Homemade Popcorn Shrimp Recipe With Easy Tartar Sauce

  By Trina Morgan, Fashion, Beauty, and Lifestyle Blogger

This homemade popcorn shrimp recipe and homemade tartar sauce is my most favorite snack! This snack is great for movie night for one or for the whole family. Hot, crunchy, with juicy, tasty insides will have your mouth watering!. With the seasons I added to this deliciousness, taste like buttery goodness even though there is no butter. 

The tartar sauce is really easy to make and I think it tastes better than the store bought kind, because the store brand is bland. Mine is way more tastier, with a bit of tang from the pickle juice, and pairs so well with fried shrimp.

 First, you will want to prepare your Tartar sauce and then put away in the refrigerator to keep it cold and fresh; of course, if you want, you can have it at room temperature. Looking at the pile of hot, crunchy popcorn shrimp and that pretty golden color is like a feast for the eyes lol! I make mine at home when I don't want to buy any from a restaurant. And I know what all goes into it, and hey, I think mine tastes way better.

Homemade Tartar Sauce Recipe

2 big Tablespoons of mayo- Any brand.

1/4 of an Onion, I use Yellow onion

A few dill pickle slices or half of a small pickle

A squirt or two of Mustard

In a small bowl, add the mayo. Finely chop your onion and pickles, then the mustard and a swig or two of pickle juice. You can add a squeeze of lemon if you don’t want pickle juice. I only use pickle juice because I didn’t have a lemon on hand.

Mix all the ingredients and give it a taste to see if you need to adjust it. If you need more tang, add a little more pickle juice or more mustard if you want more bite. Sitting it in the refrigerator gives it time to blend together and taste better by the time the shrimp are ready. I like my homemade tartar sauce with fish and fries for dipping, and sometimes when I make a fish sandwich, just pile it on, it's so delicious! Double up ingredients if you want a bigger bowl for family.

Homemade Popcorn Shrimp Recipe Ingredients

1 bag Medium raw frozen shrimp, thawed and peeled

1/2 Cup All Purpose Flour

1 Tbs Chicken Rub Season (or your favorite season)

1/2 Tsp Garlic Salt

1/2 Cup plus 4 Tsps. Of Water

1 Medium Egg

2 to 3 Cups Of Virgin Olive Oil for frying

You will need two small bowls. One for the shrimp and one for the batter you will be making. Before you get started, make sure the shrimp are patted dry with a paper towel, so you get a good coating that stays on while it fries.

Your Dry Ingredients + Egg

In the bowl, add your flour, chicken rub, garlic salt, egg, and water. Mix until you get a thick pancake batter. Set it aside. The batter should always be thick and not runny, so it holds on to the shrimp instead of sliding off.

Batter Seasoned Shrimp

Sprinkle a few dashes of chicken rub on the shrimp and blend together. You will not need much.

Coated Shrimp

Pour the batter into the shrimp and mix with your hand until the shrimp is all coated. Pour out excess batter, then add some extra flour on the shrimp, maybe about a 1/2 cup. Mix together until well coated.

How To Fry Popcorn Shrimp

Use a medium pot for your olive oil and set the stove dial on low/medium. It doesn't take olive oil long to heat up. Keep a close eye on it so it doesn't get too hot and start smoking. A good way to check is to drop one shrimp in first. If it sizzles right away, the oil is ready. Drop in your shrimp one by one in the heated oil. You will have to drop in another round once the first round is done.

Do not crowd the pot, because adding too many will cool the oil down and keep the shrimp from getting crispy. You will have to flip the shrimp to the other side to cook. They are done when they are a golden brown color and the shrimp floats. Place on a few paper towels to drain off the excess oil. You are now ready to eat them with your homemade tartar sauce. Eat them right away while they are hot and crunchy. If you give this recipe a try, I would love to hear how they turned out.

Thanks so much for reading and supporting my post, and I hope you enjoyed it.

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