Give Fried Shrimp A Satisfying Crunch With This Store-Bought Ingredient (No Flour Or Batter Needed)

Fried shrimp are a tasty, poppable appetizer typically made by coating shrimp tails in batter and a crunchy coating — like cornmeal or Panko — and frying them until crispy. While these shrimp are quite tasty as is, you can easily upgrade your recipe by turning to an unexpected ingredient: wonton wrappers.

Wonton wrappers are incredibly useful and can be found in the refrigerated aisle of your grocery store with the store-made salsa, guac, and refrigerated ferments. You won't have to worry about dredging or seasoning a crispy coating or a batter for a wonton-wrapped rendition of this appetizer. Instead, you can place the marinated shrimp on the inside of an egg-washed wonton wrapper, then carefully tuck the dough around it until it's completely encased. For the crispiest wrappers, you'll want to drop the shrimp into a pot of hot oil; you only need to cook them for a few minutes until they're golden brown and crispy. 

The nice thing about this fun, wonton-wrapped rendition is that you can play with different seasonings and flavors — taking inspiration from Asian ingredients — or stick with the classic marinade and spices you'd normally use for fried shrimp. If you like things salty and flavorful, try tossing the shrimp briefly in a marinade with ingredients like soy sauce, oyster sauce, and mirin, and serving them with an Asian-inspired sweet-and-sour or spicy Thai chili dipping sauce. You can also toss the wontons in a seasoning blend after they're done cooking; Cajun flavors pair well with shrimp, as does anything in the Old Bay family. 

If you prefer something a little lighter, you can air-fry or bake your wontons. Add a light coating of egg wash for color and oil them well so that the outside crisps up. They're best served fresh, and as long as you follow our flavor-enhancing tips, a plate of them will surely be gone in no time.