Crispy Beer Battered Shrimp is golden, light, and full of flavor. Ready in just about 30 minutes, it’s perfect for weeknights, parties, or summer dinners.
Shrimp is absolutely my favorite food, if you can’t tell by the number of shrimp recipes on this site!
Golden, crispy, and full of flavor, this Beer Battered Shrimp recipe is inspired by a version that I grew up eating as a kid. It’s a quick, crowd-pleasing favorite that brings the flavors of a coastal restaurant right to your kitchen.
Since it’s ready in just about 30 minutes and it’s made for sharing, this dish is perfect for busy weeknights, summer cookouts, or game-day snacks.
A cold beer mixed into the batter makes all the difference. It adds lightness and a subtle malt flavor that pairs beautifully with the shrimp’s natural sweetness. The result? A golden crust that’s both crisp and delicate.
Fresh from the fryer, these shrimp smell incredible. Serve them hot with lemon wedges and your favorite dipping sauce.
Hope you love them as much as we do!
Table of Contents
Why you’ll love this family favorite recipe!
Some reasons why we love this dish and think you will, too:
- It’s quick to make and ready in under 30 minutes.
- Crunchy outside, tender inside, every bite of this beer battered shrimp is perfection.
- Uses simple pantry staples for ingredients.
- This is a great dish to serve at family dinners, parties, or casual weekend meals.
- It’s absolutely delicious with endless dipping sauce options.
Ingredient notes
A few notes about the ingredients you’ll need to make this recipe:
- Shrimp: Use large raw shrimp, peeled and deveined. You can leave tails on or off. . Fresh or thawed frozen shrimp both work well.
- Beer: A light lager or pilsner keeps the batter airy and crisp. Avoid dark beers, which can make the coating heavy.
- Flour: Ensures a crisp, golden finish.
- Egg: This adds some oomph to the batter. You can leave it out if you prefer a lighter batter.
- Seasonings: Salt, paprika, garlic powder, and a little black pepper add depth and flavor.
- Oil: Use a neutral, high-heat oil like vegetable for frying.
Step-by-step instructions
You’ll find the full list of ingredients along with measurements, and more detailed instructions in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post. Here are some step-by-step photos to help show you how easy it is to make beer battered shrimp at home!
- Whisk together the dry ingredients.
- Add the egg.
- Slowly pour in the beer while whisking.
- Whisk just until all of the dry ingredients are no longer visible and the beer is well incorporated, but be careful not to overmix.
5. Heat about 3-inches of cooking oil in a Dutch oven or other large pot for frying.
6. Dredge the shrimp into the beer batter.
7. Gently shake off excess batter back into the bowl.
8. Slowly lower each battered shrimp into the heated oil, cooking in small batches. Take care not to overcrowd the pan so that each shrimp can fry up properly.
9. Once shrimp is cooked and batter is golden brown, lift the shrimp out.
10. Transfer cooked shrimp onto a wire rack to slightly cool down.
Marlynn’s Tip
Recipe Tips
- I find that using chopsticks to dredge the shrimp helps keep as much of the batter on the shrimp.
- I usually cook about 5-6 shrimp at a time in a 4-quart Dutch oven. This gives each shrimp plenty of room around for the oil to fry up the shrimp evenly.
- Using a wire rack to allow the shrimp to cool while continuing to cook the remaining shrimp keeps the batter crispy. Do not use paper towels, as they contribute to soggy shrimp.
Recipe FAQs
Yes! Non-alcoholic beer works just as well and gives the same light texture.
While you can, frying gives the best crispness. If you want to bake them, you can bake them at 425°F for about 12–15 minutes, flipping halfway through.
Place cooked shrimp on a wire rack instead of paper towels to prevent sogginess.
Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Reheat in an air fryer or hot oven for a few minutes to restore the crunch. Avoid microwaving, as they’ll likely turn rubbery.
Serving suggestions
Beer battered shrimp are incredibly versatile. Serve them with a squeeze of lemon for brightness. Then try one of these serving suggestions:
- With a side of homemade dairy-free ranch dressing, honey mustard sauce, sweet chili dipping sauce, or Buffalo ranch sauce.
- On a toasted bun with slaw for shrimp po’boys.
- With Asian carrot cucumber salad or cucumber dill salad for a lighter meal.
- Alongside herby potatoes or air fryer onion rings for a seafood-style platter.
- With charred corn salad, Asian slaw, or pineapple mango salsa for a summer cookout spread.
- Over curry chicken fried rice or Instant Pot garlic mashed potatoes for a comforting dinner.
This Beer Battered Shrimp recipe is comfort food at its best. It’s crispy, flavorful, and made for sharing. Enjoy!
🍷 🥂 Wine pairings
Albariño: This Spanish white wine has zesty acidity and notes of citrus and stone fruit that complement the shrimp’s sweetness and cut through the fried coating.
Chablis: A crisp, unoaked Chardonnay from Burgundy offers bright minerality and a clean finish that pairs beautifully with the light, golden batter and briny shrimp.
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Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to leave a 5-Star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 rating in the recipe card, and if you really loved it, please leave a comment further down on the page. Thank you!
Beer Battered Shrimp
Equipment
- 1 pair chopsticks
Ingredients
- 1 pound large shrimp, deveined and tails off
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 Tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 Tablespoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 large egg
- 12 ounces beer, lager or a light beer works well
- vegetable oil for frying
Instructions
- Heat approximately 3 inches of oil in a Dutch oven to 365°F. Place a wire rack over a baking sheet and set aside. Meanwhile, make the batter.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, garlic powder, paprika, salt and pepper.
- Add the egg and mix it into the dry ingredients.
- Slowly add the beer in while whisking to incorporate the beer into the batter at the same time. Whisk until completely incorporated and there are no dry ingredients visible.
- Using chopsticks, dip the shrimp into the batter.
- Carefully lower the shrimp one at a time into the hot oil. Fry about 5-7 at a time so that there is room around each shrimp as it fries, depending on how large your Dutch oven is.
- Using a slotted spoon or a spider, carefully turn each shrimp over about 1 minute after frying. Fry for another 1-2 minutes, just until the batter is golden brown and a thermometer inserted into the shrimp meat reads 145°F.
- Use the spider or slotted spoon to remove the cooked battered shrimp from the oil and place onto the prepared wire rack over a baking sheet.
- Repeat until you've cooked all of the shrimp. Serve immediately with lemon wedges, garnish with chopped parsley (optional), and serve with your favorite dipping sauce.
Notes
- Be sure to dry the shrimp first with paper towels.
- You can substitute Old Bay seasoning for the paprika
- Use tongs if you don’t have chopsticks.
- Do not place hot cooked battered shrimp onto paper towels as they can become soggy. The best way to allow hot cooked battered shrimp to cool off a bit is to place them on a wire rack over a baking sheet. This allows the air to circulate all around the shrimp and keeps them crispy.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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