Hot Honey Fried Shrimp
Jumbo shrimp marinated in seasoned buttermilk, fried to a shattering golden crunch, then glazed in glossy hot honey butter. Sweet, spicy, sticky and crispy all at once — served with cool ranch for dipping, these vanish in minutes.
By Hanan · Salt & Hearth
Published July 14, 2026 · Updated July 27, 2026
Full quantities, times and temperatures · How we make this site
Prep
45 min
Cook
15 min
Total
60 min
Serves
4
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There's a reason fried shrimp with hot honey shows up on every buzzy restaurant menu right now — that contrast of shattering, craggy crust against sticky-sweet, chili-spiked butter is just addictive. Here the shrimp get a double flavor hit: first soaking in a buttermilk-hot sauce marinade loaded with Old Bay and cayenne, then pressed into a cornstarch-flour dredge that fries up seriously crunchy. The hot honey butter comes together in the same skillet's worth of time it takes to fry, so you're pulling shrimp straight from the oil into a glossy glaze while they're still crackling hot. Serve them with cold ranch for dipping and this is the kind of appetizer that disappears before you even sit down. Make it for game day, a backyard cookout, or any weeknight when you want something a little indulgent that's ready in under an hour.
Why you'll love this recipe
- Shatteringly crisp crust thanks to cornstarch and flour
- Sweet heat glaze hits every note at once
- Buttermilk marinade keeps shrimp juicy inside
- Ready in about an hour, mostly hands-off
- Cool ranch dip balances the spicy glaze
Ingredients
Shrimp marinade
- 1.5 lb extra large jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 egg
- 3 tbsp hot sauce
- 2 tsp Old Bay seasoning
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp paprika
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
Dredge
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup cornstarch
- 2 tsp Old Bay seasoning
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp cayenne
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Hot honey sauce
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1/2 cup hot sauce
- 1/2–2/3 cup honey (adjust to taste)
- Splash of apple cider vinegar
Other
- Neutral oil, for frying (canola, vegetable or avocado)
- Ranch, for dipping
- Chopped parsley, to garnish
Ingredient notes & substitutions
- Jumbo shrimp:
- Extra-large or jumbo shrimp hold up best to frying without overcooking — smaller shrimp will cook through in under 2 minutes, so watch them closely if that's what you have.
- Buttermilk:
- It tenderizes the shrimp and helps the seasoning cling; in a pinch, sub 1 cup milk with a tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar stirred in.
- Cornstarch:
- Mixed with the flour, it's the secret to that craggy, extra-crunchy dredge — don't skip it or the coating will be softer and more bread-like.
- Hot sauce (marinade and glaze):
- A classic Louisiana-style hot sauce like Frank's works well; use a milder one if you want to tone down the heat without losing tang.
- Honey:
- Start with 1/2 cup and add more to taste — the amount you use directly controls how sweet versus how spicy the final glaze tastes.
- Old Bay seasoning:
- It's used in both the marinade and the dredge for layered flavor, so don't sub it out; Cajun seasoning is the closest swap if you're out.
Method
- 1
Whisk the buttermilk, egg, hot sauce and all the marinade seasonings in a large bowl. Add the shrimp and toss to coat.
- 2
Cover and marinate at least 30 minutes (up to 4 hours) in the fridge.
- 3
Combine the flour, cornstarch and dredge seasonings in a separate bowl.
- 4
Lift the shrimp from the marinade, letting the excess drip off, and press each one firmly into the flour mixture for a craggy coating. For extra crunch, rest the coated shrimp on a wire rack for 10 minutes before frying.
- 5
Heat oil in a deep skillet or pot to 350°F (175°C).
- 6
Fry the shrimp in batches for 2–3 minutes, flipping halfway, until golden and crispy. Drain on a wire rack.
- 7
Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, whisk in the hot sauce, honey and a splash of apple cider vinegar, and simmer 1–2 minutes until glossy.
- 8
Toss the shrimp in the hot honey sauce — or drizzle it over for maximum crispiness — garnish with parsley and serve immediately with ranch.
- 9
bon appetit..
Tips
- Drizzling instead of tossing keeps the crust crispier for photos and serving.
- Resting the dredged shrimp 10 minutes before frying helps the coating stick and crunch.
- Don't crowd the pan — fry in batches so the oil temperature holds at 350°F.
Variations to try
- Swap shrimp for boneless chicken tenders or thighs cut into strips, frying a bit longer until cooked through
- Make it milder by cutting the cayenne in both the marinade and dredge and using a mild hot sauce in the glaze
- Turn up the heat with a spoonful of cayenne or a dash of ghost pepper sauce stirred into the honey butter
- Bake instead of fry: coat shrimp, spray generously with oil, and bake at 425°F on a wire rack for 8-10 minutes, flipping once, then toss in the glaze
Storage & make-ahead
These are best eaten immediately while the crust is still crackling, since the hot honey glaze will soften the coating the longer it sits. If you do have leftovers, store shrimp and glaze separately in the fridge for up to 2 days, then reheat the shrimp in a hot oven or air fryer until crisp before tossing with warmed glaze. This recipe isn't a great candidate for freezing after frying, since the crust turns soggy on thawing — if you want to prep ahead, freeze the shrimp marinating or dredged (uncooked) and fry straight from frozen, adding a minute or two to the cook time.
Frequently asked questions
- Can I make the hot honey glaze ahead of time?
- Yes, the butter, hot sauce and honey mixture keeps well in the fridge for up to a week — just rewarm it gently on the stove until it's pourable before glazing the shrimp.
- Why is my coating falling off during frying?
- Make sure to let the excess marinade drip off before dredging, press the shrimp firmly into the flour mixture, and let them rest on a wire rack for 10 minutes before frying so the coating has time to set.
- How do I know the oil is at the right temperature without a thermometer?
- Drop a pinch of the flour mixture into the oil — if it sizzles and rises to the surface within a couple of seconds, you're close to 350°F; if it browns instantly, let the oil cool slightly first.
- Toss or drizzle the glaze — which is better?
- Tossing coats every bite evenly but softens the crust faster, while drizzling keeps more of that crunch intact — go with drizzling if you're serving these right away and want maximum crispiness.
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