Ukoy Filipino Shrimp Fritters (Printer-friendly)

Crispy golden fritters with fresh shrimp and vegetables for a satisfying crunchy snack.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Seafood

01 - 7 ounces small shrimps, shell on, well cleaned

→ Vegetables

02 - 1 cup mung bean sprouts
03 - 1 small sweet potato, julienned
04 - 1 small carrot, julienned
05 - 1 small onion, thinly sliced
06 - 2 stalks spring onions, chopped

→ Batter

07 - 1 cup all-purpose flour
08 - 1/4 cup cornstarch
09 - 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
10 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
11 - 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
12 - 1 cup cold water

→ For Frying

13 - 2 cups vegetable oil

→ Optional Dipping Sauce

14 - 1/4 cup vinegar
15 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
16 - 1 red chili, chopped
17 - Pinch of salt

# How-To Guide:

01 - Combine flour, cornstarch, baking powder, salt, and pepper in a large mixing bowl. Gradually whisk in cold water until smooth and thick.
02 - Add mung bean sprouts, sweet potato, carrot, onion, and spring onions to the batter. Mix thoroughly to coat all vegetables.
03 - Gently fold shrimps into the batter and vegetable mixture until evenly distributed.
04 - Heat vegetable oil in a deep frying pan over medium-high heat until hot.
05 - Scoop approximately 1/4 cup of mixture and carefully drop into hot oil. Lightly flatten to form a disc. Fry 2-3 fritters at a time to prevent overcrowding.
06 - Cook each fritter for 3-4 minutes per side until golden brown and crispy.
07 - Remove fritters with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.
08 - Combine vinegar, minced garlic, chopped chili, and salt in a small bowl. Stir until salt dissolves.
09 - Serve Ukoy hot immediately with the prepared dipping sauce on the side.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The shrimps stay incredibly juicy inside their crispy shell, giving you sweet bursts of seafood in every bite
  • These fritters come together in under 40 minutes but taste like something you'd wait hours for at a street vendor
  • The batter creates this gorgeous, lacy network of crunch that somehow stays light despite being deep-fried
02 -
  • Cold batter is absolutely crucial—warm or room-temperature batter will absorb too much oil and turn greasy
  • Crowding the pan drops the oil temperature dramatically, resulting in soggy, pale fritters instead of crispy ones
  • The vinegar sauce needs to sit for at least 5 minutes to let the garlic and chili flavors infuse properly
03 -
  • Rice flour instead of cornstarch gives an even lighter, more delicate crisp that some prefer
  • The shrimps can be peeled if you have guests who might be bothered by shells
  • Letting the batter rest for 10 minutes before frying helps the vegetables soften slightly

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