If you live in North Carolina, or are even just passing through, you’ll find that fried shrimp is a meal on nearly every menu. And “Shrimpburgers” at the beach are a summertime favorite in the Tarheel State. This recipe for gluten free fried shrimp — with or without the shrimpburger spin — brings those memories home for me every time.
After my diagnosis with celiac disease, shrimpburgers and fried shrimp in general were things I longed to have again. So I found myself in the familiar position of creating a recipe so I could have this favorite food again. Thankfully, these gluten free fried shrimp — and the gluten free shrimpburgers I make with them — are every bit as good as the ones I enjoyed growing up in NC. And now I can enjoy them anytime I want, no need to wait for the beach, or even wait for summer!
Tailor the recipe to your needs so your whole family can enjoy it together – I make both the fried shrimp and the hamburger buns gluten and dairy-free, and of course, totally delicious, with my gfJules Flour. It makes recipes like these taste like they oughta, and just like I remember. And don’t forget the coleslaw + ketchup combo, for the most authentic taste!
I’m so happy to be able to share this recipe with you. I hope it becomes a family favorite for you, too!
Gluten Free Fried Shrimp & Shrimpburgers
Gluten free fried shrimp that's light and crispy, just like it oughta be. It's not hard to make, and so yummy in Shrimpburgers or on their own!
Ingredients
Fried Shrimp
- 1 1/2 cups milk, dairy or non-dairy (soy, coconut, almond, hemp, flax, etc.)
- 2 Tbs. lemon juice
- 2 cups gfJules™ All Purpose Gluten Free Flour
- 1/8 cup gluten-free cornmeal
- 1/2 Tbs. black pepper
- 1 Tbs. sea salt
- 2 pounds medium shrimp, peeled and deveined (or even try with langostinos!)
- Canola oil, for frying (or choose another high heat oil)
Coleslaw
- 1 lb. shredded green and red cabbage & carrots (optional)
- ½ cup mayonnaise, dairy or non-dairy (Earth Balance® Mindful Mayo; Just Mayo™)
- 2 Tbs. apple cider vinegar
- 2 Tbs. milk, dairy or non-dairy (soy, coconut, almond, hemp, flax, etc.)
- 1 ½ Tbs. sugar (to taste)
- ½ Tbs. celery seed
Instructions
Pour just enough oil to cover the bottom of an electric skillet or frying pan and preheat oil to 375° F (medium-high heat).
Line a tray with parchment or paper towels and set aside.
Prepare 2 bowls: in one, combine the milk and lemon juice; in the other, whisk together the Jules Flour, cornmeal, pepper and salt. Dredge in the flour mixture first, then the milk, then the flour mixture again.
Lay battered shrimp into hot oil and fry on each side for 2 – 4 minutes, or until light golden brown (the shrimp will appear pink if cut in two). After frying on each side, remove from oil and drain on the lined baking tray.
To make the coleslaw, stir all ingredients together in a large bowl, adding sugar to suit your taste. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
To make the shrimpburgers, take your favorite gluten-free hamburger buns and slather with tartar sauce and/or ketchup. Spoon a generous amount of slaw onto the bun and top with fried shrimp. Place the top bun over the shrimp to complete the sandwich and enjoy!
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Hi Jules:
I originally bought your flour and followed your pierogi recipe. They turned out great and are for my Son who has Celiac. I make GF meals all the time and we love your flower. I will be keeping and making the shrimp burgers soon! Something that I am really wanting to re-create is some great Fried Chicken. Will you be making a fried chicken recipe that will be the envy of the neighborhood? I feed 5 people every day and only one of us is GF, however we make all foods GF so can not take chance of cross contamination, That said, I need some fried chicken…. any chance?
Hi Nick, I’m so happy to hear that you were able to make gluten free pierogi for your son and that these gluten free shrimpburgers are on the menu!!! I have a gluten free fried chicken recipe from another reader that was posted in my gfJules gluten free recipe share facebook group — you should absolutely join if you’re on facebook!
Here’s his recipe for gluten free fried chicken using gfJules Flour:
Gluten fee Buttermilk Fried Chicken Recipe
Ingredients:
2 packages of fresh chicken tenders
1 quart plus 1/2 cup buttermilk, divided
5 cups gfjules gluten feee flour
2 teaspoon hot sauce
4 teaspoons black pepper
4 teaspoons salt
vegetable oil for frying
1. In a large bowl (or 2 freezer bags) add the chicken with only 1 quart of the buttermilk and hot sauce . Refrigerate overnight. When ready to fry, remove chicken from bowl and let sit on counter for 30 minutes to take chill off.
2. Preheat oven to 350F. Stir together the flour, salt, pepper, in a very large bowl. In a small bowl combine the remaining 1/2 cup buttermilk and the milk. Pour the milk mixture into the flour and use a fork to mix until little lumps throughout. I like to coat them 2 times
3. Heat 1 1/2 inches of oil in a deep skillet or dutch oven over medium high heat to 375F. Take chicken tenders out of butter milk bath and working in batches, coat each chicken piece with the breading, pressing to adhere the breading. Add the chicken to the oil 3-4 pieces at a time. Cover pan and fry 5-7 minutes, checking to make sure chicken isn’t getting too brown. Turn, cover and cook additional 3-5 minutes more. Monitor temperature of oil to make sure chicken doesn’t burn. Keep in mind chicken will finish cooking in oven.
4. Place chicken on baking sheet and continue frying rest of chicken. When done, bake the chicken for 10 minutes, until chicken cooked through.
I use this all the time to make popcorn shrimp for finger food night. It super fast and easy, and the shrimp come out perfect every time.
That’s awesome, Heidi! A popcorn shrimp lover, just like me!!! Isn’t it great to be able to make them gluten-free?!
~jules
Sorry, I hadn’t been back to this site till now. Yes, there is one in Winston-Salem on Hwy. 66.
Is this the Big Oak in Winston-Salem?
If so, I grew up 8 or 9 houses from it. Used to go there all the time.
Now you and I both eat healthier than this.
Tawny, you’re kidding?! There’s a Big Oak in Winston? This one is on the Bogue Banks in Salter Path – I didn’t know there was another! But yes, you and I both eat much healthier than this, now!
Jules: I know you generally cook dairy-free. If I use cow or goat milk in this recipe, won’t it curdle when I add the lemon juice?
The lemon juice will actually work with the milk (dairy or non-dairy) to make buttermilk – yummy! (great question, though!)
Sybil,
Thanks for your tips as well. Unfortunately I haven’t found any other flour mix on the market that meets my allergy needs. I may not even be able to eat this corn and rice free Bob’s Red Mill GF flour as it contains Sorghum and I’ve never tried Sorghum before. It is possible I may get very ill from it.
Bob’s GF-AP flour does not contain rice, but as Sorghum is a grass grain like corn and rice, my allergist said it may not be suitable for people with severe rice allergies like me…
Hoping he’s wrong, fingers crossed.
In regards to other companies….Nearly 100% of other pre-made GF flour mixes I’ve seen seen on the market contain rice or corn. If they don’t, they have dairy (or soy or millet) which I’m allergic to as well.
Celiac + allergies = hard stuff. But I’m not quitting yet.
Thank you! Alli
Jules,
Thanks for the tips about using the stand mixer and for the corn free xanthan gum heads-up. Someone I know told me there is a company that makes corn free xanthan gum, I plan to look them up.
But, back to the Bob’s Red Mill GF/AP Flour question…
….If I did want to try experimenting with your recipes using the Bob’s bag I how do you suggest I get the xanthan gum in there? Should I add 1 tsp of gum per 8oz of flour – for a grand total of 4 tsp. of xanthan gum per 2 lbs of flour?
And then do I sift it all together and store in the freezer till ready to use, or will xanthan gum die in the freezer ?
Thank you!! Alli
Were can I get a hamburger bum pan?
Hi Robin, here’s a hamburger bun pan I really like. It’s on Amazon.com. Hope that helps!
~jules
I use to make these shrimp burgers
sometimes with other fish. I also use
chopped tomatoes,garlic and herbs.
Happy holidays to you.
Thanks.
Frances – that sounds lovely! Thanks for the ideas on varying with fish!
Hi Jules! Just want to say I just got your newest cookbook “Free for All” and it looks fabulous!
I have 2 book questions that I hoped you could help me with.
a) In addition to recently being diagnosed with Celiac disease, I am also allergic to corn and rice which is why I unfortunately cannot use your
pre-made mix. For convenience sake and for $$$ savings sake, I have purchased a bag of Bob’s Red Mill All Purpose GF Flour to use for my attempts at GF baking.
Will this work ok in your recipes as a successful ingredient swap out, both in taste and texture and cooking times?
And can you please tell me how can I know how much Xanthan gum to use for your “Free for All” recipes if I swap out Bob’s flour for your flour mix…? Do I use the ratio of mixing in 1 tsp gum per 8 oz of flour, and just sift 4 tsp of Xanthan gum into the 2 lb bag of Bob’s GF Flour and store untill ready to use? Or do you have another suggestion…?
It’s incredibly confusing because so many GF bakers ( including the Bob’s Red Mill Company) insist that each particular type of GF recipe – cookie, bread, muffin, brownie, cupcake, cracker, etc., etc… needs a different ratio of Xanthan gum to flour to properly set the recipe and have a good texture.
I haven’t heard of the general All purpose 1c. flour to 1 tsp xanthan gum idea till now and I just want to make sure I do things right and stuff tastes good!
These ingredients are soooo expensive to waste and so tricky to use.
b) Question 2 is do I need a Kitchen Aid or strong standing mixer to make things work well, or can GF baked goods, including breads, be done successfully by hand?
Thanks so much!
Alli
Yes, you do need a stand mixer especially for making bread and if you plan to do a lot of baking. Invest in a KitchenAid and you will never be sorry- it will last forever, best investment you can make! hey- Jules, thanks for posting some great-sounding summer recipes!Hand mixers just don’t do the job. As for the all purpose flours, there are some on the market that don’t contain rice flour; too bad you can’t use Jules as it has the best texture of all. I believe Bob’s RM also contains rice flour and xanthan gum- I threw the bag away and can’t be positive, but Gluten Free Pantry AllPurpose flour is lovely as well as several others — you will have to look at every bad in the store> Try King Arthur’s new gf baking mix, Pamela’s, Namaste, And Ancient Grains, or even the new almond flour ones– you can add your own guar gum as well. Good Luck!
Hi Alli, so glad you’re loving my new book!!!
To answer your questions about using an alternative flour, I would suggest making your own with the substitutions I give you in Free for All Cooking (page 8). Since you have a corn allergy, unless you are certain that the xanthan gum you are using is not corn-based, I would use guar gum instead (this substitution is suggested in the book too). I don’t know if using Bob’s Red Mill AP flour would work in my recipes, to be honest, because I don’t experiment with it due to its bean flour base – it’s a taste and texture I’m generally not fond of.
As for the need for a stand mixer, I’d agree with Sybil that it is ideal. Lots of folks ask me if they should purchase a stand mixer or a bread maker and I always go with the stand mixer since it’s so versatile and you can use it for all your recipes. When you make breads, it is very difficult, if not impossible with some recipes, to use a hand mixer. At that point, I prefer a wooden spoon and a bowl – you can see a video of how to do that here. I have made nearly every recipe by hand, including pizza, bread, brownies, cookies, etc., and I can tell you that if you are strong (or looking for a workout!), it can be done. However, cookie doughs in particular, benefit from being creamed (sugar with fats) — a process that is much easier and more successfully done with a mixer (although you can usually use a hand mixer for this).
So, the short answer I suppose is that you should invest in a stand mixer if you can, but don’t feel like you cannot make good food without one. Strong arms and a hand mixer for cookie doughs, will work just fine!
Shrimpburgers totally rule! I haven’t had one in years either (not since going gf). Can’t wait to surprise Mr. GFE with this recipe soon and enjoy it myself–thanks, dear!
xo,
Shirley
You bet, Shirley! It’s a winner, all around! We even ate the leftover shrimp cold the next day, and it still rocked! I’m so thrilled to have this recipe back in my summer recipe arsenal!
Mmmm… looks yummy and munchable
I love munchable food: texture is so important to the eating experience.
Really clearly laid out directions too – well done! Great post!
Toby (@tobysartbazaar)
My Little Shop ‘The Language Emporium’: http://bit.ly/langemp
Thanks Toby!! Hope you can try the recipes sometime soon! Happy summer!