Shrimp Chips Recipe: Make Prawn Crackers At Home

Shrimp chips or prawn crackers are a delicious gluten-free snack many love due to their crispy texture and subtle seafood sweetness. In our recipe, you will learn about the background of this delightful Asian snack, its different varieties, and how to prepare it perfectly at home.

From the As to the Zs of this tasty treat, here is our guide to everything you need to know about shrimp chips.

Jump to:

• What Is A Shrimp Chip Made Of?
• Cooking Tips
• Shrimp Chips | Chinese Prawn Crackers
• Different Types
• How Long Do Shrimp Chips Last?

What Is A Shrimp Chip Made Of?

Traditionally, Chinese prawn crackers are made of dried shrimp and tapioca flour. The mixture is ground to a fine powder and then mixed with water to create dough. Next, it is pressed into thin sheets, cut into individual crackers, and dried.

These dried crackers are packaged and sold to be deep-fried by individual consumers. Most brands of shrimp chips also contain seasonings such as MSG and black and white pepper. They are also often dyed in various exotic colours, such as purple and hot pink. This is to appear more attractive to consumers.

Cooking Tips

Before we teach you how to use dried crackers to make your own shrimp chips at home, here are some tips on cooking them.

Type of oil

Use a neutral-flavoured oil, such as grapeseed, vegetable, or canola. The oil used to deep-fry these dishes can be reused for many other purposes. Let it cool, and then strain it into a storage container for later.

Oil temperature

The oil needs to be at least 165 degrees Celsius (330 degrees Fahrenheit). Otherwise, it may not be hot enough to cook the oil properly.

One way to test whether the oil is hot enough is to fry one piece of shrimp chip first. Drop the piece into the oil, and if it's hot enough, it should float and expand within 5 seconds. If it does not, let the oil heat up further and test with another piece.

If the oil is not hot enough, you will see that the pieces cooked may have some brown spots. If the oil is hot enough, it should cook evenly with no odd colouration.

If you deep-fry often, consider investing in an oil splatter guard. It will help to shield you from hot oil and reduce grease on your kitchen top. Once you have this, your frying-in-the-kitchen experience will no longer be frightful.

Air Frying

An alternative method is air frying. Soak the raw chips in oil, then pop them into the air fryer to cook at 200 degrees Celcius (395 degrees Fahrenheit) for 2 to 3 minutes.

The chips will turn out smaller in size and less crispy, but they are slightly less oily and still nice to munch on. We still prefer the deep-fried method, but air frying is a good alternative.

While some online recipes may suggest using a microwave, we do not recommend it. When we tested it ourselves, the chips did not expand evenly, and some parts were still raw.

Prawn crackers probably originated in Sumatra, Indonesia in the late 16th century and have since remained a popular, traditional snack in Southeast Asia. They can be eaten at any time of day. The most usual times to consume them are as a teatime snack in the evening and late morning. 

With the commercialization of many traditional Asian snacks, shrimp chips are more widely available. Many companies sell them in plastic packaging, as a substitute for potato chips.

Because of their relatively healthier nature, they are extremely popular in Asian convenience stores. Even Western consumers can enjoy this snack as it is higher in protein and lower in carbohydrates than potato chips.

Additionally, the distinctly Asian flavour profile provides an element of novelty to the usual banality of packaged snacks. This repackaging of old favourite dishes has also been a huge part of the culinary renaissance of Asia, boosting the popularity of this cuisine worldwide.

Different Types

There are various different varieties of shrimp chips. Some of the most prominent and widely available ones are listed below. 

In case you want to know where to buy these varieties, check your local Asian grocery market. In some cases, as specified below, they can be bought online.

Chinese Prawn Crackers

These are usually dyed solid colours and contain cornstarch as a binder and thickener. This means that this Chinese snack tastes more like noodles than potato chips.

These shrimp chips are sold uncooked. Thus, they store well and thus can be bought online and shipped overseas. 

This light snack is also particularly a crowd-pleaser in social gatherings in Asia. Not only for their tastiness but also cause they usually come in a variety of colours such as pink, yellow, green and white!

One serving is 81 calories when cooked without fat. It also has 21 grams of carbohydrates. You can find them on Amazon to be delivered to your home.

Uncooked Prawn Crackers 8 oz, (Pack of 2)
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Japanese Shrimp Chips

Similar to many Japanese treats like mochi, the Japanese style of prawn crackers uses rice flour or puffed rice as a binding agent. This means its texture is generally less hard, and its taste is less strong than the Chinese variety. 

One serving is 130 calories, with 5 grams of fat, 20g of carbohydrates, and no sugar. So, if you prefer rice to noodles, or if you want to buy precooked shrimp chips, try this variety.

A popular Japanese brand that we highly recommend is Calbee.

Calbee Shrimp Chips Original, 4 oz (Pack of 3)
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Korean Shrimp Crackers

These crackers contain wheat flour and soy sauce to add an extra umami tang. Moreover, if you prefer crisp, bready crackers, these are for you.

One serving contains 140 calories, with 5 grams of fat, 18 grams of carbohydrates, and 6 grams of sugar.

Nongshim is a popular one in Korea, and we highly recommend you try it. You can order it online and have it delivered to your home.

Nongshim Shrimp Cracker, 5.28 oz (Pack of 2)
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Thai Prawn Cracker

These shrimp chips contain sweet Thai chilli and traditional tapioca flour. Each serving is a mere 108 calories when cooked without fat, with 22 grams of carbohydrates.

You should decide which preparation is right for you based on your flavour and textural preferences as well as your nutrition requirements.

How Long Do Shrimp Chips Last?

Uncooked, the sealed package can last for years. However, we note that the opened package of uncooked crackers can last for up to a year. This is if it is kept away from air, moisture, and sunlight.

Once fried, the chips should be ideally consumed within 2 hours. That is when the snack retains most of its crispiness and sweetness.

If you would like to keep the fried crackers for longer, we recommend storing them in a vacuum-sealed container. That should keep their texture crispy for one or two days. 

Shrimp chips are a readily available and customizable addition to anyone’s snack arsenal. 

If you want to expand your culinary horizons without putting a strain on your wallet, this article should have helped you. Even those just looking for a new, easy, favourite, crowd-pleasing party dish can learn something from the information provided in this article.

Here’s to many more culinary journeys. Bon appetit.