Succulent jumbo prawns coated with panko breadcrumbs and fried till golden brown, this crunchy Japanese fried shrimp called Ebi Fry (Ebi Furai) is a popular Western-style (yoshoku) dish in Japan. Enjoy it with tartar sauce or tonkatsu sauce!

A white plate containing Ebi Fry served with tartar sauce.

Children love shrimp when it’s coated with crispy panko and deep-fried until crunchy! Ebi fry, or as we call it ebi furai (エビフライ, 海老フライ), is a classic Western-style Japanese dish and a popular item included in okosama set (children’s meals) at family restaurants in Japan. Let me show you how easy it is to make this delicious Ebi Fry recipe at home.

What is Ebi Fry?

Ebi fry is a Japanese fried shrimp made with succulent extra jumbo prawns coated with panko (Japanese breadcrumbs) and fried till golden brown. The preparation is similar to Tonkatsu (Japanese pork cutlets) and Korokke (Japanese croquettes).

Ebi fry is a very popular yoshoku dish, as Japanese-style Western dishes are known. Yoshoku cuisine originated during the Meiji Restoration between 1868 and early 1900 when Western culture and influence was widely introduced to Japan. Besides ebi fry, other popular yoshoku dishes include:

Besides ebi fry, other popular yoshoku dishes include Curry Rice (karē raisu カレーライス), Japanese Hamburger Steak (hambāgu ハンバーグ), Tonkatsu (トンカツ) or Chicken Katsu (chicken cutlet チキンカツ), Korokke (コロッケ), and Omurice (Japanese omelette rice オムライス). As you can see, these “new” Japanese Western-style dishes are written in katakana.

What’s The Secret to a Crunchy Crust? Panko!

Made from Japanese white bread without the crusts, panko (パン粉) is flaky, coarse, and airy compared to regular breadcrumbs. These airy flakes give a nice crunchy texture to deep-fried food, and it’s quite addicting.

Instead of a batter, panko is the secret to ultra-crunchy ebi fry, korokke, and tonkatsu. Although deep-fried, the crispy coating is very light because the large Japanese panko flakes don’t absorb as much grease. It yields the kind of crust that you can actually hear when you bite into it. No regular breadcrumbs can beat that!

Choose a Japanese brand of panko bread crumbs instead of an American brand, as they are slightly different.

A white plate containing Ebi Fry served with tartar sauce.

Ingredients You’ll Need

  • prawns – use extra jumbo or colossal size such as black tiger prawns
  • kosher salt – I use Diamond Crystal brand
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • all-purpose flour (plain flour)
  • large eggs – for dredging the prawns; I don’t dilute it, but you can make an egg mixture with a splash of water or milk
  • panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
  • neutral oil – for deep-frying
  • parsley – optional, for garnish

For the Tartar Sauce

  • large eggs
  • onion
  • pickle – cornichons or gherkins also work well
  • kosher salt and black pepper – to taste
  • lemon
  • Japanese Kewpie mayonnaise

How to Make Ebi Fry (Fried Shrimp)

This dish is easy to make!

  1. Make the tartar sauce. Chill in the fridge until ready to serve.
  2. Clean and straighten the shrimp. See the next section for details.
  3. Bread the shrimp. I double dredge in flour and egg before breading in the panko.
  4. Deep fry in batches until golden brown. Drain the excess oil on a wire rack or a paper towel-lined tray.
A white plate containing Ebi Fry served with tartar sauce.

Make the Prawns Straight for Ebi Fry

Normally, shellfish like shrimp and prawns will curl when they’re cooked. However, ebi fry has a signature elongated shape. This straight form makes the prawns easier to bread and deep-fry. It also makes the ebi fry easier to pick up, dip into sauce, and bite for the perfect finger food for kids.

How do we prepare shrimp and prawns so they stay straight when cooked? It’s easy to do! We peel and devein them, then cut slits on the underside (belly). Clean them in potato starch/cornstarch and a couple tablespoons of sake, rinse (no need to pat shrimp dry), and they’re ready to use.

For detailed instructions with step-by-step photos, see my tutorial on how to prepare shrimp for ebi fry. We also use this handy Japanese technique for shrimp tempura, which also work well in the rolled sushi Dragon Roll.

Homemade Japanese Tartar Sauce

We typically serve ebi fry with Japanese tartar sauce or tonkatsu sauce. I personally prefer the flavor of tonkatsu sauce, but today I made homemade tartar sauce since it goes so well with fried seafood. If you prefer a spicy sauce, try dipping it in my easy Homemade Spicy Mayo.

Ebi Fry in a Japanese sweet bread roll.

Freeze Extra Ebi Fry for Meal Prep

I usually make a lot of ebi fry at once and freeze them once they are deep-fried and cool. It’s a great meal prep strategy for those busy weekday dinners. I also love making Ebi Fry Sandwich with soft dinner rolls (called butter rolls or バターロール in Japanese) from a Japanese bakery. They are so delicious with fried shrimp!

Ebi fry are a very common menu item in bento (Japanese lunch box). My son almost always selects an Ebi Fry Bento at bento shops when we travel in Japan. He doesn’t look at what else is in the lunch bento; he just wants that fried shrimp!

What to Serve With Ebi Fry

I serve ebi fry on a bed of shredded cabbage with sliced tomatoes and a lemon wedge to squeeze the juice on top. For a complete meal, try adding rice, soup, another protein dish, and a side dish or two:

A white plate containing Ebi Fry served with tartar sauce.

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A white plate containing Ebi Fry served with tartar sauce.

Ebi Fry (Japanese Fried Shrimp)

4.75 from 12 votes
Succulent jumbo prawns coated with panko breadcrumbs and fried till golden brown, this crunchy Japanese fried shrimp called Ebi Fry (Ebi Furai) is a popular Western-style (yoshoku) dish in Japan. Enjoy it with tartar sauce or tonkatsu sauce!
Prep Time: 45 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings: 4

Ingredients
 
 

For the Tartar Sauce

For the Garnish

  • parsley (optional)
Japanese Ingredient Substitution: If you want substitutes for Japanese condiments and ingredients, click here.

Instructions
 

  • Gather all the ingredients.
    Ebi Fry Ingredients

To Make the Tartar Sauce

  • Let’s make the Tartar Sauce first. We start with boiling eggs. I learned this method at Home Economics in elementary school and still practice till now. Put water in a saucepan, and gently add 2 large eggs (50 g each w/o shell). Make sure the eggs are completely covered by water. Bring the water to boil on medium heat. Meanwhile you rotate the eggs with chopsticks or a spoon once in a while (this is a tip to make sure the egg yolk will be in center). Once the water boils, lower heat but keep the water boiling (but don’t let the eggs jumping around) for the next 12 minutes. Discard the water and run under cold water. When eggs are almost cool, they are ready to peel.
    Ebi Fry 1
  • Meanwhile, dice ¼ onion finely and soak the onion in cold water for 10 minutes to get rid of the bitter flavor.
    Ebi Fry 2
  • Finely chop 1 pickle.
    Ebi Fry 3
  • Drain the onion after 10 minutes. Put it the center of paper towel and squeeze the excess water out.
    Ebi Fry 4
  • In a bowl, break the eggs into small pieces with a fork.
    Ebi Fry 5
  • Add the pickles, the onion, Diamond Crystal kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper and squeeze some juice from ½ lemon. Then, add 4 Tbsp Japanese Kewpie mayonnaise (and chopped parsley) and mix all together. Cover and keep it in the fridge until the Ebi Fry is ready.
    Ebi Fry 6

To Make the Ebi Fry

  • Ebi Fry’s prawns are very straight. You can follow my directions to make straight shrimp.
    How To Prepare Shrimp for Shrimp Tempura | Easy Japanes Recipes at JustOneCookbook.com
  • Season 1 lb prawn with Diamond Crystal kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
    Ebi Fry 7
  • Dredge the prawns with ½ cup all-purpose flour (plain flour), and then 3 large eggs (50 g each w/o shell), beaten. (I do not dilute the egg mixture, but you can do so with 1 Tbsp of water or milk.) Next, you usually go to panko, but for Ebi Fry, you double dredge with flour and egg. So after the egg, you go back to the flour and then the beaten egg a second time. Finally, coat in 2 cups panko (Japanese breadcrumbs). Don’t forget to shake off the excess.
    Ebi Fry 8
  • Heat 4 cups neutral oil to 350ºF (180ºC). If you‘re new to deep-frying, here‘s my tip on how to deep-fry.
    Ebi Fry 9
  • Gently put 2–3 prawns in oil and deep fry them for about 2½ minutes, or until golden brown. Transfer the Ebi Fry onto a wire rack or paper towel-lined tray to remove the excess oil.
    Ebi Fry 10
  • Between batches, make sure to scoop up the bread crumbs to keep the oil clean. These burnt crumbs make the oil dark.
    Ebi Fry 11

To Store

  • You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 3–4 days and in the freezer for a month.

Nutrition

Calories: 436 kcal · Carbohydrates: 26 g · Protein: 12 g · Fat: 31 g · Saturated Fat: 6 g · Polyunsaturated Fat: 16 g · Monounsaturated Fat: 8 g · Trans Fat: 1 g · Cholesterol: 238 mg · Sodium: 474 mg · Potassium: 186 mg · Fiber: 2 g · Sugar: 3 g · Vitamin A: 379 IU · Vitamin C: 8 mg · Calcium: 88 mg · Iron: 3 mg
Author: Namiko Hirasawa Chen
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Japanese
Keyword: shrimp
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4.75 from 12 votes (10 ratings without comment)
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