Move over Panda Express! This Honey Walnut Shrimp recipe tastes even better than takeout! Crunchy, breaded shrimp is paired with sweet honey-glazed walnuts with a sweet mayo-honey sauce in this delightful takeout-fakeout meal!
Have I considered just operating a Panda Express out of my kitchen? Yes, yes I have. Between this Kung Pao Chicken Recipe, Chow Mein Recipe and Firecracker Shrimp Recipe I feel like I’m going to have the complete Panda Express menu down ASAP. Now let’s be honest, there’s nothing authentic about Panda Express but everything still tastes delicious. These are all my takes on Panda Express recipes but with a healthful-twist. Don’t get it twisted though, they’re all still so delicious!
Why Make This Recipe
- Healthier swaps– no deep-frying or unnecessary ingredients. Have you seen what’s in Trader Joe’s honey walnut shrimp? It ain’t pretty! We’re keeping this version simple and delicious!
- Gluten-free + Dairy-free – with a tapioca starch coating and eliminating the dairy from the sauce, this honey walnut shrimp is inclusive of many diets.
- Ready in 20 – this recipe comes together in 20 minutes! It seriously doesn’t get any faster than that.
Ingredients in Honey Walnut Shrimp
- Walnuts – be sure to use whole raw walnuts in this recipe.
- Honey – you need some for candying the walnuts and some for the mayo-honey sauce.
- Raw shrimp – use raw shrimp and not pre-cooked shrimp! Also be sure to peel your shrimp first.
- Egg whites – I find a crispier coating is achieved if you use egg whites rather than the whole egg.
- Tapioca starch – Again, tapioca starch gets that nice tempura style coating. If you don’t have tapioca starch you can use cornstarch.
- Salt and pepper – feel free to adjust based on taste and sodium preferences
- Avocado oil – avocado oil is a high smoke point oil that is good for frying. In this case we’re just doing a shallow fry but we still need to use a bit to get that crispy coating.
- Mayonnaise – for mixing with the honey to make a sweet sauce. You could also sub in kewpie (a Japanese spicy mayo) too if you’d like!
- Green onions – these are optional but add nice flavor and pretty color!
How to Make Honey Walnut Shrimp
STEP 1: MAKE HONEY WALNUTS
Preheat the oven to 400° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Toss the walnuts with 2 tbsp honey and a pinch of salt and spread out on parchment paper. Bake for 8-10 minutes but watch carefully to ensure they don’t burn. Remove from oven and allow to cool on baking sheet.
STEP 2: COAT SHRIMP
In a small bowl whisk your egg whites. In a medium shallow bowl combine tapioca starch, salt and pepper and mix to combine. In a large skillet or wok heat your avocado oil over medium-high heat. Using your left hand place shrimp in whisked egg whites and coat to combine. Then place the shrimp in the tapioca starch mixture using your right hand and make sure it’s fully coated. Repeat until all shrimp has been dipped in both egg white and tapioca starch mixture.
STEP 3: FRY SHRIMP
Add your shrimp to your skillet or wok and cook for 2-3 minutes per side. Do not overcrowd your pan so you may have to work in batches. Allow shrimp to cool slightly on a wire rack while you make your sauce.
STEP 4: MAKE HONEY MAYO + SERVE
In a small bowl combine mayo and honey. Combine shrimp and candied walnuts and drizzle with mayo-honey sauce. Serve over rice, if desired.
FAQs + Pro Tips
Yes! You can definitely use frozen shrimp. Just be sure to thaw before cooking.
I would not recommend it. Since we’re frying the shrimp we don’t want to double cook it. This will give your shrimp an unappetizing texture and flavor.
Absolutely! You can sub in any preferred nut or seed for walnuts if you happen to be allergic or don’t have any on hand.
Mayonnaise can easily be substituted with Greek yogurt in a 1:1 ratio.
I like to serve my honey walnut shrimp over a bed of rice (cauliflower rice also works great!) and a side of garlicky bok choy.
First be sure to pat your shrimp dry with some paper towel. Then ensure that your shrimp is well coated with both egg white and tapioca starch. It’s also super important that you don’t overcrowd your pan while frying otherwise they won’t crisp up.
Storage Instructions
Fridge: Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. You can reheat on the stove top or in microwave. Shrimp won’t be as crispy after re-heating but it will still be delicious.
More Shrimp Recipes:
Honey Walnut Shrimp
Move over Panda Express! This Honey Walnut Shrimp recipe tastes even better than takeout! Crunchy, breaded shrimp is paired with sweet honey-glazed walnuts with a sweet and spicy mayo-honey sauce in this delightful takeout-fakeout meal!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Cook
- Cuisine: Asian
- Diet: Gluten Free
- 1 cup raw whole walnuts
- 4 tbsp honey, divided
- 1 lb raw shrimp, peeled
- 2 egg whites, whisked
- 1/2 cup tapioca starch (or cornstarch)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 cup avocado oil
- 1/2 cup mayo
- Optional: Chopped green onions
- Preheat the oven to 400° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Toss the walnuts with 2 tbsp honey and a pinch of salt and spread out on parchment paper. Bake for 8-10 minutes but watch carefully to ensure they don’t burn. Remove from oven and allow to cool on baking sheet.
- In a small bowl whisk your egg whites.
- In a medium shallow bowl combine tapioca starch, salt and pepper and mix to combine.
- In a large skillet or wok heat your avocado oil over medium-high heat.
- Using your left hand place shrimp in whisked egg whites and coat to combine. Then place the shrimp in the tapioca starch mixture using your right hand and make sure it’s fully coated. Repeat until all shrimp has been dipped in both egg white and tapioca starch mixture.
- Add your shrimp to your skillet or wok and cook for 2-3 minutes per side. Do not overcrowd your pan so you may have to work in batches. Allow shrimp to cool slightly on a wire rack while you make your sauce.
- In a small bowl combine mayo and honey.
- Combine shrimp and candied walnuts and drizzle with mayo-honey sauce and sprinkle with green onions. Serve over rice, if desired.
