Recipe: Beer Battered Shrimp & Spicy Garlic Dipping Sauce

“The smell of shrimp is comforting.” - Lennon Parham

Growing up in the south, fried shrimp has always had a special place in my heart. I absolutely love shrimp any type of way - fried, steamed, or grilled. Frozen shrimp is something that I always keep on hand in my house, and enjoy pairing it with many dishes.

Recently, we had a get together at our home, and were left quite a few cans of beer, so my husband and I had a grand idea to make beer battered fried shrimp.

After much research, I finally came up with the most delicious, perfect, and quick recipe. Today, I’m sharing my simple recipe for beer battered fried shrimp, and a spicy garlic dipping sauce!

Golden fried beer battered shrimp.

What You’ll Need:

The Sauce

• 1 large jalapeno

• 1 cup of mayonnaise

• 1 tablespoon of lemon juice

• 4 peeled cloves of garlic

• 1 teaspoon of red wine vinegar

• 1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar

• 1 teaspoon of cracked black peppercorn

• A pinch of sea salt

Step 1: Combine all of your ingredients into a food processor, and puree all of the items until the sauce is creamy and smooth.

Pro Tip: If you like a lot of heat, add chilli pepper flakes or another jalapeno to the sauce! If spice is not your thing, then swap out the jalapeno in in exchange for a few more garlic cloves!

The Shrimp:

• 1 pound of large shrimp

• 1/2 cup of flour

• 1/2 cup of beer

• 1 teaspoon of Old Bay seasoning

• 1 teaspoon of Lemon Pepper seasoning

• A pinch of sea salt

• 1/2 teaspoon of cracked black peppercorn

• Cooking oil of your choice - Canola, Peanut, or Vegetable

Step 1: Ensure your shrimp is thawed out if it is frozen, rinse them, and begin to line up each piece of shrimp on a stack of paper towels. You’ll want to drain any excess water out of the shrimp before dipping them into the batter and frying.

Pro Tip: The batter will not stick to wet shrimp, so make sure they are very dry.

Step 2: While your shrimp is drying, begin to make your batter. Combine your flour and beer, and ensure it is a nice creamy texture - similar to pancake batter! Once the batter is nice and smooth, combine all seasonings: Old Bay, Lemon Pepper, salt, and pepper and stir to ensure they are distributed evenly throughout.

Pro Tip: If your batter is a little too thick, and a little bit more beer to batter to ensure it isn’t clumpy.

Step 3: Get your oil nice and hot! While you are waiting, begin to dip each shrimp into the batter, not going past the tail, and begin placing them into the pan/pot. It will take about 3-5 minutes for the shrimp to get nice and brown - keep your eye on them while they fry.

Pro Tip: Do not overcrowd the vessel, as the shrimp will not cook evenly, and the battered shrimp will stick together.

Step 4: As the shrimp are reaching their golden brown color, remove them from the oil, and place them on a stack of paper towels so they can drain any excess oil.

Step 5: Serve and enjoy!

Beer battered shrimp + spicy garlic dipping sauce.

XO, Analise

Home Cookin'

"I'm not a chef. But I'm passionate about food - the tradition of it, cooking it, and sharing it." - Zac Posen

You guys know I love to cook! So, I am sharing some of the recent, fun recipes we have been cooking up in our kitchen. Experimenting with different dishes, and making our favorites meals is something that I love to do. There is absolutely nothing better then trying something new and falling in love with it!

Do you like creating new meals in the kitchen? Share below!

Scallop Salad - pan seared scallops, garnished with crispy bacon, tomatoes, avocado, arugula, and a lemon olive oil dressing.

This scallop salad is absolutely one of our fave salads and it's super delicious. We love pairing this dish with a glass of Rose, and warm grilled naan!

Pan Fried Oysters - freshly shucked oysters, lightly floured, and fried paired with lemon pepper seasoned french fries. 

As you guys know, fried oysters are one of my favorite things! They are super easy to make too. Gently rinse off the oysters, and season the flour with preferred seasonings. Personally, I use lemon pepper and cayenne pepper. Dip the oysters in egg-wash (water and egg mixture) and dredge them in the seasoned flour. Then fry them in canola oil until they are crispy! I love dipping them in hot sauce - so so good!

Shrimp Salad - lemon pepper shrimp on a bed of arugula, cucumber, red onion, bacon, tomatoes, cilantro and lime and olive oil dressing. 

Much like the scallop salad, this shrimp dish is super light and fresh! I love how filling this is and all of the ingredients really blend well together.

Crispy Chicken Biscuit - panko breaded chicken breast, on a bed of arugula, spicy mayo, and avocado.

What happens when Chick-Fil-A is closed on Sunday? Well you make this awesome sandwich. G and I love spice, so I made a spicy mayo, and added some fresh veggies to brighten up this delicious chicken biscuit!

The Ultimate Nachos -tortilla chips, grilled chicken, bacon, melted and shredded pepper-jack cheese, jalapenos, pickles, peppers, spicy sour cream and fresh homemade guacamole. 

G is really obsessed with nachos and loves when I make them for him. You can make these to share with a bunch of people, or keep it all to yourself!

Cast Iron Steak & Veggies - cast iron steak paired with sauteed baby broccoli and white mushrooms. 

The perfect rib-eye, another of G's top picks to have at home. It's a new favorite for him, and the cast iron is perfect kitchen accessory to achieve the perfect sear on this steak! Fresh sauteed veggies are always a must - baby broccoli and white mushrooms are the perfect compliment to this dish.

What are some of your fave meals to make at home?

Enjoy!

XO, Analise