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These 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! It pairs perfectly with my homemade Thai Sweet Chili Sauce!
Watch the Fried Shrimp Balls Recipe Video Below!
Ingredients for Fried Shrimp Balls
- shrimp, peeled and deveined, finely chopped into a paste
- You can use fresh or frozen shrimp for this recipe. Just make sure they are peeled and deveined prior to chopping into a paste. I prefer smaller U50-60 shrimp which tend to be cheaper.
- If you love shrimp, try making my Hawaiian inspired Coconut Shrimp!
- garlic
- white pepper – I love white pepper and it’s used very commonly in Chinese cooking (another “secret ingredient” for cooking restaurant quality Chinese food at home). It has an earthier, less spicy flavor than black pepper. I recommend having some in your pantry but if you can’t find it, you can always substitute with black pepper.
- kosher salt
- light soy sauce – You will need “light” (not “low sodium”) or “all-purpose” soy sauce.
- Shaoxing wine – Shaoxing wine is one of my favorite pantry staples for Chinese cooking. However, if you can’t use it or don’t have it on hand, you can substitute with chicken stock.
- sugar
- sesame oil
- cornstarch – this is to bind the shrimp paste and seasonings together.
- spring roll wrappers, cut into strips – I used the brand Spring Home. DO NOT use wonton wrappers, as they won’t be long enough!
- neutral oil – this is for frying. My go-to neutral oil is avocado oil but you can also use canola or vegetable oil.
PRO TIPS
Shrimp Tips
You need to use raw shrimp that has been peeled and deveined. Do not use cooked shrimp – it will not work for this recipe!
The shrimp can be fresh or frozen – if using frozen, make sure to thaw them completely and pat them dry to remove excess moisture.
The size of the shrimp does not matter, as you’ll be chopping it up into a paste. I like to use U50-60 shrimp.
While it is more labor intensive, I recommend chopping the shrimp up by hand vs. using a food processor. Chopping by hand allows you to control the size of the shrimp in the paste – I like leaving some pieces a big larger so there is more texture inside the shrimp ball. I find that that the food processor grinds the shrimp too finely. However, this is up to you!
Recipe Instructions
1. Make the Shrimp Paste
In a bowl, combine 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.
Optional but recommended: chill the mixture for 20-30 minutes in the freezer to firm up the paste. This will help the shrimp balls hold their shape.
2. Cut the Spring Roll Wrappers
Cut the spring roll wrappers into ¼” strips. Separate and lay them out flat on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.
Do not use wonton wrappers – they are not long enough!
3. Form the Shrimp Balls
Wet your hands with water, then take a heaping tablespoon of the shrimp mixture and roll into a ball. I don’t recommend going larger than this.
Place the ball of shrimp paste on the baking sheet with spring roll strips and cover the entire ball until fully coated. Use a knife or scissors to cut any oblong strips so that the ends of the strips are close to the ball.
Refer to the video if you need a quick tutorial.
4. Fry the Shrimp Balls
In a pan or wok, heat neutral oil of your choice to 350F and fry in batches for 4-5 minutes until golden brown.
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.
Serve with a sauce of your choice (I like Thai Sweet Chili Sauce) and enjoy!
PRO TIPS
Expert Tips for Fried Shrimp Balls
Shrimp – Use fresh or frozen raw shrimp that is peeled and deveined. If using frozen, make sure to thaw them completely and pat them dry to remove excess moisture. You can use small or medium-sized shrimp.
Binding Agent: Cornstarch or potato starch helps bind the shrimp mixture together and keeps it moist. I used cornstarch here but you can easily swap for potato starch.
Oil: Use a neutral oil with a high smoke point like vegetable or canola oil for frying. Do not use olive oil or sesame oil.
Mince Shrimp: Finely chop the shrimp by hand – you can also use a food processor but try to avoid over-processing, as you want some texture in the shrimp balls.
Chill the Mixture: After mixing, refrigerate the mixture for at least 30 minutes. This allows the flavors to meld and makes it easier to form the balls.
Hot Oil: 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.
Fry in Batches: Avoid overcrowding the frying pan. Fry the shrimp balls in batches to maintain the oil temperature and ensure they cook evenly.
Drain on Paper Towels: 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. It will soften in the refrigerator – this is normal and expected of fried foods.
Reheat in the air fryer if you want to restore some of the crispiness. If you don’t care, you can quickly reheat in the microwave.
What to Serve with Fried Shrimp Balls
Dim Sum is traditionally many small dishes eaten together, similar to Spanish Tapas. I would serve Fried Shrimp Balls with my favorite Siu Mai , Gai Lan with Oyster Sauce (my go-to vegetable dish at Dim Sum) and Egg Fried Rice!
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, 1g
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ tablespoon light soy sauce, 7ml
- ½ tablespoon Shaoxing wine, 7ml
- 1 teaspoon sugar, 4g
- ½ teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon neutral oil, 15ml
- 1 ½ tablespoon cornstarch, 12g
- 10 sheets of spring roll wrappers (or spring roll pastry), cut into strips (I used the brand Spring Home – NOTE: Do NOT use wonton wrappers as they will be too thick / won't have the proper length!)
- Neutral oil for frying
Instructions
- In a bowl, combine 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. Optional but recommended: chill the mixture for 20 minutes in the freezer to firm up the paste.
- Cut the spring roll wrapper into ¼” strips. Separate and lay them out flat on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.
- 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 scissors to cut any oblong strips so that the ends of the strips are close to the ball.
- In a pan or wok, heat oil to 350F and fry in batches for 4-5 minutes until golden brown. Serve with thai sweet chili sauce and enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Great recipe, but was wondering if there is an air fryer version?
Hi Wayne – I will test this recipe in the air fryer. Please check back soon for updated recipe instructions!
Wow can’t wait to try!
Perfect kind of dimsum for a sunday brunch
@abster.rx
Love these! Easy and yummy.