Fantail shrimp is a delicious appetizer - the batter is golden and crispy while the shrimp is succulent and juicy. Fantail shrimp is a fast party favorite, and it will definitely impress your guests!

Butterflied shrimp

Fantail shrimp is shrimp coated in batter and fried. The shrimp is butterflied, which means it is cut down the middle to create a “fan” effect. Once the shrimp is cut, there is more surface area which can be coated in batter and the shrimp also remains flat while being fried (instead of curling in the oil).

To make the fantail shrimp, the shrimp should be headless but otherwise intact. If you are making this recipe with fresh shrimp, deshell the shrimp completely and only leave the tail at the end.

The shrimp are butterflied, which means they are sliced through the middle of the underbelly from the top of the shrimp right down to the end of the tail. Remove the black “vein” that runs along the bottom of the shrimp. You can so do by just pulling it off and discarding it with the shell. Once you have sliced the shrimp, you should be able to lay the shrimp down flat with the shrimp spread open.

It is important to slice all the way down on the shrimp as if the shrimp isn’t sliced completely down to the tail, the shrimp will curl while being fried and the “fan” effect will be lost.

Batter

The batter for the fantail shrimp is a relatively simple with some added seasoning with garlic powder, salt and chili powder. The chili powder is completely optional, but we definitely recommend it. Before dipping the shrimp in the batter, we dip the shrimp in a coat of flour as this helps the batter stick better to the shrimp.

A key ingredient to the batter is carbonated water - it tremendously improves the overall dish. The sparkling water creates air pockets in the batter when frying which leads to a crispier, lighter texture. We highly recommend adding this bubbly water to your batter!

Can I use frozen shrimp for this recipe?

Yes! Of course, we recommend trying this out with fresh shrimp. However, frozen shrimp will work perfectly as well. If you’re using frozen shrimp, place them in hot/boiling water for 1-2 min so that they’ll thaw out, then you can follow the directions in the recipe as normal. It is a good idea to practice the butterflying technique with frozen shrimp (once thawed) since they will be a little bit cheaper.

What can I serve with fantail shrimp?

The fantail shrimp are really the star of any appetizers served. We recommend a sauce to go with your shrimp, such as:
• Sweet and sour sauce
• Sweet chili sauce
• Bang bang sauce
• Mango chutney