Low carb breaded shrimp, a.k.a keto fried shrimp, are coated in pork rinds, sprayed with oil, then baked in the oven until hot and crispy.
These keto fried shrimp look breaded, don’t they? But they’re not! The secret: crushed pork rinds, which make a fabulous low-carb substitute.
Keto substitutions for breadcrumbs
I find that there are three wonderful low carb/ keto substitutes to breadcrumbs: almond flour, pork rinds, and grated Parmesan. All of them can absorb liquids, so they work well in a meatloaf, for example. And all of them, when fried or when sprayed with oil and baked, become golden and crisp, just like breadcrumbs.
After I started eating low carb, it took me a while to realize that I do not need to give up crispy foods! There are ways to recreate crispiness on a low carb or keto diet. After baking these keto fried shrimp in a hot oven, they become crisp, golden, and absolutely delicious. And if you choose wild-caught U.S. shrimp, they are also healthy.
Even though these keto fried shrimp are actually oven fried, they come out nice and crispy. And since I find baking much easier than frying, I never bothered trying to pan fry them.
How to serve keto fried shrimp?
These keto fried shrimp are wonderful on their own. You can also make a dip to dip them in – try 1/2 cup mayonnaise with 1 tablespoon hot sauce, 1 tablespoon Dijon and 1 tablespoon unsweetened ketchup.
What side dishes go with keto fried shrimp?
Since I bake them in a 450°F oven, I like to serve them with side dishes that I can cook in the same oven. So I often serve them with roasted green beans or with roasted broccoli.
What about leftovers?
I actually don’t recommend keeping leftovers. The coating will become soggy while stored in the fridge. So try to only make as much as you anticipate eating right away. If you must, you can store leftovers in the fridge, in an airtight container, for up to 3 days. Reheat them in a 300F oven.
More shrimp recipes you might like
Like shrimp? Then check out my collection of shrimp recipes! A couple of my very favorites are this easy and tasty shrimp scampi recipe, and these flavorful baked parmesan shrimp.
Low Carb “Breaded” Shrimp
INGREDIENTS
- Olive oil cooking spray
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 4 oz plain pork rinds, processed in food processor into crumbs
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan
- 16 oz jumbo shrimp (21-25 per lb., peeled and deveined, patted dry)
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and spray it with olive oil.
- In a medium bowl, lightly whisk the egg.
- In another medium bowl, whisk the crushed pork rinds with the salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika and Parmesan. Divide into two separate bowls – this will ensure the pork rind crumbs stay as dry as possible, making it easier to coat the shrimp.
- Place a few shrimp at a time in the egg to coat. Allow excess egg to drip back, then roll each shrimp in the pork rind mixture.
- Transfer the coated shrimp to the prepared baking sheet. Make sure they don’t touch each other.
- Generously spray the shrimp with olive oil. Bake until cooked through, about 10 minutes. Serve the keto fried shrimp immediately.
