Breaded shrimp made with gluten-free breadcrumbs and with flavours of the Middle East.
By Divya Yadava
Breaded shrimp is one of my favourite appetizers since it’s incredibly versatile – just add a few new flavours and you’ve got an entirely different dish. This recipe gives breaded shrimp a Mediterranean and Middle Eastern flair with its combination of dried oregano, dried mint and zaatar. If you’ve never tried zaatar, it’s a Middle Eastern spice mix with thyme, sumac and sesame seeds and can be found at most ethnic food stores. It adds a unique flavour to the shrimp and pairs very well with a generous spritz of lemon. 
This particular recipe uses gluten-free breadcrumbs, but feel free to substitute with regular breadcrumbs.
PrintCrispy Za’atar Shrimp (Gluten-Free)
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
Description
Breaded shrimp made with gluten-free breadcrumbs and with flavours of the Middle East.
Ingredients
- 600 g jumbo shrimp, fresh or thawed from frozen (peeled and deveined)
- 1 cup gluten-free breadcrumbs (unseasoned)*
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon dried mint
- 1.5 teaspoons zaatar
- 2 eggs
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Olive oil spray
- Lemon wedges
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 °F.
- Drain any excess liquid from the shrimp and pat-dry with a paper towel. Set aside.
- Mix the gluten-free breadcrumbs, garlic powder, oregano, chili powder, dried mint, zaatar, salt and pepper in a shallow bowl.
- Beat the eggs in another bowl.
- Begin breading by dipping the shrimp in the beaten eggs, let the excess liquid drip off and then coat the shrimp with the breadcrumbs. Lay the breaded shrimp on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Note: Most breading recipes need a little flour on the shrimp prior to coating with the eggs and breadcrumbs, but it’s not necessary for this recipe. Most brands of gluten-free breadcrumbs adhere well to the shrimp. If you find that your breadcrumbs don’t adhere well, dust the shrimp with a little flour before dipping in the egg.
- Spray the breaded shrimp with a little oil. Note: If you don’t have a a spray pump for your olive oil, you can mix a little olive oil in the breadcrumbs in step 3 instead.
- Bake the shrimp for 11-14 minutes, flipping once in between. To check if the shrimp is done, slice one piece and ensure that it is opaque. Serve with a spritz of lemon juice.
Notes
Gluten-free
* I recommend Aurora gluten-free breadcrumbs. They are low-sodium and unseasoned.
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 15 mins
