates an opening at the tail tips that will allow steam to escape so they don't explode when you fry them.

    Scraping out the water form the tail of shrimp to prevent them from popping when fried.

    How to Make Ebi Fry

    Whisk the egg and water together in a bowl until uniform in color. Add the flour and whisk until the batter is free of lumps. I recommend mixing the batter before you prepare the shrimp, as this gives the gluten in the batter a chance to relax. 

    Preheat a heavy-bottomed pot with 2-inches of oil to 340 degrees F (170 C). 

    Grab a shrimp by its tail and dip the shelled part into the batter to coat it evenly. Let the excess batter drip off, and then transfer the shrimp onto the panko. 

    Cover the shrimp with panko and then press on it gently to ensure the breadcrumbs adhere well to the shrimp. Repeat the battering and breading steps with the rest of the shrimp. 

    When the oil is up to temperature, fry the shrimp until the panko is golden brown, flipping them over once in the middle (this took a total of 3 minutes for my shrimp). If your shrimp are smaller, you will want to fry them for a shorter amount of time. 

    Drain the shrimp on a paper towel-lined rack for a minute and serve with shredded cabbage and tartar sauce or tonkatsu sauce. 

    Japanese panko fried shrimp or Ebi Fry is an easy homecooked meal that can be taken to the next level with a few easy techniques.

    Other Shrimp Recipes

    • Chawanmushi
    • Shrimp Shumai
    • Shrimp Fried Rice
    • Ebi Chili (Chili Shrimp)

    FAQ

    What is Ebi Fry?

    Ebi Fry is a Japanese fried shrimp dish made by breading shrimp with panko and deep-frying it. Although it's considered a yōshoku (western cuisine) dish, it's a popular home-cooked meal in Japan, reflected in pop culture references in manga and anime. Other yōshoku foods include Korokke, Hayashi Rice, and Tonkatsu.

    How do you pronounce Ebi Fry?

    "Ebi" is a two-syllable word, and "fry" is a three-syllable word when pronounced in Japanese as follows:

    e like enter
    bi like beef
    hu like who
    ra the “ra” sound does not exist in the English language, and the best way to make it is to say the word "romp" with the tip of your tongue at the front of your mouth. 
    i like even

    Why is it called Ebi Fry and not Ebi Katsu?

    "Katsu" is a transliteration of the English word "cutlet." Since shrimp isn't a cutlet, it's not katsu. That being said, there is a dish called Ebi Katsu that is made by turning the shrimp into a paste and shaping it into a cutlet before breading and deep-frying it.

    What do I serve with Japanese fried Shrimp?

    In addition to rice and miso soup, Ebi Fry is usually served with sides such as shredded cabbage, Japanese potato salad, or macaroni salad. It can also be served with Japanese curry.

    What can I do with leftover Ebi Fry?

    Once it has cooled completely, you can store it on paper towels in a sealed container in the refrigerator. Ebi Fry is great packed into a bento box lunch, and it can be used as a filling for sandwiches. You can also prepare a donburi with it similar to katsudon.

    Is it possible to make my own panko?

    Yes, just cut the crusts off of stale sandwich bread and tear it into small pieces. Then you can put these in a food processor and pulse until you have breadcrumbs of the desired size. I usually tend to make them much larger than the packaged panko you can buy. If you don't have a food processor, you can tear it into breadcrumbs with your hands, but this will take a very long time.

    📖 Recipe

    Ebi Fry is a Japanese fried shrimp that's coated in a ultra-crisp layer of panko breakcrumbs.

    Ebi Fry (Panko Shrimp)

    4.60 from 5 votes
    Print Pin Discuss
    Prep Time 15 minutes mins
    Cook Time 10 minutes mins
    Total Time 25 minutes mins
    Yield 3 servings

    Units

    Ingredients 

    • 1 egg
    • 2 tablespoons water
    • 40 grams all-purpose flour (~⅓ US cup)
    • 400 grams shrimp (I used 13/15 sized black tiger)
    • ½ teaspoon baking soda
    • ¼ teaspoon salt
    • 2 cups panko

    Instructions

    • To make the batter, crack the egg into a bowl and add the water. Whisk until uniform in color.
      Whisking egg and water together in a glass bowl to make batter for ebi fry.
    • Add the flour and whisk until smooth and free of lumps. Let the batter rest while you prepare the shrimp.
      Whisking batter for Japanese Fried Shrimp
    • See the instructions in the headnotes for cleaning and preparing the shrimp.
    • Preheat a heavy-bottomed pot with two inches of oil to 340 F (170C). Prepare a cooling rack lined with 3 sheets of paper towels.
    • Dip the shrimp in the batter, let the excess batter drip off.
      Battering shrimp for Ebi Fry.
    • Set the shrimp onto the bed of panko. Cover the top of the shrimp with more panko and then give it a light press to make sure the breadcrumbs stick to the shrimp. Repeat with the remaining shrimp.
      Pressing panko onto shrimp with hands.
    • Fry the shrimp without overcrowding the oil until they are golden brown. Flip them over part of the way through to ensure they brown evenly. This took about three minutes for my shrimp, but it may take more or less time depending on your shrimp's size.
      Frying Panko Shrimp in oil.
    • Drain the shrimp on the prepared rack and let it cool for one minute before serving.
      Ebi Fry or Panko fried shrimp draining on paper towels after being fried.
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    Nutrition

    Calories 361kcalCarbohydrates 39gProtein 36gFat 5gSaturated Fat 1gTrans Fat 1gCholesterol 391mgSodium 1727mgPotassium 220mgFiber 2gSugar 3gVitamin A 79IUVitamin C 5mgCalcium 277mgIron 6mg

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Larry says

      March 09, 2021 at 7:49 pm

      This looks excellent Marc so very pleased you quoted exactly the size of shrimp you ae using other than Large or Medium which mean absolutely nothing. I have some Cold Water Argentinian (FAS) same size as the Tiger you used. Your detail is excellent!

      Reply
      • Marc Matsumoto says

        March 09, 2021 at 10:11 pm

        Hi Larry, I haven't historically specified a size aside from the admittedly vague s/m/l but will try and specify in standardized sizes going forward! Thanks for the feedback!

        Reply
    2. C McBrayer says

      July 31, 2022 at 8:52 am

      I made these for dinner tonight. Also made a peach habanero dipping sauce. These were absolutely delicious. Made coleslaw with a cilantro citrus aioli and tempura green beans. Great meal and not too difficult.

      Reply
      • Marc Matsumoto says

        August 01, 2022 at 3:28 pm

        I'm so happy to hear you enjoyed this! Great idea on the peach habanero sauce, shrimp goes so well with sweet and spicy tastes.

        Reply
    3. GT says

      January 07, 2023 at 10:29 am

      Where does the baking soda come in?

      Reply
      • Marc Matsumoto says

        January 07, 2023 at 12:43 pm

        Please read the explanation in the headnotes. There's an anchor link in step 3.

        Reply

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    Hi, I'm Marc Matsumoto, a retired chef living in Tokyo, and I founded No Recipes to empower home cooks of all levels by sharing essential techniques and my kitchen secrets.

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    Start Here →

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