Panda Express Honey Walnut Shrimp are fried with a tempura batter and quickly tossed in a honey sauce and sweetened walnuts.
Panda Express Honey Walnut Shrimp has been long overdue on the blog. Crispy, sweet and savory, these tempura battered shrimps are the perfectly balanced shrimp dish and the crunchy sweetened walnuts add a wonderful texture. Best part is they’re super easy to make and I don’t charge you the extra $1 for a shrimp entree on the blog! 😉
For months I’ve had it on the calendar and for one reason or another it would get bumped back. Because of that delay I’m writing this post so far removed from when I made these that I am now craving them again!
For shrimp recipes I tend to not be as spontaneous as I am with other proteins. If I have a craving for a steak or pork chops I have a pretty darn good chance one of my favorite grocers will have a sale price I can take advantage of. Shrimp, and seafood in general, doesn’t normally go on sale. If you’re a fan of shrimp, I highly suggest you watch for such sales and that you stock up as much as your freezer will allow so that when you’re having a craving you don’t end up paying more than you need.
Example? As I right this post today I called around to the stores I would normally buy shrimp from. The price for the 18-20 count is $13.99, $18.99 and $14.99 a pound. The shrimp I actually used? $6.99 a pound. I know that the savings isn’t a huge amount, but this dish is a really popular one in our house and we make it often for friends so I routinely make double or triple the recipe. Keeping my eye on sales saves me 20-30 dollars on food costs. Just some food for thought. Also shrimp freezes really well, I wouldn’t recommend this with all proteins but shrimp handle it well.
Keeping track of all the Panda Express copycat recipes here on the blog?
- Panda Express Orange Chicken
- Panda Express Mushroom Chicken
- Panda Express Firecracker Chicken Breast
- Panda Express Chow Mein
- Panda Express Fried Rice
- Panda Express Black Pepper Chicken
- Panda Express Kung Pao Chicken
- Panda Express Beijing Beef
- Panda Express Mandarin Teriyaki Chicken
- Panda Express Sweet and Sour Sauce
- Panda Express String Bean Chicken Breast
- Panda Express Honey Walnut Shrimp (you’re here!)
- Panda Express Cream Cheese Rangoon
- Panda Express Beef and Broccoli
- Panda Express Sweetfire Chicken Breast
Ingredients
- 1 cup water
- 2/3 cup white sugar
- 1/2 cup walnut halves
- 4 egg whites
- 2/3 cup cornstarch
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1 pound large shrimp , 18-20 count, peeled and deveined
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon sweetened condensed milk
- 1 cup vegetable oil for frying
- scallions for topping , optional
Instructions
- Add the water, sugar and walnuts to a small saucepan and bring to a boil.
- Boil for two minutes and remove the walnuts and dry on a dish to dry.
- Whisk the egg whites until they are foamy then add cornstarch and continue whisking until combined.
- Add the shrimp to the batter and one at a time using a fork or my favorite pig tail flipper pick up 1 shrimp at a time allowing it to drip off so that the shrimp has a thin coating and maintains it's shape.
- Heat your oil in a medium sized pot on medium high (350 degrees) and fry until light golden brown, 4-5 minutes.
- To make the sauce, add the honey, mayonnaise and sweetened condensed milk and whisk to combine.
- Add the fried shrimp to the sauce and coat with a large spoon.
- Place into your serving plate and top with the candied walnuts.
- Serve immediately with steamed rice.
- Optionally you can top with sliced scallions.
Nutrition
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Unlike negative reviews that identified over flavor of mayo, I think it came out pretty good for a novice in the kitchen and 1st attempt. I’d gave the sauce pre-made to transfer batch faster. I’m sure they cooled off a bit as I was attempting to dry up some of the excess oil. Your shrimp were beautifully evenly coated. I found to be the case , not to move shrimp once in the pan, and to evenly space so they wouldn’t link up and some egg white pull apart as I attempted to separate them. I’d post mine : )
Thank you for sharing.
Made this tonight and it was DELICIOUS!!! Loved the sauce. I added more honey and sweetened condensed milk until the bitterness of the mayo was subdued. Did take longer then 30 minutes…. But I’m also not the best in the kitchen. Will probably execute the frying of the shrimp differently next time just to make it fit my cooking style. But it was very very good!! Loved it will definitely make again.
I’ve made this recipe twice changing nothing but the state I made it in. The first time was in AZ and it was incredible. The battery stuck to the shrimp and I decided to use this method for all Chinese food. The second time, FL, the batter would not stay on the shrimp. The batter just stuck to the bottom of the pot. If anyone knows what could have changed, please let me know.
Maybe try making sure the shrimp are completely dry before dipping them in the batter so that they adhere better.
This recipe is AMAZING! I just made this and I was really delighted with the results. This is my favorite dish from PE. The recipe was very easy to follow and I actually think this turned out so much better! Thank you for sharing this recipe Sabrina! 🙂
Hi! Thanks for the recipe. I made it last night, and while the flavor profile is close to the Panda version, I agree with others who said there is way too much sauce. Would you consider updating the recipe with a more accurate sauce ratio? Also, I did not get that beautiful golden brown crispy coating like the one in your picture or like the panda version. The cornstarch got kind of crispy on some edges? But it was just an unappealing white and mostly the shrimp was just wet with the mayo sauce. I put the shrimp in right out of the pan so I know it was hot enough. What else might I have done wrong? Does it need flour or cornmeal?
I love this recipe- my three teen daughters do too! So easy, pretty fast and so delish!*! TY so much for sharing this with all of us out here!
Thanks for the 5 star rating.
I tried this recipe, it looked good…but it didn’t taste very good. The shrimp was over cooked to get the batter to brown. The sauce was gross, my family ended up eating cereal. What a waste of shrimp.
I’m sorry you didn’t enjoy it.
I just cooked the shrimp in a little coconut oil instead of frying, and instead of using sweetened condensed milk I used light coconut milk. It still turned out great.
The best I ever made thanks to Sabrina
You’re welcome, George.
This was totally delicious!! We all loved it and I will make it again! But will dry off my shrimp before dipping them in batter to deep fat fry!
Hi Sabrina,
Honey Walnut Shrimp is my favorite Panda Express dish, but I agree with the other person who mentioned their quality has gone down. Sad, really, but probably cutting corners to save money. Anyway, I’m thrilled to try this recipe. I’ve read through the comments and was so pleased to see all the 5 star reviews, but I must say, some of the comments were plain downright rude. Wonder if it’s because you are a trained chef that people can feel free to show the ugly side of their posteriors. Anyhow, off to try this recipe and hope ill manners are just a fluke. (Doubt it)
I hope you enjoy it, Jackie!
Made this tonight for my mom since she misses take out! It’s so great. Made as directed, no changes. Will be adding this to our family recipes!
Next time might add some scallions and maybe some balls of honeydew melon but it certainly doesn’t need it! Excellent!!!!!
Thank you so much for the 5 stars, Jessica. I’m glad to know it was such a hit.
Could you fry these in the air fryer instead of oil?
I’ve not tested it before but if you decide to try, I’d love to know how it turns out.
Honey shrimp
When you put the honey and mayonnaise and condensed milk in the pan do you warm it up
The heat of the shrimp should be enough to melt it. If it doesn’t the shrimp cooled down too much.
I’ve been eyeing this recipe for awhile and finally tried it. Fantastic! The only thing I did differently was I used kikoman’s tempura batter instead. Delicious! Well definitely add to my frequently used recipes. Thanks!
Thanks for the suggestion, Vanessa.
I was surprised. This was mediocre at best. Will not use this recipe again.
Made this today and it is amazing. The only thing I did differently was I only added about a third of the sauce to the shrimp as I was afraid they would become too soggy. Served the remaining sauce on the side and we added sauce to our own plates as we needed. Thank you for a fabulous recipe that will now be a staple in our house.
Thanks for coming back to let me know, Marci.
actually my sauce tasted mostly like mayonnaise. i tried adding another tablespoon of condensed milk to mask the mayo and make sweeter but somehow still only tastes mayo. help?
I mean, it is mayo based but it sound like the shrimp wasn’t hot enough to melt it. If it’s still goopy, you can add it back to the pan to melt but not too long. Hope this helps for next time.
I used kewpie (Japanese mayo). Try that.
Add more honey! I had to do this because I used miracle whip and it gave a very strong vinegar taste, but adding more honey covered that taste really well!!
am i supposed to keep the sugar water from the walnuts ? my sauce was very thick and seemed unflavorful and not sweet enough
No need to keep the sugar water. If it was too thick, it sounds like the shrimp weren’t hot enough to melt down the sauce.
I made this tonight and oh my goodness it was AMAZING I made some fried rice with it and it was so much better than panda!! 100% going to make this again!! But next I’m going to try the orange chicken
First time I made this with cooked shrimp I had in the freezer. I didn’t do the batter. Turned out great. Now I’m making it with chicken. I am sure it will be great!
This recipe is the real deal for all of you Panda Express lovers! I also made it with chicken thighs and it was awesome too! Thanks for sharing this!!! Being able to make one of my favorite restaurant dishes makes me feel great! Youre Awesome Sabrina!
The recipe is good, tasty. But the sauce comes out very think and I had a lot of left overs. Could easily make half the sauce next time.
This was amazing!! My hubby eats this every time we go to Panda Express and he says it’s spot on!!
omg this is so good thank you!!!
I am obsessed with Panda’s honey walnut shrimp, but their quality has gone down and there’s never enough of the honey walnut part… now I get as much as I want and its even better than Panda 😀 at first I thought the glaze sounded weird, but was actually ON POINT! And now that I found your blog, YAAAY, I can’t wait to try all your other copycats!
I’m so glad to have helped with a craving! Thanks for the 5 stars, Myste.
theres no flavor apart from the walnuts and sauce.
Isn’t that all there is?
Omg this tasted amazing! Thank you for sharing this recipe, it’s identical to Panda Express! I will never buy it again 🙂
Thanks, Beth.
Hi! I’m so excited to make this! Question, am I supposed to be adding my whisked egg whites and cornstarch to sugar water left over from the walnuts? Sorry if it’s a stupid question, I am horrible reading recipes lol. TIA
Not a stupid question at all. You’ll be adding the whisked egg whites with just the cornstarch. The sugar water is discarded after the walnuts are done in it. Enjoy!
Oh my goodness! This taste just like the food at Panda Express! I will never buy again at Panda Express because I can make my own. It was soooo DeLish! Thank You!
You’re welcome!! Thanks for the 5 stars.
Just cooked this. Followed the recipe to the letter. It was perfect. Thanks!
I’ll be back to your site again.
My son had a taste for Panda and since we are safe at home, I made this. It’s all going in a matter for 20 min.
I plan on making this tonight but with chicken breast pieces instead of shrimp. Do you think it will come out ok? Have you tried this with chicken?
It’d be great with chicken! Hope you enjoyed it.
This recipe misses the mark. The sweetened condensed milk has no place here. Should replace with a tablespoon of the leftover liquid from glazing the walnuts.
The sweetened condensed milk DOES have a “place” — the sauce would be too runny otherwise. If you’re making a point because you’re a Vegetarian then you should probably not be eating the shrimp either.
Camellia,
Though I agree that the condensed milk does have a purpose in this recipe, I couldn’t help but notice the end of your comment. A vegetarian is someone who doesn’t eat meat, a vegan is someone who doesn’t eat meat or the by products of animals (including milk, cheese, honey and other dairy products), and a pescetarian is someone who doesn’t eat meat, excluding fish.
Not trying to be a know-it-all, just wanted to inform you of the difference between the three. 🙂
I love honey walnut prawns (shrimp) but I just want to referred chicken mushroom and zucchini with steamed white rice at Panda Express. Next Saturday night, I will cook this for my family dinner at home.
I always get this at Panda Express! Love, love, love it!!! Thanks for posting!
It’s one of my go-tos as well! Enjoy!
I have made Copycat Honey Walnut Shrimp before and the shrimp came out nice and crispy. With this recipe, the coating was soft and chewy. I let the excess drip off and the oil was nice and hot, so not sure what went wrong but I’m going to find the other recipe. Also, the mayo mixture was thicker than Panda and the last recipe I used, though the flavor was good.
So sorry it didn’t turn out for you! I haven’t had that happen in the past. If you want to troubleshoot, feel free to email me at contact @ dinnerthendessert . com
So good! Next time I’m DOUBLING the recipe because my 8 year old ate a DOZEN and then asked for more!
Absolutely delicious!! My daughter loves this and can no longer eat Panda Express because of tummy issues. This is perfect! No upset tummy, and it’s quick and easy to make. Thank you so much!!
I’m so glad you all enjoyed it and she’s able to eat it with no issues.
Not sure where the cook time came from on this recipe, but this is not a 30 minute or less recipe. For the amount of time and effort needed for this recipe – I’ll just pay extra at Panda Express.
Absolutely perfect! I personally made like 50% more sauce because I like my stuff to have more sauce (1/3 cup mayo, 1/4 cup honey, 2 tbsp s.c. milk). Love this recipe and I’m so impressed with how accurate it is!
Thanks Lillian.
Hi! Looks delicious but what would you recommend as a replacement for walnuts?? Used to love ordering this when I was younger but I’m allergic to walnuts now :,(
You can try pecans. 🙂
Pecans are tree nuts because some people are allergic to Pecans.
Your comment doesn’t really make sense. Peanuts are NOT tree nuts and some people are allergic to those too, so…
I haven’t tried the recipe yet, so my “5 star Rating” is probably not completely legit, but I didn’t want to bring down the average, and I am sure that it will taste great. The reason I am commenting is that the grocery store Sprouts often has Jumbo (16-20) or even Colossal (13-15) for either $5.99 or $6.99 per pound. Sometimes it is just over the weekend, but often it is all week. Sold in two pound bags. And they taste GREAT. Just thought I would share. I really enjoy your blog, and I am looking forward to trying more of the recipes.
Thanks for the tip! I hope you enjoy it!
Typing this as I sit in the grocery store parking lot. So is the egg whites & cornstarch what makes up the tempura batter? And the mayo, honey and swt. Cond milk is to glaze the shrimp, correct? Thanks for your quick response in advance. 🙂
Sorry I couldn’t get to this sooner, yes the egg and cornstarch makes the batter. The rest is the glaze.
I’ve made this recipe twice so far and it just knocks my socks off, the only thing I changed was instead of do the Mayo honey milk mixture I just used to excess sugar water walnut sauce with honey. To die for!!!
I’m so glad it’s a hit!
Is there any way i could substitute the mayo? I know its silly but i just cant bring myself to willingly add mayo to my food. The thought of it makes me sick. (Had a bad experience as a child).
No, the mayo is a neccessity for this recipe.
Could you use whole milk yogurt or sour cream as a mayo substitute?
Sorry but no, the fat content isn’t high enough. I would try a light mayo instead. 🙂
Can you use meringue powder instead of egg whites?
I’ve not tested this recipe using it so if you decide to try, I’d love to know how it turns out. Thanks!
Does this recipe call for raw shrimp or cooked
You’ll be cooking the shrimp in this recipe. 🙂
Can you freeze this?
No, this is best served immediately.
this recipe totally rules dude!! honey walnut shrimp has been my favourite food all my life and i cant find it where i currently live so im glad im now able to make it whenever i want!!
Fantastic!!
The Honey Walnut shrimp is perfectly delicious, and so easy to make. Love this recipe!
Thanks, Georgia!
Amazing!
Delicious ? thank you for sharing your recipe!!