How to Make Fried Shrimp & Fried Oysters at Home

Eating at Gaido’s Restaurant in Galveston reminded me of my mother’s wonderful shrimp and oysters with the best tartar and cocktail sauce that we served at our little restaurant, the Alta Loma Café. We decided to try and replicate it and to adapt Gaido’s Lettuce Wedge to go with it.

Heading out for fresh seafood, we went to Hillman’s Seafood, down Highway146.

We wanted jumbo shrimp and oysters. Gathering our big daddy shrimp, we bought a gallon oysters and dashed home. Time to fry!

Fried Shrimp & Fried Oysters Recipe.pdf

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Fried Shrimp & Fried Oysters

Recipe By: Karen Hand Allen (www.karenhandallen.com) 

These tasty morsels are not only the most delicious, delectable and delicate seafood caught fresh from the Gulf, but when served hot straight from the fryer and paired with creamy Tartar or tangy Cocktail Sauce, you’ll think you’ve died and gone to heaven. Share if you must, these little nibbles will have you drooling in anticipation for your next bite. Don’t count on being able to eat just one, that’s an old fish tale, cause after your first, you’ll be hooked for life! 

Servings: 8-10

Prep Time: Shrimp 30 mins | Oysters 15 mins | Cooking Time: 2-3 mins per batch | Rest Time: none | Total Time: about 60  mins

Ingredients:  3 cups all-purpose flour 2 tablespoons Tony Chachere’s Seasoning 2 lbs jumbo shrimp, peeled, tails left on, and deveined  3 quarts vegetable oil

Instructions: Fried Shrimp Directions For the flour: Spread flour evenly in large-rimmed sheet pan. Set aside. For the shrimp: Peel shrimp, removing head, shell, leaving tail. With small knife, devein shrimp by running sharp knife along back of shrimp, pulling out vein. Wash shrimp under cold water. Pat dry with paper towels. In large bowl, put shrimp and coat with Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning. Dredge each seasoned shrimp in flour mixture, pressing down with heel of palm to flatten. Heat the oil in large frying pan to 350 degrees. Cook shrimp in oil 2-3 minutes, don’t overcrowd or overcook.  Fried Oyster Directions For the flour: Use remaining flour in sheet pan, add more if need be. Set aside.  For the oysters: Remove oysters from container, and feel for bits of oyster shell, discard. Pour oysters in medium bowl, draining liquid well. Coat oysters, with remaining Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning. Dredge each seasoned oyster in flour mixture. Heat oil in large frying pan to 350 degrees, (use same pan you cooked shrimp in). Cook shrimp in oil 2-3 minutes, don’t overcrowd or overcook.

Serving Suggestion: Serve with buttered crusty French bread, lettuce wedge salad, tartar sauce, and cocktail sauce.