Panda Express Honey Walnut Shrimp Copycat Recipe

This Panda Express honey walnut shrimp recipe brings the restaurant’s most talked-about dish to your kitchen with crispy battered shrimp, candied walnuts, and that creamy, sticky sauce.

It comes together in about 30 minutes, and you probably already have most of what you need.

Why I Love This Recipe

The sauce is what keeps me coming back to this one. It’s sweet but has a little tang from the mayo and honey together, and it coats every piece of shrimp without turning the batter soggy if you serve it right away.

The candied walnuts are genuinely worth making. They add a brittle, sugary crunch that you won’t get from any store-bought shortcut.

This is the version I keep coming back to when I want something that feels a little special on a Tuesday.

Recipe Ingredients

• 1 lb large shrimp – Peeled, deveined, and patted dry; 21/25 count works well here
• 1/2 cup walnut halves – Raw, not roasted or salted
• 3 tbsp granulated sugar – For candying the walnuts
• 3 tbsp water – Combined with the sugar to make the candy syrup
• 1/2 cup cornstarch – The main coating for the shrimp; gives a crispier crust than flour alone
• 2 large eggs – Whisked for the egg wash
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise – Full-fat gives the sauce the right body; Duke’s or Hellmann’s work well
• 2 tbsp honey – Use a mild, runny honey so it blends smoothly into the sauce
• 1 tbsp sweetened condensed milk – Adds a subtle creaminess and rounds out the sauce
• 1 tsp rice vinegar – Brightens the sauce and keeps it from tasting flat
• 2 cups neutral oil – Vegetable or canola for frying
• 1/4 tsp salt – For seasoning the cornstarch coating
• Sliced green onions, for garnish – Optional but adds a little color and freshness

Variations / Substitutions

• Chicken instead of shrimp – Use thin-cut chicken breast strips; cook to an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C), about 4 to 5 minutes per batch.
• Reduced-fat mayo – The sauce will be slightly thinner but still works; avoid fat-free, which tends to split when mixed with the honey.
• Agave instead of honey – Produces a slightly milder sweetness and the same consistency in the sauce.
• Apple cider vinegar instead of rice vinegar – Adds a bit more sharpness; start with 3/4 tsp and taste before adding more.
• Brown sugar for the walnuts – Gives the candied coating a deeper, faintly caramel color instead of clear glassy.
• Dairy-free – The recipe as written is already dairy-free except for the condensed milk; swap in coconut condensed milk and it works without any other changes.

If you enjoy this kind of sweet-savory takeout dish at home, you might also like a Panda Express Orange Chicken Copycat Recipe.

How To Make Honey Walnut Shrimp

Step 1: Candy the Walnuts

Add the 1/2 cup walnut halves, 3 tbsp granulated sugar, and 3 tbsp water to a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir constantly for 3 to 4 minutes until the water evaporates and the sugar coats the walnuts in a thin, glassy shell.

Immediately spread the walnuts onto a sheet of parchment paper in a single layer. They harden fast, so separate any that are touching each other right away. Once they cool for about 5 minutes, they’ll snap cleanly when you break one.

Don’t walk away from the pan during this step. The sugar goes from perfect to burned in under a minute once the water cooks off.

Step 2: Whisk the Sauce

In a medium bowl, combine the 1/2 cup mayonnaise, 2 tbsp honey, 1 tbsp sweetened condensed milk, and 1 tsp rice vinegar. Whisk until the mixture is completely smooth with no streaks of mayo visible.

Set the bowl aside at room temperature while you fry the shrimp. The sauce tastes better slightly warm from the residual heat of the shrimp than straight from the fridge.

Step 3: Coat the Shrimp

Pour the 2 cups neutral oil into a medium saucepan or wok and heat it over medium-high to 350°F (175°C). While the oil heats, whisk the 2 large eggs in a shallow bowl. In a separate shallow bowl, mix the 1/2 cup cornstarch with the 1/4 tsp salt.

Dip each shrimp into the egg wash, let the excess drip off, then press it into the cornstarch coating on both sides. The coating should look dry and chalky white all over, with no wet patches.

Step 4: Fry the Shrimp

Working in 2 batches, lower the coated shrimp into the 350°F (175°C) oil and fry for 2 to 3 minutes per batch, turning once halfway through, until the coating is pale golden and the shrimp are pink and opaque throughout.

Transfer each batch to a wire rack or paper towel-lined plate. Keeping the batches small matters here because crowding the pan drops the oil temperature and you end up with a soggy, greasy coating instead of a crisp one.

Step 5: Toss and Garnish

Add the fried shrimp to the bowl with the sauce and toss gently to coat every piece. Pile the shrimp onto a serving plate, scatter the candied walnuts over the top, and finish with sliced green onions. Serve immediately so the coating stays crisp.

Recipe Tips

• Dry the shrimp well. Pat them with paper towels before coating. Any surface moisture turns the cornstarch gummy and the coating won’t stick properly.
• Use a thermometer for the oil. Eyeballing the temperature is the most common reason the batter comes out pale and oily. A cheap instant-read thermometer takes the guesswork out.
• Sauce on at the last second. Toss the shrimp right before you serve them. Even 5 minutes of sitting in sauce will start to soften the crust.
• Double the walnuts if you’re a fan. The candied walnuts keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week, so there’s no harm in making a bigger batch.

Fry times by oil temperature and shrimp size:

How To Store

• Refrigerate – Store leftover shrimp and sauce separately in airtight containers for up to 2 days. Once tossed together, the coating softens overnight and won’t fully recover.
• Reheating – Reheat plain fried shrimp in an air fryer at 375°F (190°C) for 3 to 4 minutes to bring back some of the crispness, then toss with sauce just before serving.

What To Serve With Honey Walnut Shrimp

Steamed jasmine rice is the obvious move, and it earns its place because the plain rice absorbs the extra sauce that drips off the shrimp without competing with the sweetness. Stir-fried bok choy or broccoli with a little garlic works well on the side because the mild bitterness cuts through the richness of the sauce. If you want to round it out into a bigger spread, a simple egg drop soup adds warmth and a light, savory contrast without any extra effort.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make the sauce ahead of time?

Yes. The sauce keeps in the fridge in a sealed jar for up to 3 days. Give it a quick stir before using since the honey can settle to the bottom.

Can I bake or air-fry the shrimp instead of deep-frying?

You can air-fry them at 400°F (200°C) for 6 to 8 minutes, flipping halfway, but the coating will be thinner and less substantial than the deep-fried version. Baking tends to leave the coating pale and a bit powdery.

My coating is falling off the shrimp. What went wrong?

The shrimp were most likely still wet when you coated them, or the oil wasn’t hot enough when they went in. Make sure each piece is fully patted dry and the oil is at a steady 350°F (175°C) before the first batch goes in.

Is there a way to make this less sweet?

Cut the honey back to 1 tbsp and skip the condensed milk, replacing it with 1 tbsp plain whole-milk yogurt. The sauce will be noticeably tangier and less sweet but still coats the shrimp well.

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Honey Walnut Shrimp Recipe

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 1 lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1/2 cup walnut halves
• 3 tbsp granulated sugar
• 3 tbsp water
• 1/2 cup cornstarch
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 2 tbsp honey
• 1 tbsp sweetened condensed milk
• 1 tsp rice vinegar
• 2 cups neutral oil
• 1/4 tsp salt
• Sliced green onions, for garnish

Method

 

1. Combine the walnut halves, granulated sugar, and water in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring for 3 to 4 minutes until the sugar coats the walnuts. Spread immediately onto parchment paper to cool and harden, about 5 minutes.
2. Whisk together the mayonnaise, honey, sweetened condensed milk, and rice vinegar in a medium bowl until smooth. Set aside.
3. Heat the neutral oil in a medium saucepan or wok over medium-high to 350°F (175°C). Whisk the eggs in a shallow bowl and mix the cornstarch with the salt in a second shallow bowl. Dip each shrimp in the egg wash, then coat in the seasoned cornstarch.
4. Fry the shrimp in 2 batches for 2 to 3 minutes per batch, turning once, until the coating is golden and the shrimp are pink and opaque. Transfer to a wire rack.
5. Toss the fried shrimp in the sauce, pile onto a serving plate, scatter the candied walnuts on top, and finish with sliced green onions.

Notes

The shrimp must go from oil to plate to mouth fairly quickly; this dish doesn’t hold well once sauced. If you’re feeding a crowd, keep the fried shrimp on a wire rack in a 200°F (93°C) oven for up to 10 minutes, then toss with sauce right before serving. The candied walnuts can be made up to a week ahead and stored in an airtight container at room temperature.