This easy Honey Walnut Shrimp recipe takes just 30 minutes to make! Crispy shrimp are coated in a dreamy, creamy honey sauce and topped with candied walnuts. A total showstopper and so much better than takeout!
There is something so special about this Honey Walnut Shrimp recipe. It feels extremely decadent and definitely worthy of a special occasion.
The shrimp is coated in egg and cornstarch and then lightly fried for a fabulously crispy coating and then tossed together with the candied walnuts and a sweet and tangy sauce made with just 4 ingredients. It’s better than takeout for sure!
The recipe looks complicated but it’s really not! In fact, this is definitely in our weeknight dinner rotation. We love to serve it over white or brown rice – so good!
Honey Walnut Shrimp Recipe
This recipe comes together in three steps:
- making the candied walnuts
- cooking the shrimp
- making the sauce
I like to garnish with some slice green onions for a quick pop of color and bright, fresh flavor.
Honey Walnut Shrimp Ingredients
Although I would imagine you will find the majority of these ingredients in your pantry, there are a few items here that you’re probably going to need to add to your shopping list. Let’s take a look at what you’ll need:
For the candied walnuts:
- water
- brown sugar – you can use light or dark brown sugar for this recipe (or even granulated sugar)
- walnuts – I like to get the walnut halves for this recipe, you could also use pecans instead of walnuts.
For the shrimp:
- large or extra large shrimp – you will need them raw, deveined, and peeled. You can buy them like this or do the deveining and peeling on your own. I have instructions on how to do that below.
- salt and pepper
- eggs – for dipping the eggs in
- cornstarch – to make the shrimp nice and crispy. You could also use flour here, but cornstarch isn’t as finicky as flour.
- butter – for flavor and to sauté the shrimp in
- extra virgin olive oil – additional flavor and to sauté the shrimp in
For the cooking sauce:
- miracle whip – see my notes below on using this or mayonnaise
- honey – adds a lovely sweetness to the dish. The honey can be replaced with maple syrup or agave syrup.
- heavy cream – to make the sauce nice and creamy
- soy sauce – adds a depth of flavor to the recipe
For the garnish:
- green onions – adds a pop of color and some fresh flavor
How To Make Honey Walnut Shrimp
Make Candied Walnuts
- In a saucepan, bring water and brown sugar to a boil. Mix well. Once boiling, add in walnuts and cook for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Carefully spoon out the walnuts and place them on a plate to cool off. Set aside.
For the Shrimp
- Prepare shrimp by patting them dry with a paper towel and seasoning them with the salt and pepper. Make sure all shrimp are deveined and peeled.
- In a medium sized shallow bowl, whisk eggs together until smooth.
- In another medium sized shallow bowl, place the cornstarch.
- Prepare shrimp for cooking by dipping each shrimp in the eggs, coating them completely, and then dipping them in the cornstarch. Make sure each shrimp is covered completely in cornstarch. Set aside. (I would recommend using a fork or tongs for this step.)
- Heat butter and extra virgin olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
- Place shrimp in the skillet and cook until they turn golden brown and start to curl, about 1 to 2 minutes per side. Flip shrimp and cook the other side. Turn off heat and set the skillet of shrimp aside.
Typically to know if shrimp is cooked all the way, the shrimp will turn pink and begin to curl. Because of the coating, they will turn a golden brown with a slight pink undertone.
For the sauce
- Mix together miracle whip, honey, heavy cream, and soy sauce in a bowl.
- Place the skillet of shrimp back on low-medium heat. Add the sauce mixture, stir, and cook together for 3 to 5 minutes being gentle with the shrimp so as to not remove the coating.
- Plate and top with candied walnuts and garnish with chopped green onions.
FAQs
How do I store Honey Walnut Shrimp?
If you have any leftovers, place them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.
How do I devein and peel shrimp?
You can buy peeled and deveined shrimp at the grocery story but if you want to do it yourself, it’s easy to do. Start by finding the long dark “string” along the back of the shrimp. Use your knife to pull it up and out of the “canal” that it’s resting in, starting from the head and moving towards the tail. In order to peel the shrimp, start at the top of the shrimp where the vein started. Peel back the shell and gather the shell towards the legs. Pinch the shell and legs, and gently pull it away. Pinch the tail of the shrimp and remove the shell.
Can I use mayonnaise instead of Miracle Whip?
The miracle whip can be substituted with mayonnaise, but the extra tang the miracle whip gives the sauce is something special. You don’t have to be a die hard miracle whip fan to appreciate it in this recipe.
Do I have to use cornstarch?
I really prefer cornstarch in this recipe but if you aren’t able to, you can substitute flour.
Variations To Try
I always recommend making the recipe as written the first time and then trying a different variation if you want the second time you make it. And trust me, there will be a second time ? Here are some fun variations to try:
- You can try this dish with mayonnaise instead of Miracle Whip if you don’t have it on hand. (The miracle whip gives the sauce an extra tang.)
- The walnuts can be replaced with pecans and is equally delicious.
- The honey can be replaced with maple syrup or agave syrup.
Ingredients
Candied Walnuts
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup brown sugar light or dark
- 1 ½ cups walnut halves
Shrimp
- 1 pound large shrimp raw, deveined, peeled
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 3 eggs
- ⅔ cup cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon butter salted
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Honey Sauce
- ¾ cup miracle whip or mayonnaise
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 3 tablespoons heavy cream
- ½ teaspoon soy sauce low sodium
Garnish
- green onions
- serve with white or brown rice
Instructions
Candied Walnuts
- In a saucepan, bring water and brown sugar to a boil. Mix well. Once boiling, add in walnuts and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Watch carefully to make sure the nuts and sugar do not burn.
- Once the 2 to 3 minutes are up, carefully spoon out the walnuts and place them on a plate covered in paper towel to let them cool off. Set aside.
Shrimp
- Prepare shrimp by patting them dry with a paper towel and seasoning them with the salt and pepper. (Make sure all shrimp are deveined and peeled.)
- In a medium sized shallow bowl, whisk eggs together until smooth.
- In another medium sized shallow bowl, place the cornstarch.
- Prepare shrimp for cooking by dipping each shrimp in the eggs, coating them completely, and then dipping them in the cornstarch. Make sure each shrimp is covered completely in cornstarch. Set aside. (I would recommend using a fork or tongs for this step.)
- Heat butter and extra virgin olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
- Place shrimp in the skillet and cook until they turn golden brown and start to curl, about 1-2 minutes per side. Flip shrimp and cook the other side. Turn off heat and set the skillet of shrimp aside.
Honey Sauce
- Mix together miracle whip, honey, heavy cream, and soy sauce in a bowl.
- Place the skillet of shrimp back on low-medium heat. Add the sauce mixture and gently fold in with the shrimp. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes or until the sauce is heated through.
- Plate and top with candied walnuts and garnish with chopped green onions.
Notes
- Typically to know if shrimp is cooked all the way, the shrimp will turn pink and begin to curl. Because of the coating, they will turn a golden brown with a slight pink undertone
