Hey foodies! I’ve been experimenting with making bubble shrimp at home and lemme tell you – it’s a total game-changer! After several tries (and a few fails ), I’ve mastered this incredible Cantonese dish that’ll make your taste buds dance Let’s dive into making these magical self-inflating shrimp that are crispy outside and perfectly tender inside
What’s the Deal with Bubble Shrimp?
Bubble shrimp gets its fun name from the way the coating puffs up and bubbles when fried It’s like your shrimp is wearing a crispy, airy balloon! The contrast between the crunchy exterior and juicy shrimp inside is what makes this appetizer totally addictive.
Why Make It at Home?
- Save some serious compared to restaurant prices
- Control your ingredients – no mystery additives!
- Customize flavors to your taste
- Impress your guests (trust me, they’ll be amazed!)
- Perfect for parties and game days
- Kids absolutely love the fun bubble texture
What You’ll Need
Ingredients:
- 1½ cups raw shrimp (peeled and deveined)
- Salt and white pepper
- 4 slices ginger
- Vegetable oil for frying
For the Magic Bubble Batter:
- 1⅓ tbsp all-purpose flour (10g)
- ½ tsp baking powder (2g)
- 3⅓ tbsp cornstarch (25g)
- 8 tbsp potato starch (60g)
- 1 tbsp water (15g)
- 3 large egg whites (96g)
- ½ cup vegetable oil for batter (100g)
Equipment:
- Deep saucepan
- Kitchen scale (recommended but not required)
- Thermometer (optional but helpful)
- Paper towels
- Cooling rack
Step-by-Step Instructions
1. Prep Your Shrimp
- Clean and pat dry your shrimp thoroughly
- Season with salt and white pepper
- Add ginger slices
- Let marinate for 5 minutes
- Remove ginger before coating
2. Make the Special Batter
- Mix dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, cornstarch, and potato starch
- Add egg whites and water
- Stir in one direction until smooth
- Pour in the ½ cup oil
- Mix until it looks like custard sauce (thinner than yogurt!)
3. The Double-Fry Method
First Fry (350°F/177°C):
- Heat oil in your pan
- Coat shrimp in batter
- Fry 4-5 shrimp at a time (don’t overcrowd!)
- Cook 2-3 minutes until light yellow
- Remove and drain
Second Fry (375°F/190°C):
- Increase oil temperature
- Return shrimp to oil
- Fry 30 seconds until golden
- Drain on paper towels
Pro Tips from My Kitchen Fails
-
Oil Temperature Testing No thermometer? Drop a bit of batter in
- Sinks then rises in 1 second = 350°F
- Barely sinks and rises immediately = 375°F
-
Batter Secrets:
- Using only egg whites makes prettier bubbles
- Batter should coat spoon but drip off easily
- The oil in the batter is crucial – don’t skip it!
-
Frying Tips:
- If shrimp stick to bottom, gently nudge them – they’ll float up!
- Wait for oil to reheat between batches
- Double-frying makes them stay crispy longer
Serving Suggestions
Serve your bubble shrimp with:
- Japanese mayo (my fave!)
- Sweet chili sauce
- Duck sauce
- Sriracha mayo
- Lemon wedges
Fun Ways to Customize
- Spicy version: Add cayenne to batter
- Garlic lover’s: Mix garlic powder in
- Asian fusion: Use tempura-style batter with soda water
- Coconut version: Add coconut flour to batter
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Don’t make batter too thick
- Don’t overcrowd the frying pan
- Don’t skip the double-fry method
- Don’t let cooked shrimp sit too long (eat while hot!)
Remember, practice makes perfect, and even if they don’t look Instagram-worthy the first time, they’ll still taste amazing! Happy cooking, everyone! ✨
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- Schmitz, B. in Physiology of the Crustacean Nervous System (ed. Wiese, K.) 521–533 (Springer, Berlin, 2001).
- Versluis, M., Schmitz, B., von der Heydt, A. & Lohse, D. Science 289, 2114–2117 (2000).
- McNamara, W. B., Didenko, Y. T. & Suslick, K. S. Nature 401, 772–775 (1999).
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- Faculty of Applied Physics and J. M. Burgers Research Centre for Fluid Dynamics, University of Twente, PO Box 217, AE Enschede, 7500, The NetherlandsDetlef Lohse & Michel Versluis
- Lehrstuhl für Zoologie, Technische Universität München, Lichtenbergstrasse 4, Garching, 85747, GermanyBarbara Schmitz
Correspondence to Detlef Lohse.
Lohse, D., Schmitz, B. & Versluis, M. Snapping shrimp make flashing bubbles. Nature 413, 477–478 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1038/35097152
- Issue Date: 04 October 2001
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/35097152
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Bubble shrimp from @NickDiGiovanni #recipereview
FAQ
What shrimp make a bubble?
Snapping shrimp—also called pistol shrimp—might have the mightiest claws of all creatures in the ocean. With a powerful snap of this spring-loaded appendage, the tiny crustaceans shoot out a prey-stunning air bubble—when it pops, it releases a shock wave, a flash of light and a noise about as loud as a gunshot.
How to make a shrimp bait ball?
The best bait balls are typically homemade concoctions versus commercially made baits. A tried and true recipe for shrimp bait is to create a 50/50 mix of kaolin powder (available from art supply stores) with fish meal.
How do you make bubble shrimp batter?
A hundred Cantonese chefs a hundred different versions of bubble shrimp’s secret batter recipes. For example, some of them only use flour, baking powder and cornstarch, some of them use yeast and glutinous rice flour, while some suggest using a combination of baking powder, cornstarch, all purpose flour, potato starch, and glutinous rice flour.
What is bubble fried shrimp?
The shrimp bubbles up! Bubble fried shrimp is a classic Cantonese dish which is also very popular in mainland China. The shrimp will bubble up and float in the oil! Try squeezing some mayo into the bubble crust, you will immediately understand what I meant by saying “ crispy outside and creamy inside “!
How to fry bubble shrimp?
It’s important to fry the bubble shrimp at the correct oil temperature: the shrimp might get stuck to the bottom of the saucepan if the oil is not hot enough, while it might crack if the oil is too hot . If you don’t have a thermometer, here is how to text the oil temperature by observing the batter:
What is a shrimp bubble?
The Shrimp Bubble is a viable symbiotic self-sustaining mini ecosystem, a captivating living desktop companion for your home or office, perfect as a dorm pet, a great educational tool. A UNIQUE PERFECT GIFT Your purchasing power is . This item is a recurring or deferred purchase.
Does bubble fried shrimp float in oil?
Bubble fried shrimp is a classic Cantonese dish which is also very popular in mainland China. The shrimp will bubble up and float in the oil! Try squeezing some mayo into the bubble crust, you will immediately understand what I meant by saying “ crispy outside and creamy inside “! How to test the oil temperature for the bubble fried shrimp?
Do shrimp enjoy swimming in bubbles?
Some shrimp enjoy swimming in the stream of bubbles that bubblers provide, but this preference isn’t universal. It may depend on the specific type of shrimp and the strength of the bubble stream. One reason for including an air stone or bubbler in a shrimp tank is to improve water circulation and flow for the shrimp.