Fried Shrimp Balls – Dim Sum Classic (VIDEO)
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Super crispy Fried Shrimp Balls are a popular Chinese dim sum dish – the juicy and tender shrimp filling is covered in sliced spring roll wrapper strips and golden fried to perfection! Serve with homemade Thai Sweet Chili Sauce or Sweet and Sour Sauce!
Watch the Fried Shrimp Balls Recipe Video!
A Note from CJ
Make Fried Shrimp Balls at home!
I grew up eating dim sum every weekend with my grandparents – but for those who aren’t lucky enough to live close to a dim sum restaurant, I developed these recipes so you can recreate it at home! Serve these crispy Fried Shrimp Balls alongside dim sum classics like Siu Mai, Gai Lan, Congee, Egg Fried Rice, Soy Sauce Pan Fried Noodles, Egg Rolls, and Wontons!
Love these and they are not as difficult to make as I thought. Easy to follow directions. Deliciousness!!!
Ingredient Tips
- shrimp – use raw shrimp that has been peeled and deveined in any size. Do not use cooked shrimp; if using frozen, thaw and pat dry of any moisture. I recommend chopping the shrimp by hand (vs. using a food processor) – this allows you to control the size of the shrimp and leave some larger pieces for a better mouthfeel.
- Shaoxing wine – Shaoxing wine is a Chinese cooking wine and a staple in my pantry. If you can’t use it, substitute with chicken stock.
- cornstarch – this is to bind the shrimp paste and seasonings together. You can also use potato starch.
- spring roll wrappers, cut into strips – You must use spring roll pastry sheets are essential to get the thin crispy texture! I used the brand Spring Home. Do not use wonton wrappers, as they won’t be long enough!
How to Make Fried Shrimp Balls
Mix the Shrimp Paste and Cut The Pastry – Combine the shrimp, garlic, white pepper, salt, soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil, shaoxing wine, cornstarch, and neutral oil in a bowl, mixing in one direction until the mixture becomes a smooth paste. Chill it in the freezer for 20 minutes to firm up. Meanwhile, separate the spring roll pastry sheets, stack them in groups of four, roll them loosely, and slice into ¼-inch strips. Unravel the strips onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, repeating until all sheets are cut.
Form and Fry The Shrimp Balls – Wet your hands and roll heaping tablespoons of the chilled shrimp mixture into balls, then place each ball onto the pastry strips and completely cover it, trimming any long pieces so the coating sits close to the shrimp. Fry the wrapped shrimp balls in 350°F oil for 4–5 minutes until crisp and golden. Serve hot with sweet-and-sour sauce or Thai sweet chili sauce and enjoy!
PRO TIPS
CJ’s Recipe & Storage Tips
Chill the Mixture – After mixing, refrigerate the mixture for at least 30 minutes. Not only does this allow the flavors to meld but more importantly, it’s much easier to form the shrimp balls when the mixture is cold (otherwise they may break).
Frying Tips – Heat the frying oil to the right temperature of 350F (175°C). Use a thermometer to monitor the temperature, as this ensures crispy and evenly cooked shrimp balls. Avoid overcrowding the frying pan. Fry the shrimp balls in batches to maintain the oil temperature and ensure they cook evenly. After frying, place the shrimp balls on a plate lined with paper towels to remove excess oil and keep them crispy.
Storage and Reheating – Store any leftover Fried Shrimp Balls in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. They will soften in the refrigerator – this is normal and expected of fried foods. Reheat in the air fryer at 375 for 6-8 minutes or until warmed through; if you don’t care about restoring crispiness, you can also reheat in the microwave until warmed through.
If you tried this Fried Shrimp Balls or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below!
Fried Shrimp Balls (Dim Sum Classic)
Ingredients
- 1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined, finely chopped into a paste
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- ¼ teaspoon white pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ tablespoon light soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- ½ teaspoon sesame oil
- ½ tablespoon Shaoxing wine
- 1 ½ tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon neutral oil
- 12 sheets spring roll pastry, cut into strips (I use and recommend Spring Roll Pastry the brand Spring Home – NOTE: Do NOT use wonton wrappers as they will be too thick / won't have the proper length!)
- 1 quart Neutral oil for frying
Sauces For Dipping
- Sweet and Sour Sauce, for serving (try my homemade recipe!)
- Thai Sweet Chili Sauce, for serving (try my homemade recipe!)
Instructions
- In a bowl, combine the shrimp, garlic, white pepper, salt, light soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil, shaoxing wine, cornstarch, and neutral oil. Mix in one direction until a paste forms. Chill the mixture for 20 minutes in the freezer to firm up the paste.
- Separate the spring roll pastry sheets into individual sheets. Stack 4 pastry sheets on top of each other and roll them into a loose log. Cut the spring roll pastry sheets into ¼” strips. Separate the pastry strips and unravel them so they lay flat on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining sheets.
- Remove the filling from the freezer. Wet your hands with water then roll a heaping tablespoon of the shrimp mixture into a ball. Place the ball on the spring roll strips and cover the entire ball until fully coated. Use a knife or kitchen scissors to cut any oblong strips so that the ends of the strips are close to the ball.
- In a large pan or wok, heat neutral oil to 350F and fry in batches for 4-5 minutes until golden brown. Serve with sweet and sour or thai sweet chili sauce and enjoy!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This Dim Sum Fried Shrimp Ball recipe was originally published in September 2023, and updated in December 2025.
Just an easy recipe, I had all of the ingredients on hand. We thought these were delicious and plan on making them frequently. Thanks for sharing another hit with us!
The BEST!
These shrimp balls are so good and so easy to make!
Love these and they are not as difficult to make as I thought. Easy to follow directions. Deliciousness!!!
Can never go wrong with making these for a party!
I love how all your recipes use similar ingredients so I don’t have to buy so many different ones
Perfect for a family dinner.
We love ordering these fried shrimp balls at Dim Sum and I’m sooooo glad I can make these at home whenever I crave them!
These are my absolute favorite things to order at dim sum!!! Can’t wait to try these out… I’m going to be eating all of them by myself…. no sharing!
fried shrimp balls are always a stable at dim sum restaurants and I can’t believe CJ has re-created this! I can’t wait to try this recipe