Shatteringly Crispy Fried Shrimp Is Just A Splash Of Vodka Away

Fried shrimp's combination of sweet, firm meat encased in a crunchy, seasoned coating is simply irresistible. Whether it's prepared tempura-style or coated in Southern-style breadcrumbs, it's always a crowd-pleaser. But achieving perfectly crispy shrimp is easier said than done. If you've ever struggled with a soft or even mushy coating, you're not out of luck. There's a secret ingredient you can use to transform your next batch: a splash of vodka.

It might sound bizarre, but vodka can actually kick your shrimp's crispness up several notches. The secret, as you might've already guessed, lies in the alcohol content of the liquor. Alcohol evaporates more rapidly during the frying process, compared to water. This quick dehydration speeds up and enhances the crisping process. Additionally, the evaporation of the alcohol creates larger bubbles in the batter. More and bigger bubbles mean greater surface area, and the more surface area you have, the crunchier the coating will become. The result? Battered shrimp with unreal levels of crispiness.

If you often make your fried shrimp tempura-style, or dip it straight into a combination of flour, cornstarch, and egg, simply add straight vodka to the wet mixture. About 1 ounce of vodka (any vodka brand will do) per cup of liquid is a good starting point for this trick. But what if you prefer the Southern way of dipping the shrimp in a milk or buttermilk marinade before dredging it in seasoned flour or breadcrumbs? All you have to do is give the marinade a splash of vodka. Dip (and roll), then fry away.

Speaking of flour, this is where the third advantage of adding vodka comes in. When you mix flour with water, gluten forms and gradually turns the mixture into a thick, heavy dough. That's great for baking — but we aren't doing that here. If you dip the shrimp into such a batter, it'll turn chewy and dense rather than crispy. Fortunately, alcohol can prevent gluten from forming, which gives you an airier, lighter crust — exactly what you need for some crispy shrimp.

We're adding vodka mostly for its crisping effect, rather than its flavor (or lack thereof — vodka doesn't have a distinct taste, which is why we picked it to begin with). But if what you're after is some boozy-tasting shrimp for the adult table, then you need to take a note from beer-boiled crab legs and add some lager alongside the vodka. You'll get the faint malty flavor of the beer with each bite of shrimp and enjoy further amplification of alcohol's crisping properties.

If you turn out to like how beer-battered shrimp tastes, splurge a little bit on a craft IPA. It's a step up taste-wise, lending your fried shrimp complex hoppy flavor. This trick also sets up the perfect stage for you to experiment with different vodka-and-beer mixes. Swap the lager or IPA with pale ale, pilsner, and so on to see what you vibe with best. Few things in life are as nice as kicking back with a plate of crispy fried shrimp — why not make sure it's the best rendition possible?