Phnom Penh is one of those iconic Cambodian–Vietnamese restaurants in Vancouver that has had a line out the door for years. Most people go straight for the fried chicken and butter beef (both of which I already have recipes for on the blog), but this garlic shrimp is seriously underrated. It’s crispy, garlicky, and quietly one of the best things on the menu — the kind of dish you order once and then never stop thinking about.
This is one of those dishes that looks simple, but once you start making it, you realize why it’s so addictive. Crispy shrimp, insanely fragrant garlic, and that salty, peppery lime dipping sauce that you cannot stop eating. It’s snacky, crunchy, and honestly dangerous in the best way.
I tested a few different starches for this recipe, and tapioca starch wins every time. Cornstarch works too, but tapioca gives you that light, shatteringly crisp coating that stays crunchy. And the bonus? Frying the shrimp creates the most incredible garlicky shrimp oil — which I obviously couldn’t waste.
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Why You’ll Love This Fried Garlic Shrimp Recipe
This recipe is fast, crispy, and full of flavour with very little effort. The garlic paste seasons the shrimp from the inside out, the starch creates that signature crunch, and the dipping sauce ties everything together with acid, salt, and heat.
It’s also a two-for-one situation. You get garlic shrimp and a bonus crispy rice paper snack fried in that leftover oil. I was snacking on it the entire time filming.
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How To Make and Serve This Fried Garlic Shrimp Recipe
You start by making a simple garlic paste and coating the shrimp in it. After that, the shrimp get tossed in starch again for extra crunch before being shallow-fried until golden and crisp.
While the shrimp fry, you mix up the muối tiêu chanh — a salt, pepper, lime dipping sauce that’s sharp, savoury, and absolutely essential. Serve the shrimp hot and crispy with plenty of dipping sauce on the side.
This dish is perfect as a snack, appetizer, or honestly just eaten standing over the stove.
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Phnom Penh’s Fried Garlic Shrimp Recipe Tips
Here are a few tips for making this dish:
• Tapioca starch gives the best crunch, but cornstarch works well too
• Don’t overcrowd the pan — fry in batches for maximum crispiness
• The dipping sauce should taste sharp, salty, and pepper-forward
• Save that oil — it’s liquid gold
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Questions and Answers about the Phnom Penh’s Fried Garlic Shrimp
Can I use frozen shrimp?
Yes, just make sure they’re fully thawed and very dry before coating.
Is this spicy?
No heat here unless you add chilli. It’s all about garlic, pepper, and lime.
What should I serve this with?
It’s perfect on its own, but it also goes incredibly well with garlic noodles.
Phnom Penh’s Fried Garlic Shrimp Recipe
Ingredients
Garlic Shrimp
• 17 medium shrimp, deveined
or 10 large tiger shrimp
• 1 egg
• 5 cloves garlic
• ¼ cup tapioca starch (or cornstarch)
• Pinch of salt
• Additional ¼ cup tapioca or potato starch (for second coating)
• ¼ cup neutral oil, for frying
Optional Snack
• Rice paper, cut into pieces (fried in leftover oil)
Muối Tiêu Chanh (Salt & Pepper Lime Dipping Sauce)
• Juice of ½ lime (about 1½ tbsp)
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp white pepper
• ¼ tsp black pepper
Instructions:
Prepare the Garlic Paste
Blend or finely mince the garlic until it forms a paste.
In a bowl, mix the garlic paste with the egg, ¼ cup tapioca starch, and a pinch of salt.
Add the shrimp and coat well, making sure every piece is covered.
Coat the Shrimp
Transfer the shrimp to another bowl with the additional ¼ cup of tapioca or potato starch.
Toss gently until each shrimp is evenly coated.
Fry the Shrimp
Heat ¼ cup oil in a pan over medium heat.
Fry the shrimp in batches until golden and crispy, about 2–3 minutes per side.
Remove and drain on a rack or paper towel.
Reserve the oil — it will be fragrant and garlicky.
Optional Crispy Rice Paper
Drop pieces of rice paper into the hot leftover oil.
Fry until puffed and crispy.
Drain and lightly salt.
Make the Dipping Sauce
Mix lime juice, salt, white pepper, and black pepper in a small bowl.
Taste and adjust salt or acidity if needed.
Serve
Serve the garlic shrimp hot with the dipping sauce on the side.
Add crispy rice paper for extra snacking.