Ebi Mayo (Fried Shrimp in Mayonnaise Sauce) | Sudachi Recipes (2024)

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Featured Comment:

“The dressing is delicious with the shrimp. I added Furakaki and used Korean Fry mix for the batter (because I had it in the pantry and I wanted to try it). The beer was a wonderful idea. My husband and kids loved the recipe!”

– Colette

What is Ebi Mayo?

Ebi Mayo (エビマヨ) is a delicious and simple dish featuring fried prawns coated in a flavorful mayonnaise-based sauce. The word “ebi” (エビ) is Japanese for prawn or shrimp, and this recipe typically uses medium to large-sized prawns such as whiteleg or giant tiger shrimps.

While my recipe involves making a batter and deep frying, some cooks prefer to coat the prawns in potato starch and fry them in a pan.

The mayonnaise sauce can be used to fully coat the prawns, drizzled over them, or served on the side as a dipping sauce – it’s up to you!

Ebi Mayo was created by the famous chef Shu Tomitoku (周富徳), also known as “Iron Chef.” Tomitoku was Chinese, born in Japan, and significantly contributed to “Chuka Ryori” (Chinese-style Japanese dishes) in Japan.

While on a trip to LA, Shu tried a mayonnaise-flavored shrimp dish and saw its potential. Inspired by the dish, he tried coating the prawns in starch, frying them, and adding extra seasonings to the mayonnaise, thus creating the first Ebi Mayo.

After introducing the recipe on TV, it became a beloved menu item in Chinese restaurants in Japan and a popular dish to make at home.

How I Developed This Recipe

I must say, developing this ebi mayo recipe was so much fun and creative. As I mentioned, this dish is a fusion of Japanese and Chinese, but I decided to fuse one more culture into the mix.

Yes, it is an element of English fish and chips, where I have lived for many years. I incorporated that signature beer batter to create a deliciously light and crispy batter and then tossed them in my own special ebi mayo sauce.

I also paid close attention to the sauce, adding paprika powder and other ingredients to achieve our own best ebi mayo sauce. This recipe is in my personal top 10; it’s a must-try!

Why I Use Beer Batter for This Recipe

In Japan, beer batter in dishes like ebi mayo is uncommon. However, I decided to incorporate beer batter into this recipe to add a personal touch and achieve a crispy texture at its best. I am proud to say that this batter is the best I have ever made.

Beer batter is a popular choice for fish and chips in the UK, often made with light lagers. The use of beer in batter creates a light and crispy texture due to three key components: carbon dioxide, foaming agents, and alcohol. The CO2 is the bubbles in the beer, and when these react with hot oil, they froth up, making the batter airy. You could also achieve a similar effect with soda water, but it still lacks two other things that beer has.

You know when you pour a beer and a foam layer forms at the top? Well, this foam coats the CO2 bubbles and slows the rate at which they pop, essentially stopping the batter from deflating.

It also helps direct the heat to the batter, producing the crispiest coating without overcooking what’s inside.

The alcohol in beer also plays a role by evaporating at a lower temperature than water, resulting in a quicker cooking time and less oil absorption for a crispy and delicious batter.

This versatile batter can be used for prawns, fish, and onion rings. Give it a try and experience the difference for yourself!

Visual Walkthrough & Tips

Here are my step-by-step instructions for how to make Ebi Mayo at home. For ingredient quantities and simplified instructions, scroll down for the Printable Recipe Card below.

STEP

Preparing the Dry Batter Mix and Ebi Mayo Sauce

Begin by whisking together the dry ingredients: cake flour, rice flour, baking powder, and salt and pepper.

To reduce gluten formation and create a superb texture, the dry mix is placed in the freezer until it is time to use it.

Only the dry ingredients for now

Remember, hold off on adding the beer at this point.

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Then, grab a bowl (large and wide if you’re coating the shrimp, small if you’re dipping) and combine the sauce ingredients: Japanese mayonnaise, condensed milk, tomato ketchup, rice vinegar, soy sauce, lemon juice, and paprika powder.

Mix until smooth and set aside. Trust me, this sauce is a game-changer.

STEP

Cleaning The Shrimp

Place deveined and deshelled shrimps in a bowl and rub the surface with cornstarch and a couple of pinches of salt. Rinse with cold water and pat them dry.

This one step makes the shrimp even tastier.

STEP

Preheating the Oil

Heat your oil to a sizzling 180-190°C (356−374°F). The oil temperature should be this high for this batter. I use a contactless cooking thermometer when deep-frying. I recommend this because it is convenient to use, no matter your pot!

Also, drop garlic cloves while preheating to infuse the oil with flavor (optional) and remove them before they start to burn.

STEP

Coating the Shrimp

Dust your shrimp with cornstarch. This little trick ensures the batter clings to them.

Then, remove your dry batter mix from the freezer and stir in chilled lager beer (or plain soda water). Once the oil is hot, thoroughly dip each prawn into this batter and place them straight into the oil.

STEP

Frying

Fry the prawns in batches (in my case, two batches). Avoid overcrowding; we want each prawn to cook evenly. They’ll need about 3 minutes until they’re a lovely golden brown.

Keep an eye on that garlic if you haven’t already removed it. When it’s dark brown, it’s done its job. Fish it out and discard or eat!

STEP

Coating with Ebi Mayo Sauce

As each batch finishes frying, transfer the shrimp to a wire rack. This lets any extra oil drip away.

Once all the prawns are fried and looking delicious, toss them in that fantastic mayo sauce we prepared earlier.

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However, the trick is to mix gently in a wide bowl, as mixing too hard risks the batter to flake off.

STEP

Serving Up

Plate your shrimps, and give them a sprinkle of dried parsley for that extra touch!

Jump to Full Recipe Measurements

How to Store

If you want to preserve the quality of shrimp mayo, it’s best not to store it after it has been battered, deep-fried, and tossed with sauce.

The crispy batter will lose its texture if stored. It’s recommended only to prepare the amount you can eat.

If you have leftover sauce, you can store it in the fridge in a sealed container for about 1 week.

I hope you enjoy this Ebi Mayo recipe! If you try it out, I’d really appreciate it if you could spare a moment to let me know what you thought by giving a review and star rating in the comments below. It’s also helpful to share any adjustments you made to the recipe with our other readers.Thank you!