Butterfly shrimp sound fancy—like the type of appetizer you’d get at an elegant seafood restaurant. But the term butterflying isn’t fancy at all: It simply refers to slicing meat, poultry or seafood until it’s almost cut in half, creating a thinner piece with double the surface area. For fried butterfly shrimp, that means double the crispy, crunchy breading—making this one of those seafood appetizers that will definitely steal the spotlight.
If you’ve never butterflied anything before, don’t worry. All you need is a sharp paring knife to pull it off.
How to Butterfly Shrimp
This process will look very similar if you know how to butterfly chicken, just on a much smaller scale. For butterfly shrimp, we recommend starting with shell-on shrimp. You can use peeled and deveined shrimp in a pinch, but the shrimp will look cleaner if you do it yourself.
To start, remove the head (if present), legs and shell, leaving the tails intact. (For step-by-step photos, check out our guide for how to clean shrimp.) Then, position the shrimp with its back facing you. Using a paring knife, make a deep, horizontal cut along the back. Stop short of the opposite side so the two halves stay connected. If you do accidentally cut the shrimp in half, that’s OK! They will still taste great, so bread and fry them as directed, just as separate pieces.
When you’re finished, open the two halves like a book. The shrimp will look like butterfly wings. If you see an unsightly dark vein, go ahead and remove it. You should be able to pull it free of the shrimp with your fingers.
Butterfly Shrimp Ingredients
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Shell-on shrimp: You can use fresh or frozen shrimp for this recipe. Just make sure to thaw frozen shrimp before getting started.
Panko bread crumbs: Panko is a specific type of bread crumb. It’s crispier and crunchier than regular bread crumbs, adding an incredible texture to these fried butterfly shrimp.
Seasoned flour: Dredging the shrimp in all-purpose flour creates a protective layer that seals moisture inside, ensuring the shrimp turn out nice and juicy. We season the flour with salt, seafood seasoning and pepper for added flavor.
Eggs and milk: This combination helps the bread crumbs stick to the shrimp.
Oil for deep-fat frying: Use avocado or sunflower oil to impart a light sweetness to the shrimp. Using a neutral oil like canola or vegetable oil works, too. Learn more in our guide to the best oils for frying.
Optional ingredients: Serve the fried shrimp with shrimp cocktail sauce or lemon wedges, if desired.
Directions
Step 1: Butterfly the shrimp
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Peel and devein the shrimp, leaving the tails on. Butterfly each shrimp along the outside curve. Open the shrimp flat.
Step 2: Dredge
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In a shallow bowl, mix the flour, salt, seafood seasoning and pepper. In a separate shallow bowl, whisk the eggs and milk. Place the bread crumbs in a third shallow bowl.
Open the shrimp flat. Dip each shrimp in flour and coat both sides. Shake off the excess flour. Then, dip each shrimp in the egg mixture, then in the bread crumbs, patting to help it adhere.
Step 3: Fry
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In an electric skillet or deep-fat fryer, heat the oil to 375°F. Fry the shrimp in batches until golden brown, two to three minutes. Drain on paper towels. If desired, serve with cocktail sauce and lemon wedges.
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Editor’s Tip: Avoid the temptation to toss all the shrimp in at once. Overcrowding the fryer causes the oil temperature to drop, making the shrimp soggy instead of crispy.
Butterfly Shrimp Variations
Instead of breading and frying shrimp, use your butterflied shrimp in any easy shrimp recipe. The thinner shrimp will cook more quickly, so adjust the cooking time as needed for all the variations below. You’ll know when shrimp are finished cooking when they have an opaque pink color with no signs of gray. Cooked shrimp curl into a C shape and are overcooked when tightly curled into an O shape.
Sauteed butterfly shrimp: Saute butterflied shrimp in butter like we do in garlic butter shrimp. Sauteed shrimp make a yummy addition to Cajun shrimp and grits!
Stir-fried butterfly shrimp: Stir-fry butterflied shrimp with vegetables for dishes like shrimp pad Thai or easy shrimp stir-fry.
Baked butterfly shrimp: Bake butterflied shrimp in a 13×9-inch casserole dish in a 400° oven, like this roast lemon butter shrimp recipe.
Air-fried butterfly shrimp: Air-fry butterflied shrimp in a 375° air fryer to make dishes like air-fryer coconut shrimp.
Grilled butterfly shrimp: Butterflied shrimp are fantastic in grilled shrimp recipes. Because of their larger surface area, butterflied shrimp don’t need to be skewered before grilling.
Foil packet butterfly shrimp: Use butterflied shrimp in foil packet recipes like foil-packed shrimp and sausage jambalaya.
How to Store Butterfly Shrimp
Fried shrimp recipes like butterfly shrimp taste best fresh out of the fryer. If you do have leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days. To crisp up the soft breading, reheat the shrimp in a skillet, oven or air fryer instead of the microwave (which will only accentuate that soggy texture).
Butterfly Shrimp Tips
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What does it mean to butterfly shrimp?
Butterflying is a preparation technique where meat, poultry or seafood is sliced almost in half, but the two pieces remain connected. The thin halves resemble butterfly wings when they’re opened like a book. Butterflied shrimp has more surface area than regular shrimp, making it appear larger. The thinner pieces cook more quickly, too.
How do you use butterfly shrimp?
We like to serve fried butterfly shrimp with cocktail sauce and lemon wedges as a quick appetizer. To turn them into a meal, serve butterfly shrimp with sides for fried fish like coleslaw or air-fryer french fries. The crispy shrimp also taste fantastic as a protein addition to salads, pasta dishes or grain bowls.
If you want to avoid frying butterfly shrimp, try using them with another cooking method. Because these shrimp have more surface area than regular shrimp, they’re great for clinging onto sauce in saucy dishes like shrimp Creole or shrimp Alfredo.
Butterfly Shrimp
Prep Time
30 min
Cook Time
5 min
Yield
4 servings.
Ingredients
1 pound uncooked shell-on shrimp (26-30 per pound)1/2 cup all-purpose flour1 teaspoon salt1 teaspoon seafood seasoning1/2 teaspoon pepper2 large eggs1/2 cup 2% milk1 cup panko bread crumbs Oil for deep-fat fryingOptional: Seafood cocktail sauce and lemon wedges
Directions
Peel and devein shrimp, leaving the tails on. Butterfly each shrimp along the outside curve. Open shrimp flat. In a shallow bowl, mix flour, salt, seafood seasoning and pepper. In a separate shallow bowl, whisk eggs and milk. Place bread crumbs in a third shallow bowl. Open shrimp flat. Dip shrimp in flour to coat both sides; shake off excess. Dip in egg mixture, then in bread crumbs, patting to help adhere. In an electric skillet or deep-fat fryer, heat oil to 375°. Fry shrimp in batches until golden brown, 2-3 minutes. Drain on paper towels. If desired, serve with cocktail sauce and lemon wedges.
Nutrition Facts
about 7 shrimp: 295 calories, 15g fat (2g saturated fat), 182mg cholesterol, 571mg sodium, 16g carbohydrate (1g sugars, 1g fiber), 23g protein.
This refreshing, lightly seasoned, fried butterfly shrimp is easy to make and extremely versatile! Have it with a side of cocktail sauce, or serve it with steamed vegetables, rice or potatoes for a well-balanced meal. If you really want something special, place this tender, crispy shrimp on your favorite pasta! —Taste of Home Test Kitchen, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
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