Honey Walnut Shrimp (Panda Express Copycat)

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Light and crispy battered shrimp are quickly fried and then tossed in a sweet and creamy sauce with candied walnuts. Restaurant quality in minutes!

I love making restaurant copycat dishes at home... especially since our favorite local Chinese restaurant closed and we haven't found a safe alternative. Honey Walnut Shrimp is a standard dish on most Chinese restaurant menus - and a popular one at Panda Express - and it's absolutely my favorite. The batter is always light and crunchy and the sauce is addictive. Top it off with candied nuts and what could go wrong?

The key to your success in mastering the Chinese restaurant batter is rice flour. It does something magical to your batter making it adhere perfectly to the shrimp and fry up quickly and perfectly. Plus, it's naturally gluten free!

This is one of our top favorite recipes, and I can never seem to make enough. It'll be a family favorite in your house, too!

I first shared this recipe 4 years ago and it deserved an update and new photo!

Honey Walnut Shrimp

1 cup water

2/3 cup white sugar

1/2 cup walnut (whole or pieces)

4 egg whites

2/3 cup rice flour

1 pound large shrimp, peeled, deveined, and tails removed - don't pat dry

1/4 cup mayonnaise (not Miracle Whip)

2 tablespoons honey

1 tablespoon canned sweetened condensed milk

1 cup vegetable oil, for frying

Combine the water and sugar together in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and add the walnuts. Boil for 2 minutes, drain, and spread walnuts out on a cookie sheet to dry.

Whip egg whites in a medium mixing bowl until foamy. Stir in the rice flour (it should be pasty in consistency). 

Heat the oil in a heavy deep skillet over medium-high heat. One hot enough to fry, dip each shrimp in the batter and then fry until golden brown, about 5 minutes total. Remove to a plate lined with paper towels using a slotted spoon. 

In a large mixing bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, honey, and sweetened condensed milk. Add the shrimp and gently toss in the sauce. Sprinkle the candied walnuts on top. 

Source: adapted from All Recipes