Panda Express Honey Walnut Shrimp is a tender wok fried tempura battered shrimp coated in a sweet and tangy sauce! The wok-fried shrimp turns out incredibly fresh and tender when made at home, which is why this tasty homemade dish is so much better than the original. Yum!
Panda Express Honey Walnut Shrimp Copycat Recipe
If you have never had this dish at Panda Express, and you are thinking you would like to try it. However, seeing that the recipe calls for mayonnaise has you seriously skeptical about whether or not you would like the end result. I promise you can barely taste the hint of mayo in the sauce.
From one mayo hater to another, I can assure you that it is very good. If I like it, chances are you're safe to go ahead and make this tasty shrimp entree too!
Another plus with this tangy yet sweet dish is that it is a very quick meal to get on the table at dinnertime. This shrimp dish ( unlike some of the other Panda copycat recipes ) does not require marinating your protein or a lot of vegetable prep.
To move it along really fast, you can candy the walnuts while coating your shrimp in the cornstarch mixture. And voila!
A super-fast dinner is well on its way to pleasing your family!
How To Make Honey Walnut Shrimp
- In a small saucepan, bring the water, sugar, and walnuts to a low boil and boil for 2-3 minutes. Remove the walnuts to a wire cooling rack to dry.
- In a small to medium bowl, whisk the egg whites until light and foamy. Add the cornstarch and whisk until well combined and you have a smooth batter.
- Heat your skillet, frying pan, or wok to medium-high heat or until your vegetable oil is 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
- Coat the shrimp by dipping them into the batter using a heat-resistant slotted spoon or a fork, then allowing the excess batter to drip off of the shrimp before placing them into the heated oil in your skillet.
- Fry the shrimp for 4-5 minutes, or until lightly golden brown. Remove the cooked shrimp to a paper towel-lined plate (or a rack) to remove excess oil.
- Combine sauce ingredients (mayonnaise, sweetened condensed milk, honey, and paprika) in a small bowl, stirring until smooth.
- Toss the cooked shrimp in the sauce, stirring gently to coat evenly. Serve coated shrimp onto your plates, then top with candied walnuts. Garnish with optional sliced green onions, if desired.
Serve immediately once cooked. Garnish your homemade Panda Express Honey Walnut Shrimp with chopped green onions if desired and enjoy!
Looking for more fabulous Panda Express copycat recipes? I’ve made enough that it was time to add a dedicated Panda Express Recipes index page so that you can find all of your favorite entrees, sides, and appetizers quickly!
Panda Express Recipes
- Panda Express Orange Chicken
- Panda Express Shanghai Angus Steak
- Panda Express Chow Mein
- Panda Express Beijing Beef
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📖 Recipe Card
Panda Express Honey Walnut Shrimp {Easy Copycat Recipe}
Ingredients
- 1 cup water
- ⅔ cup sugar
- ½ cup walnut halves
- 4 large egg whites
- ⅔ cup cornstarch
- 1 lb shrimp (peeled, deveined - we used large shrimp)
- 2 tablespoon honey
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon sweetened condensed milk
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- vegetable oil (for frying the shrimp)
- green onion (optional - sliced, for garnish)
(Note: 2x or 3x only changes the ingredient list)
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, bring the water, sugar and walnuts to a low boil and boil for 2-3 minutes. Remove the walnuts to a wire cooling rack to dry.
- In a small to medium bowl, whisk the egg whites until light and foamy. Add the cornstarch and whisk until well combined and you have a smooth batter.
- Heat your skillet, frying pan or wok to medium high heat or until your vegetable oil is 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
- Coat the shrimp by dipping them into the batter using a heat resistant slotted spoon or a fork, then allowing the excess batter to drip off of the shrimp before placing them into the heated oil in your skillet.
- Fry the shrimp for 4-5 minutes, or until lightly golden brown. Remove the cooked shrimp to a paper towel lined plate (or a rack) to remove excess oil.
- Combine sauce ingredients (mayonnaise, sweetened condensed milk, honey and paprika) in a small bowl, stirring until smooth.
- Toss the cooked shrimp in the sauce, stirring gently to coat evenly. Serve coated shrimp onto your plates, then top with candied walnuts. Garnish with optional sliced green onions, if desired.
Danielle says
What brand of mayo do you use?
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
I prefer Hellman's (the same as Best Foods on the west coast) or Duke's brand mayonnaise but any whole egg mayo will add the best flavor. Thanks for asking!
Kevin M says
Yup, this shrimp recipe is better than Panda imo 🙂
Jen says
This recipe was actually better than Panda!
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
Awesome! I happen to think so too. 🙂
Brennan says
Fabulous shrimp!
Jessica says
Is it possible to substitute the walnuts or just omit them all together? Or will that mess up the recipe?
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
You can substitute other nut varieties that you may prefer over walnuts, or omit them. I have to say, I really do not (in general) like nuts in my food. This recipe works well as-is, so maybe try it using a smaller quantity of coated walnuts that you sprinkle on at the end. Taste and add more if you like them. Any which way you choose to make the shrimp, they're just delicious!
Lena says
The best copycat recipe I have tried. The shrimp was fantastic!
Marie says
You mentioned you put mayo in the recipe, but it is not printed in your recipe. Please email me with the amount.
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
Yes, there is definitely mayonnaise! The recipe has been updated to include the 1/4 cup mayo 🙂 Thanks!!
Patsy Downs says
Sorry my mistake not yours. Thank you for the amazing recipe.
Patsy