Jeff Misenti
April 1, 2026
Difficulty Level: easy
20 min Prep
10 min Cook
30 min Total
4 Servings
Shrimp toast is a fantastic crowd-pleasing starter that offers crispy textures and strong flavors. It’s the perfect recipe for anyone looking to cook something fast, that needs to look impressive.
Once you break it down, it’s quite simple. It’s shrimp paste over bread, fried to crispy perfection. The blend of shrimp and seasonings give it a rich umami-filled taste, while the crunch gives it the perfect mouth feel.
If serving as a starter, add a little squeeze of lemon and it’s good to go. If you want to bulk it out into a meal, consider adding a salad and a soy-style sauce to bring everything together on one plate. For more information, check out the ingredients and cooking steps below.
Shrimp Toast Ingredients
- 1/2 pound of raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 2 scallions, chopped
- 1 clove of garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon of ginger, minced
- 1 tablespoon of soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon of sesame oil
- 1 egg white
- 4 slices of white sandwich bread
- 1 cup of panko breadcrumbs
- Vegetable oil, for frying
- Salt, to taste
- Black pepper, to taste
- Lemon wedges, for serving
Shrimp Toast Instructions
- In a food processor, combine the shrimp, scallions, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, sesame oil, egg white, salt, and pepper.
- Pulse until the mixture becomes a smooth paste. If you don’t have a food processor, finely chop everything and mix by hand.
- Remove the crusts from the bread slices, then cut each slice diagonally into two triangles.
- Spread about 1–2 tablespoons of the shrimp paste onto one side of each bread triangle, using a butter knife or small spatula to smooth it evenly.
- Place the panko breadcrumbs in a shallow dish. Press the shrimp‑covered side of each triangle into the crumbs to coat it uniformly.
- Pour roughly 1 inch of vegetable oil into a large skillet or frying pan and heat over medium‑high until it reaches 350°F (175°C). Test the oil by dropping a tiny bread crumb in; it should sizzle and turn golden in about 30 seconds.
- Lay the bread triangles in the hot oil, shrimp‑side down. Fry for roughly 3 minutes per side, or until golden brown. Avoid crowding the pan and fry in batches if needed. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the cooked toast to a paper‑towel‑lined plate to drain excess oil.
- While still hot, lightly sprinkle the shrimp toast with a pinch of salt. Serve immediately with lemon wedges for squeezing over the top.
- If you prefer to prepare the shrimp paste ahead of time, cover and refrigerate it for up to 24 hours. Assemble the shrimp toast just before frying to prevent the bread from becoming soggy.
Nutrition
Calories: 300cal
Carbohydrate: 25g
Protein: 15g
Fat: 15g
Cholesterol: 85mg
Sodium: 400mg