Chinese Shrimp Balls Appetizer (2024)

Rhonda Parkinson

Rhonda Parkinson is a freelance writer who has authored many cookbooks, including two Everything guides to Chinese cooking.

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Updated on 07/14/21

Tested by

Diana Rattray

Tested byDiana Rattray

Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes and articles in her 20 years as a food writer.

Learn about The Spruce Eats'Editorial Process

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Ingredients

1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
Vegetable oil, for frying
1/2 cup canned sliced water chestnuts, drained, or 8 whole peeled water chestnuts
See Also
Baby Red Potato Salad (Light on Mayo)
1/2 medium green onion
1/2 teaspoon grated ginger
2 teaspoons light soy sauce
1 teaspoon rice wine, or rice vinegar
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon sesame oil
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper, or to taste
1 large large egg
3 teaspoons cornstarch

Gather the ingredients.
Soak the shrimp in warm, lightly salted water for 5 minutes. Pre heat the oil for deep-frying to 350 F.
Rinse in cold water, drain, and pat dry with paper towels.
If using canned water chestnuts, run them under warm water to remove any tinny taste. Drain.
Mince the shrimp and water chestnuts.
In a medium bowl, combine the minced shrimp and water chestnuts. Mix in the chopped green onion, grated ginger, soy sauce, rice wine, sugar, sesame oil, pepper, egg white, and cornstarch.
Form the mixture into small balls, approximately 1 inch in diameter (about half the size of a golf ball).
Carefully add the shrimp balls to the hot oil, adding only a few at a time so as not to overcrowd the wok. Deep-fry the balls, turning constantly, until they are crisp and golden (3 to 4 minutes). Remove the shrimp balls from the hot oil and drain them on paper towels.
Serve the shrimp balls with sweet and sour sauce, plum sauce, or hot mustard.

The shrimp mixture is quite wet. To make shaping easier, moisten your hands with a little water.
When adding the shrimp balls to the hot oil, stir gently a few times to keep them from sticking together.
For ease of dipping, you can skewer each on a co*cktail toothpick. This works for both passed appetizers and those presented on a tray buffet-style for self-service.

This recipe keeps it simple, but if you want more texture, you could roll the shrimp balls in a plate of panko breadcrumbs before deep-frying. Or, cut wonton skins into small strips and roll the shrimp balls in them before deep-frying.
Add some heat to the shrimp balls with about 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of Asian chili paste.
Make a fast and easy dipping sauce by combining 1 1/2 teaspoons of minced garlic, 1/3 cup of light soy sauce, 1/4 cup of rice vinegar, 4 teaspoons of sesame oil, and 2 teaspoons of chili oil.
For gluten-free shrimp balls, make sure the cornstarch is labeled gluten-free and use a gluten-free soy sauce.

Transfer leftover fried shrimp balls to a shallow container and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
For longer storage, freeze the shrimp balls in an airtight container or zip-close freezer bag for up to 3 months.
To reheat shrimp balls, place them on a rack on a baking sheet and bake in a preheated 375 F oven for about 4 minutes, or until hot. If they are frozen, heat for about 7 to 10 minutes. The internal temperature should be at least 165 F, the minimum safe temperature for leftovers (USDA).

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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6
Amount per serving
Calories	229
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 14g	18%
Saturated Fat 2g	8%
Cholesterol 191mg	64%
Sodium 851mg	37%
Total Carbohydrate 6g	2%
Dietary Fiber 0g	1%
Total Sugars 1g
Protein 19g
Vitamin C 1mg	3%
Calcium 76mg	6%
Iron 0mg	3%
Potassium 213mg	5%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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