Honey Walnut Shrimp

Indulge in the delightful flavors of our Honey Walnut Shrimp recipe, or low carb healthier take on the classic Chinese dish.

Crispy fried shrimp meet a creamy sweet mayo sauce and candied walnuts, all without the excess carbs.

This irresistible dish will satisfy your cravings while keeping you on track with your healthy eating goals!

Honey walnut shrimp served on a plate with a pair of chopsticks top down shot.

What is Honey Walnut Shrimp?

Honey Walnut Shrimp is a beloved Chinese dish often served in Chinese restaurants. It involves battering and deep-frying shrimp before coating them in a sweet sauce along with candied walnuts.

This recipe offers a low-carb, gluten-free, and keto-friendly version by avoiding the traditional cornstarch batter and offering simple ingredient substitution.

What does honey walnut shrimp taste like?

Honey Walnut Shrimp offers a delightful harmony of flavors, with a sweet creaminess enveloped in a natural fried shrimp batter complemented by subtle notes of mayonnaise.

The addition of candied walnuts provides a satisfying crunch that adds to the overall texture and taste experience.

Defrosted frozen large shrimp being dipped into keto friendly beer batter used to for deeping frying and making Chinese style keto and low carb honey walnut shrimp.

What ingredients do I need to make honey walnut shrimp?

  • Shrimp  shrimp of choice prepared with skin peeled, divined and tail off.
  • Flour – choice of all purpose flour. Use almond flour for a low carb recipe.
  • Parmesan Cheese – grated in a bottle.
  • Eggs – beaten.
  • Sparkling Water – bottle of sparkling water to replace beer in batter.
  • Oil – deep frying vegetable oil of choice.
  • Green Onions – freshly chopped green onion scallions.
  • Walnuts – roasted unflavored walnuts.
  • Sweetener – use your preferred sweetener.  
  • Butter – salt or unsalted will both work.
  • Heavy Cream – heavy cream or heavy whipping cream. 
  • Mayo – standard mayonnaise.

What are the instructions to make honey walnut shrimp?

Prepare the candied walnuts by boiling a mixture of sweetener and water. Add the walnuts and cook for about 1 minute, then place them on a drying rack to dry.

Next, create the batter by combining flour, grated Parmesan cheese, eggs, and sparkling water in a bowl.

Coat the shrimp in the batter, then deep fry them for approximately 3-4 minutes, until they are golden brown and crispy.

For the sauce, melt butter and heavy cream in a large frying pan, cooking until the sauce thickens. Transfer the sauce to a mixing bowl and blend in mayo and sweetener. Note that you can use condensed milk instead to replace this sauce.

Finally, toss the fried shrimp in the prepared sauce until they are coated, and garnish the dish with freshly chopped green onions.

Fried shrimp, honey syrup and candied walnuts ready to be mixed together to make Chinese style honey walnut shrimp.

What to serve with honey walnut shrimp?

Many Chinese style side dishes would pair well with honey walnut shrimp. Some ideas include:

  • Rice of Choice 
  • Fried Rice
  • Light Soup
  • Steamed Vegetables 
  • Steamed Fish
  • Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry

How to store leftovers?

To maintain optimal texture, it’s recommended to eat the dish right away, as the coating may become soggy once mixed with the sauce.

For best results, mix only the portion you intend to consume with the sauce. Store the sauce and fried shrimp in separate airtight containers in the refrigerator.

When reheating, using an air fryer or oven is preferable to retain crispness; however, the microwave can be used, but the texture might become softer.

What is the nutrition information for this honey walnut shrimp recipe?

  • 746 Calories
  • 10g Carbohydrates
  • 5g Fiber
  • 61g Protein
  • g Fat
  • 430mg Cholesterol
  • 402mg Sodium
  • 705mg Potassium
  • 163mg Calcium
  • 2mg Iron
  • 644ui Vitamin A
  • 2mg Vitamin C

Honey walnut shrimp served on a plate close up shot

Looking for other healthy Chinese recipes?

Now, let’s get making some Honey Walnut Shrimp!

  • Prepping Time 15M
  • Deep Fry Time 3M
  • Total Time 18M
  • Net Carb/Serv ~5g
  • Serving 2

Ingredients

Shrimp

  • 1 lbs Peeled Shrimp Tails Off
  • 1/2 Cup Flour (Almond Flour for low carb)
  • 2 tbsp Grated Parmesan Cheese
  • 2 Whole Eggs
  • 1/3 Cup Sparkling Water
  • 2 Cups Neutral Deep Frying Oil
  • 1 Stalk Green Onions

Candied Walnuts

  • 1/2 Cup Walnuts
  • 1 Cup Water
  • 1/2 Cup Sweetener (sugar alternative, sugar or preferred sweetener)

Sauce (can substitute with condensed milk)

  • 1/2 tbsp Butter
  • 1/4 Cup Heavy Cream
  • 1 tbsp Mayo
  • 1 tsp Sweetener (sugar alternative, sugar or preferred sweetener)

Directions

1) Gather all the ingredients.

2) Chop green onions and set them aside.

3) In a stove top pot, mix together 1 cup of water and 1/2 cup of sweetener and bring to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, add in walnuts and boil for 1 minute. Next, remove walnuts and place them on top of a drying rack.

4) Prepare shrimp by deveining, peeling, removing tails and drying off any liquid with a paper towel. Note – it is very important for the shrimp to be dry so the batter can stick on.

5) Prepare batter by combining flour, grated Parmesan cheese, eggs and Sparkling Water. Use a hand/stand mixer to mix (you can hand whisk, but the batter won’t be as airy). Note – batter may be slightly runny depending on the flour used.  If this is the case, add more flour a tsp at a time until desired consistency is reached.

6) Transfer the shrimps into the batter mix, mix well ensuring even coat, and set aside.

7) Pour enough cooking oil to cover the shrimp into a fry pan of choice (we use a cast iron pan) and heat oil up to 375F (if you don’t have a thermometer, just wait until the oil starts to lightly smoke, about 3-5 minutes). Note – it’s very important for the oil to be up to temp, otherwise, the batter will come off.

8) Once up to heat, reduce heat to medium, carefully add coated shrimp and cook for 30-45 seconds or until golden brown per side. Once done, transfer shrimps to a drying rack.

9) Prepare the sauce by adding butter and heavy cream into a large frying pan on medium low heat. Cook for 3-5 minutes until sauce is reduced and thickened. Transfer the reduced sauce into a mixing bowl and mix in sweetener and mayo.

10) In a large mixing bowl, combine walnuts, fried shrimp, sauce and gently toss together. Once coated, transfer to a serving plate and top with green onions.

Hope you enjoy your Honey Walnut Shrimp!

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More Recipes

Keto honey walnut shrimp served on a plate being picked up with a pair of chopsticks.

Honey Walnut Shrimp

Indulge in the flavorful delight of Honey Walnut Shrimp, a classic Chinese dish with a low-carb twist. Crispy fried shrimp coated in a creamy sweet mayo sauce, paired with candied walnuts for the perfect balance of textures. This recipe offers a healthier take on a beloved favorite, making it suitable for low-carb and keto-friendly diets.
5 from 8 votes
Course: Appetizer, Lunch, Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine: Chinese
Keyword: healthy honey walnut shrimp recipe, honey walnut shrimp, honey walnut shrimp without condensed milk, keto honey walnut shrimp
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 3 minutes
Total Time: 18 minutes
Servings: 2
Print Recipe
Calories: 746kcal

Ingredients

Shrimp

Candied Walnuts

  • 1/2 Cup Walnuts
  • 1 Cup Water
  • 1/2 Cup Sweetener sugar alternative, sugar or preferred sweetener

Sauce (can substitute with condensed milk)

Instructions

  • Gather all the ingredients.
  • Chop green onions and set them aside.
  • In a stovetop pot, mix together 1 cup of water and 1/2 cup of sweetener and bring to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, add in walnuts and boil for 1 minute. Next, remove walnuts and place them on top of a drying rack.
  • Prepare shrimp by deveining, peeling, removing tails and drying off any liquid with a paper towel. Note - it is very important for the shrimp to be dry so the batter can stick on.
  • Prepare batter by combining flour, grated Parmesan cheese, eggs and Sparkling Water. Use a hand/stand mixer to mix (you can hand whisk, but the batter won't be as airy). Note - batter may be slightly runny depending on the flour used. If this is the case, add more flour a tsp at a time until desired consistency is reached.
  • Transfer the shrimps into the batter mix, mix well ensuring even coat, and set aside.
  • Pour enough cooking oil to cover the shrimp into a fry pan of choice (we use a cast iron pan) and heat oil up to 375F (if you don’t have a thermometer, just wait until the oil starts to lightly smoke, about 3-5 minutes). Note - it's very important for the oil to be up to temp, otherwise, the batter will come off.
  • Once up to heat, reduce heat to medium, carefully add coated shrimp and cook for 30-45 seconds or until golden brown per side. Once done, transfer shrimps to a drying rack.
  • Prepare the sauce by adding butter and heavy cream into a large frying pan on medium low heat. Cook for 3-5 minutes until sauce is reduced and thickened. Transfer the reduced sauce into a mixing bowl and mix in sweetener and mayo.
  • In a large mixing bowl, combine walnuts, fried shrimp, sauce and gently toss together. Once coated, transfer to a serving plate and top with green onions.

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 746kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 61g | Fat: 54g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 18g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 430mg | Sodium: 402mg | Potassium: 705mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 644IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 163mg | Iron: 2mg
*Values Based Per Serving
Did you make this recipe?Tag @LowCarbingAsian on Instagram and hashtag it #LowCarbingAsian

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9 Comments

  1. Do you think I could air fry?

  2. I wonder if the nutrition info at the bottom is off. Calories and fat so high, and the article said 5 net carbs, not 10. Would love to know if that’s correct.

    • LowCarbingAsian

      Hi Kristin. The program automatically calculates all the ingredients used into the NF, such as all the batter and sauce, although they won’t be all used, so it will appear higher. Also, the carbs is 10g, but there is 5g of fiber, so a net carb of 5g. Hope that makes sense.

  3. Could pork panko be used instead of the almond flour mixture? It would definitely cut down on carbs.

    • LowCarbingAsian

      Hello! For this recipe, no we can’t sub those out since it’s a batter. Just a note though, the carbs are probably much lower than what is reflected on the recipe card. The program calculates all the batter being used up, but in reality, that’s probably not going to be the case.

  4. Yvette Vinton

    Hi can you run the program without the 2c of oil??
    mb the calories and fat will come out significantly different…
    would definitely then make me want to try the recipe… 🙂

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