Dynamite Shrimp Recipe

Thinly slice cucumbers (use a mandoline or sharp knife) into 1/8-inch rounds or half-moons. Place in a small bowl.

In a separate small bowl, whisk together rice vinegar, sugar, salt, and water until sugar dissolves.

Pour the pickling liquid over the cucumber slices, toss to coat, and let sit at room temperature for at least 15 minutes (can refrigerate up to 2 hours). Drain just before serving. Reserve pickling liquid for another use or discard.

In a small bowl, combine mayonnaise, sriracha, sweet chili sauce, honey, rice vinegar, sesame oil, and toasted sesame seeds. Whisk until smooth and adjust heat or sweetness to taste (add more sriracha for heat, more honey for sweetness). Refrigerate until ready to toss with fried shrimp.

Pat shrimp dry with paper towels. Season lightly with 1/4 tsp salt and 1/8 tsp black pepper.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking powder, remaining 3/4 tsp salt, and remaining 3/8 tsp black pepper.

In a separate small bowl, beat the egg with the cold water. Add the egg mixture to the dry mix and stir briefly to create a slightly thick batter — it should cling to the shrimp but not be overly heavy. If it’s too thick, add up to 1–2 tbs more cold water.

Heat oil in a deep pot or heavy skillet to 350°F (175°C). If you don’t have a thermometer, test by dropping a small bit of batter— it should sizzle and rise immediately.

Working in small batches (4–6 shrimp at a time), dredge each shrimp in the batter, letting excess drip off, and carefully lower into hot oil. Fry until golden and crisp, about 2–3 minutes per batch depending on shrimp size. Do not overcrowd the pot.

Use a slotted spoon to transfer fried shrimp to a wire rack set over a baking sheet or paper towels to drain. Keep warm in a 200°F (95°C) oven while frying remaining shrimp.

Place the warm fried shrimp in a large mixing bowl. Spoon the prepared dynamite sauce over the shrimp — start with about 3/4 of the sauce and toss gently to coat. Add more sauce to taste, but avoid making the shrimp soggy.

Arrange sauced shrimp on a serving plate. Top with drained pickled cucumbers, scatter sliced scallions, and sprinkle extra toasted sesame seeds. Add microgreens or cilantro if using and serve with lime wedges on the side to squeeze over.

Serve immediately while shrimp are hot and crisp.