Fried Shrimp Breading Tends To Fall Off Unless You Use This Simple Trick

Anyone who enjoys seafood is probably familiar with fried shrimp, our vote for catch of the day on Popeyes' menu. However, when making this delicious side or appetizer at home, one challenge is getting the breading to stay attached to the shrimp as you chow down. Fortunately, avoiding this issue is easy as long as you remember one simple step during preparation. Ashley Lonsdale, the chef-in-residence at ButcherBox, says starting with pre-dried shrimp is pivotal in how well the breading sticks.

"If the shrimp has not been dried properly before breading or battering, the breading will have a harder time adhering to the shrimp," Lonsdale explained. Excess moisture causes the shrimp to steam and expand as it cooks, making the breading much less secure. Even when cooking shrimp on the grill, they need to be dry first to ensure you don't end up with a soggy meal. As for the best method for drying your shrimp quickly and effectively, the answer is as simple as it comes. "Patting the shrimp dry with a paper towel helps to prepare it for breading," Lonsdale assured.

Ensuring your shrimp is completely dry will make a major difference in keeping the breading from falling off, but if it still isn't sticking as well as you'd like, there are a few additional steps you can take. For example, Ashley Lonsdale recommends giving your batter or breading more time to attach to the seafood before cooking it. "Allowing the breaded shrimp to chill in the refrigerator for 10 to 15 minutes helps to 'glue' the breading to the shrimp by allowing the different dredging ingredients to fuse," Lonsdale revealed. Cooling breaded, raw shrimp in the fridge — which some recommend for as long as 30 minutes — can also prevent overcooking, a fatal flaw that can ruin the final texture.

Deep-frying shrimp at the wrong temperature is another common mistake, so you'll want to aim for around 350-degree oil to keep the shrimp from soaking up the grease. Avoid overcrowding your pan or fryer when making shrimp, since this is another surefire way to create steam and thus loosen the breading. Stick to only cooking a handful of shrimp at a time to obtain the best results.