Crispy Fried Firecracker Shrimp Rolls

When I was a kid, I remember my dad going to a fancy supermarket and buying a pack of frozen spring rolls, shrimp rolls (also known as firecracker shrimp), and samosas. He would bring them home and all we needed to do was fry them and serve them. In our minds, we all pretended it was special guest food, but in all honesty, we would fry them up every now and then when my parents were in the mood. My favorite of the lot were the firecracker shrimp, so I had to figure out how to make them myself. To the uninitiated,  crispy fried firecracker shrimp rolls are a delicious combination of shrimp wrapped in a thin starch wrap (like a spring roll wrap) that’s commonly served as an appetizer or “small chops” as we Nigerians like to call it in our parties. They’re usually called firecracker shrimp because of the satisfyingly crisp snap and crackle that comes out of biting into one.

I recently had firecracker shrimp in a restaurant, and it instantly brought back memories of my once forgotten favorite childhood treat. Once I mentioned this to my husband, who happened to be dining with me, he challenged me to make them myself. I accepted the challenge, and on my first try, it was a success. Like with the samosas that I made previously, I used store bought spring roll wrappers for ease and convenience. One day I will perfect my spring roll wrapper recipe and share, but for now, I am satisfied with the store bought version since it is fairly inexpensive.

How to Make Crispy Fried Firecracker Shrimp Rolls

Main Ingredients

• 2 lbs of large deveined tail on shrimp (should amount to about 25 shrimp)
• 15 sheets of thawed spring roll wraps
• 2 tablespoons of cornstarch plus 2 tablespoons of water
• 2 teaspoons onion salt or any all purpose seasoning of your choice
• 1 teaspoons of black pepper
• Vegetable oil for frying (I used canola oil)
• Optional: 3 tablespoons Nigerian spicy peanut butter plus 1 teaspoon of honey

Prep the Shrimp

Season the shrimp with the onion salt or all purpose seasoning and black pepper and set aside for about 30 minutes to marinade.
After 30 minutes, prep the shrimp by simply scoring them lightly on two sides on the inner curve of the shrimp as seen above to straighten the shrimp and prevent them from curling up while cooking.

Wrap Shrimp in Spring Roll Wrap

Cut the sheets of spring roll wraps to form triangles as shown. While the spring roll wraps are not in use, be sure to cover them with a damp cloth to prevent them from drying out.

To assemble the shrimp rolls, simply roll up the shrimp in the spring roll wraps following the steps as shown below, and seal with corn starch.

Again, make sure the shrimp rolls are covered with with a damp cloth so they do not dry out once they have been prepped.

You may freeze the shrimp rolls on a single layer and store, or deep fry them right away.

Deep Fry the Firecracker Shrimp

Fry the shrimp rolls in a deep pan in oil (about 350 Fahrenheit) until golden brown. It should take about 10 minutes. If they are fried from frozen, fry them for about 15 minutes.

Drain the shrimp once they are golden brown and serve alone or with a dip. I used a Nigerian spicy peanut butter and honey dip

I served these firecracker shrimp with a peanut dip made with a Nigerian style spicy peanut butter sauce called ose-oji (recipe coming soon). You may also serve it with a sweet and spicy sauce of your choice.

Please be sure to rate my firecracker shrimp recipe and leave a comment below if you tried it! Also while you’re here why not take a quick second and subscribe to my newsletter to get email notifications on new recipes, click the links to FOLLOW ME ON PINTEREST or INSTAGRAM? You can catch some behind the scenes action, my shopping hauls, personalized tips and friend-only recipes with videos on my Instagram. Also pin this recipe for later and explore some of my favorite recipes on Pinterest and if you love it as much as I know you will, SHARE with some friends! 

Print Recipe

5 from 10 votes

Crispy Fried Firecracker Shrimp Rolls Recipe

These crispy fried firecracker shrimp rolls are fun, delicious snacks with that satisfyingly crunchy snap and crackle that are commonly served as appetizers or "small chops" in weddings and parties.

Prep Time30 minutes mins

Cook Time15 minutes mins

Total Time45 minutes mins

Course: Appetizer, Snacks

Cuisine: American, Asian, Nigerian, Tropical

Servings: 24

Calories: 78.6kcal

Author: Yummy Medley

Ingredients

• 2 lbs of large deveined tail on shrimp about 25 shrimp
• 15 sheets of thawed spring roll wraps
• 2 tbsp cornstarch plus 2 tbsp water
• 2 tsp onion salt or any all purpose seasoning of your choice
• 1 tsp black pepper
• Optional: 3 tbsp Nigerian spicy peanut butter plus 1 tsp honey

Instructions

• Season the shrimp with the onion salt or all purpose seasoning and black pepper and set aside for about 30 minutes to marinade.
• After 30 minutes, prep the shrimp by simply scoring them lightly on two sides on the inner curve of the shrimp as seen above to straighten the shrimp and prevent them from curling up while cooking.
• Cut the sheets of spring roll wraps to form triangles as shown above. While the spring roll wraps are not in use, be sure to cover them with a damp cloth to prevent them from drying out.
• To assemble the shrimp rolls, simply roll up the shrimp in the spring roll wraps following the steps above, and seal with corn starch.
• Again, make sure the shrimp rolls are covered with with a damp cloth so they do not dry out once they have been prepped.
• You may freeze the shrimp rolls on a single layer and store, or deep fry them right away.
• Fry the shrimp rolls in a deep pan in oil (about 350 Fahrenheit) until golden brown. It should take about 10 minutes. If they are fried from frozen, fry them for about 15 minutes.
• Drain the shrimp once they are golden brown and serve alone or with a dip. I used a Nigerian spicy peanut butter and honey dip.

Notes

The nutritional information for a serving of a single firecracker shrimp is shown below with the assumption of 10% oil retention on deep fried foods.