Deliciously seasoned shrimp paste spread over toast then fried to perfection, sesame shrimp toast can be easily made in two ways.

Trianglar shrimp toast on a plate and a chopping board.

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What is shrimp toast
Ingredients
Prepare the toast
Option 1: Pan-frying
Option 2: Air-frying
Other shrimp recipes
📋Recipe

What is shrimp toast

Shrimp toast (蝦多士), also known as sesame prawn toast, is a fusion food originating from Hong Kong where chefs often create dishes that are influenced by both Chinese and western cuisine. Usually served as an afternoon tea treat in Hong Kong, shrimp toast has become popular in overseas Chinese takeaway/takeout or dim sum restaurants.

Although simple in appearance, shrimp toast offers a set of pleasurable flavours: natural sweetness from the shrimp, saltiness from the seasoning and a nutty aroma from the sesame seeds. The texture is great too: crunchy outside but both soft (from the toast) and springy (from the shrimp) inside. So satisfying to eat!

It’s extremely simple to make at home! Spread a layer of shrimp paste (minced raw shrimp with classic Chinese seasonings) over a piece of toast then sprinkle with sesame seeds. Traditionally deep-fried to golden brown, it can also be pan-fried or air-fried, the two methods I’m introducing in today’s recipe.

Ingredients

Shrimp (or prawns). It needs to be raw, headless, peeled and deveined.
Egg white. It’s for further tenderizing the shrimp and binding the ingredients.
Seasonings. They include scallion, ginger, light soy sauce, sesame oil, salt and white pepper.
Toast, preferably thick slices. Both white and wholemeal are fine.
Sesame seeds. White, black or a mixture of both
Neutral cooking oil, for pan-frying or air-frying

🛎 Tips:
Shrimp and prawns are interchangeable for this recipe. If you’re curious as I once was, read this article on The Differences Between Shrimp and Prawns.

Although the traditional recipes call for regular slices of toast, please feel free to use other types of bread, such as halved baguettes, sliced sourdough bread, etc.

Prepare the toast

Step 1: Make the shrimp paste

shrimp, egg white, scallions and ginger in a food processor.

Usually, Chinese chefs would use a cleaver to mince the shrimp manually, then mix it with other ingredients. If you have a blender or food processor, just blend shrimp, egg white and seasonings until a smooth, sticky paste forms. Easy peasy!

🛎 Tip: To get an even texture, I suggest you periodically stop the motor and use a spatula to scrape any food down from the side.

Step 2: Assemble the toast

Spreading shrim.p paste over a piece of toast

Use a knife or a small spatula to spread a layer of shrimp paste onto a piece of toast. Make sure it reaches all edges. There isn’t a set rule on how thick the paste should be. As a reference, I cover six slices of toast with the paste made of 225g (½ lb) of shrimp.

Please note that the restaurant version of shrimp toast usually uses crustless toast (all four edges trimmed off). I prefer having the crust on as I don’t like the idea of wasting food.

Pressing a piece of toast over sesame seeds.

Put sesame seeds onto a flat plate. Place the toast over with the shrimp paste side facing down. Gently press to ensure the seeds stick well to the paste.

Cutting a piece of uncooked shrimp toast into triangle shaped pieces

Cut the toast diagonally twice to make four triangular pieces (This isn’t a compulsory shape though).

🛎 Tips: You may make the shrimp paste in advance and store it in the fridge for later use. But I suggest you don’t spread it over the toast until you’re ready to cook as the moisture from the paste would make the toast thinner.

Option 1: Pan-frying

Although shrimp toast is traditionally a deep-fried food, I’m introducing two healthier alternative methods in this recipe. You may either shallow-fry them in a pan or cook them in an air fryer.

pan-frying toast covered with shrimp and sesame seeds.

Heat up oil in a frying pan/skillet over medium heat. You don’t need a lot of oil. Just make sure it covers the surface. Use a sesame seed to test the temperature. If it spins around immediately, it’s time to put in the toast. Fry the sesame side first until it turns golden. Flip over to brown the other side.

Option 2: Air-frying

A piece of sesame shrimp toast in an air fryer

Preheat your air fryer at 240°C/460°F for 3 mins. While waiting, brush a thin layer of oil over both sides of the toast. Place in a single layer over the crisper tray with the sesame side facing up. Cook for around 3 mins until it browns (As shown in the image above, I cooked a whole piece. You may cut it into triangles too).

🛎 Tips: If you want to try the traditional deep-frying method, heat up the oil to 190°C/375°F then slide in the toast. Frying at a lower temperature would result in a greasier taste.

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