It’s risky to call a dish the “Best Ever,” especially one as common as popcorn shrimp. But after testing more than 25 batters and untold numbers of deep-fried mix-ins (sweet potato, asparagus, even oranges), Bubba Gump execs think their version is worthy of the title. The dish — beer-battered shrimp, pepperoncini and roasted red peppers — is a bestseller on the 17-year-old chain’s menu. No one at the company would give us the recipe, but Food Network Kitchens came up with this remarkable copy.
| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 35 min |
| Active: | 20 min |
| Yield: | 4 servings |
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- Kosher salt
- 1 pound small shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon confectioners’ sugar
- 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons lager beer
- 8 jarred pepperoncini, drained and halved lengthwise
- 2 jarred roasted red peppers, drained and cut into bite-size pieces
- Vegetable oil, for deep-frying
- Lemon wedges, cocktail sauce and/or tartar sauce, for serving
Instructions
- Mix 3 cups ice water, the granulated sugar and 1 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl. Add the shrimp and set aside 15 minutes, then drain well and pat dry. Dry the bowl; return the shrimp to the bowl and toss with 1/2 teaspoon Cajun seasoning.
- Whisk the flour, cornstarch, confectioners’ sugar, the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning and the beer in a large bowl to make a smooth batter. Add the shrimp, pepperoncini and roasted peppers and stir until evenly coated.
- Heat 2 inches of vegetable oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat until a deep-fry thermometer registers 350 degrees F. Working in batches, remove the shrimp, pepperoncini and roasted peppers from the batter with a slotted spoon, transfer to the hot oil and fry until golden, about 3 minutes. Remove and drain on paper towels; season with salt. Serve with lemon wedges, cocktail sauce and/or tartar sauce.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 4 servings |
| Calories | 269 |
| Total Fat | 4 g |
| Saturated Fat | 0 g |
| Carbohydrates | 29 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 2 g |
| Sugar | 4 g |
| Protein | 26 g |
| Cholesterol | 183 mg |
| Sodium | 583 mg |
Reviews
My Dads new favorite dinner! He had a stroke so I’m always looking for recipes that he can feed himself & this is definitely going on the bi-weekly menu!
This was excellent. I had to use soda water because I didn’t have any beer, but it did not detract from the taste. We ate it with Yum Yum sauce. Yum.
Super delicious!
Delicious I recommend
This was really good.