Ukoy Filipino Shrimp Fritters (Printable)
Golden crispy fritters with shrimp and mixed vegetables, a beloved Filipino street food favorite.
# What You'll Need:
→ Seafood
01 - 7 ounces small shrimps, shell on, well cleaned
→ Vegetables
02 - 1 cup mung bean sprouts
03 - 1 small sweet potato, julienned
04 - 1 small carrot, julienned
05 - 1 small onion, thinly sliced
06 - 2 stalks spring onions, chopped
→ Batter
07 - 1 cup all-purpose flour
08 - 1/4 cup cornstarch
09 - 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
10 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
11 - 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
12 - 1 cup cold water
→ For Frying
13 - 2 cups vegetable oil
→ Optional Dipping Sauce
14 - 1/4 cup vinegar
15 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
16 - 1 red chili, chopped
17 - Pinch of salt
# Directions:
01 - In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, cornstarch, baking powder, salt, and pepper. Gradually add cold water, whisking until you have a smooth, thick batter.
02 - Add the mung bean sprouts, sweet potato, carrot, onion, and spring onions. Mix well to coat all vegetables in the batter.
03 - Gently fold the shrimps into the batter and vegetable mixture.
04 - Heat vegetable oil in a deep frying pan over medium-high heat.
05 - Scoop about 1/4 cup of the mixture and carefully drop into the hot oil, flattening lightly to form a disc. Fry 2–3 fritters at a time to avoid overcrowding.
06 - Fry each fritter for 3–4 minutes per side or until golden brown and crispy.
07 - Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.
08 - For the dipping sauce, combine vinegar, garlic, chili, and salt in a small bowl.
09 - Serve Ukoy hot with dipping sauce.
# Expert Hints:
01 -
- The batter creates an incredibly light and crispy shell that shatters with every bite while staying tender inside
- You can customize the vegetables based on whatever's wilting in your crisper drawer, reducing food waste
- The dipping sauce cuts through the richness with just the right amount of sharp tangy heat
02 -
- Cold water in your batter is nonnegotiable—warm water makes the gluten develop too quickly and you lose that delicate crunch
- Overcrowding the pan drops the oil temperature dramatically, resulting in greasy, soggy fritters instead of crispy ones
- The fritters continue crisping as they drain on paper towels, so remove them from oil just before they look completely done
03 -
- Pat your vegetables dry with paper towels before mixing into the batter—excess moisture makes the fritters steam instead of crisp
- Lay fried ukoy in a single layer on the cooling rack rather than stacking them on paper towels to maintain maximum crunch