Beyond Panda Express! this Honey Walnut Shrimp The recipe tastes better than take out! Crunchy breaded shrimp paired with sweet honeyed walnuts and a sweet mayonnaise-honey sauce in this delightful takeout fake meal!
Have I considered running Panda Express from 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 entire Panda Express menu soon. Now let’s be honest, there is nothing authentic about Panda Express, but everything is still delicious. These are my take on Panda Express recipes, but with a healthy twist. But don’t get carried away, they are still delicious!
Why make this recipe
- A healthier swap– No fried or unnecessary ingredients. Have you ever seen what’s in Trader Joe’s Honey Walnut Shrimp? Not very pretty! We kept this version simple and delicious!
- Gluten Free + Dairy Free – This Honey Walnut Shrimp is coated in tapioca starch and eliminates dairy from the sauce to accommodate a variety of diets.
- Ready on the 20th – This recipe only takes 20 minutes to make! It really doesn’t get any faster than this.
Ingredients for honey walnut shrimp
- Walnut – Be sure to use whole raw walnuts in this recipe.
- Honey – You’ll need some to sweeten the walnuts and some to make the mayonnaise-honey sauce.
- Raw shrimp – Use raw shrimp instead of precooked shrimp! Also be sure to peel the shrimp first.
- egg white – I find you get a crispier coating if you use egg whites instead of whole eggs.
- Tapioca starch – Again, the tapioca starch gets a nice tempura style coating. If tapioca starch is not available, cornstarch can also be used.
- salt and pepper – Feel free to adjust to taste and sodium preference
- avocado oil – Avocado oil is a high smoke point oil suitable for frying. In this case, we’re just shallow frying, but we still need to use a little to get a crispy coating.
- mayonnaise – Mix with honey to make a sweet sauce. You can also add kewpie (a spicy Japanese mayonnaise) if you want!
- green onions – These are optional but add delicious flavor and pretty color!
How to Make Honey Walnut Shrimp
Step 1: Make Honey Walnuts
Preheat oven to 400°F. Mix the walnuts with 2 tablespoons honey and a pinch of salt and spread out on the parchment paper. Bake for 8-10 minutes, but watch carefully to make sure they don’t burn. Remove from oven and place on baking sheet to cool.
Step 2: Coat the shrimps
Whisk egg whites in a small bowl. In a medium shallow bowl, mix together the tapioca starch, salt, and pepper. Heat avocado oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Using your left hand, fold the shrimp into the beaten egg whites and coat to coat. Then with your right hand, place the shrimp into the tapioca starch mixture and make sure it is completely coated. Repeat this until all the shrimp are soaked in the egg white and tapioca starch mixture.
Step Three: Fried Shrimp
Add shrimp to skillet or wok and cook for 2-3 minutes on each side. Don’t overcrowd the pan or you may have to work in batches. Let the shrimp cool slightly on a wire rack while you make the sauce.
Step 4: Make Honey Mayonnaise + Serve
Mix mayonnaise and honey in a small bowl. Mix shrimp with candied walnuts and drizzle with mayonnaise. Serve with rice if desired.
FAQ + Pro Tips
Yes! You can definitely use frozen shrimp. Just be sure to thaw before cooking.
I wouldn’t recommend it. Since we’re going to fry the shrimp, we don’t want to double cook it. This will give your shrimp an unappetizing texture and flavor.
Absolutely! If you happen to be allergic or don’t have any nuts or seeds on hand, you can put any nut or seed you like into the walnuts.
Mayonnaise can easily be replaced with Greek yogurt in a 1:1 ratio.
I love the honey walnut shrimp served over rice (cauliflower rice is great too!) and garlic bok choy.
Be sure to pat the shrimp dry with paper towels first. Then make sure your shrimp are well coated with egg whites and tapioca starch. It’s also very important not to overcrowd the pan when frying or they won’t crisp up.
Storage instructions
refrigerator: Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. You can heat it on the stove top or in the microwave. The shrimp won’t be as crispy when reheated, but will still be delicious.
More shrimp recipes:
Honey Walnut Shrimp
Beyond Panda Express! This Honey Walnut Shrimp recipe tastes even better than takeout! Crunchy breaded shrimp paired with sweet honeyed walnuts and a sweet and spicy mayonnaise-honey sauce in this delightful takeout fake meal!
- Preparation time: 10 minutes
- Cooking time: 10 minutes
- Total time: 20 minutes
- yield: 4 number of copies 1x
- category: dinner
- method: chef
- gourmet food: Asian
- diet: gluten free
- 1 cup Raw whole walnuts
- 4 tablespoons Honey, divided
- 1 pound of shrimp, peeled
- 2 egg white, Stir
- 1/2 cup Tapioca starch (or cornstarch)
- 1/2 teaspoon Salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 cup avocado oil
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- Optional: chopped scallions
- Preheat oven to 400° F. Mix the walnuts with 2 tablespoons honey and a pinch of salt and spread out on the parchment paper. Bake for 8-10 minutes, but watch carefully to make sure they don’t burn. Remove from oven and place on baking sheet to cool.
- Whisk egg whites in a small bowl.
- In a medium shallow bowl, mix together the tapioca starch, salt, and pepper.
- Heat avocado oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat.
- Using your left hand, fold the shrimp into the beaten egg whites and coat to coat. Then with your right hand, place the shrimp into the tapioca starch mixture and make sure it is completely coated. Repeat this until all the shrimp are soaked in the egg white and tapioca starch mixture.
- Add shrimp to skillet or wok and cook for 2-3 minutes on each side. Don’t overcrowd the pan or you may have to work in batches. Let the shrimp cool slightly on a wire rack while you make the sauce.
- Mix mayonnaise and honey in a small bowl.
- Mix shrimps and candied walnuts, drizzle with mayonnaise-honey sauce, and sprinkle with chopped green onion. Serve with rice if desired.
