Shrimp Toast (Haa Dō Si 蝦多士)

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This easy Shrimp Toast recipe utilizes the efficiency of a food processor to blitz together the shrimp paste with a variety of aromatic flavorings including scallions, ginger, garlic, and sesame oil. I pan-fry mine in oil to yield the crispiest bites of toast finished with tender, delicious shrimp topping, but you could bake these as well if you prefer.

Triangular shrimp toasts, half topped with sesame seeds, arranged in 2 rows on a white platter.

(This recipe was originally published in August 2016, but was updated with new photos and content in 2022).

Shrimp toast (prawn toast) is a Cantonese dim sum dish hailing from Hong Kong. It features small white bread triangles topped with flavorful homemade shrimp paste and is usually either fried or baked.

Shrimp toasts are a common appetizer in Western Chinese cuisine, and a great example of fusion cooking. They take the shrimp paste from Hong Kong cuisine and toast from Western cuisine and combine them to create a unifying dish.

The dish's popularity has further expanded along trading routes, making its way to Japan and Southeast Asia countries like Vietnam and Thailand (where they usually add some fish sauce to the mix). I personally love dipping my shrimp toast in Thai sweet chili sauce, a nod to it's popularity throughout these other countries as well.

Additionally, a notable variation particularly in the UK, Australia, and Ireland is the sesame shrimp toast (or sesame prawn toast). Here, shrimp toasts are topped with sesame seeds before the frying or baking.

These crispy Chinese shrimp toasts are popular appetizers and snacks! They would make a great attention to your Chinese New Year menu, Olympic party, game night, or any time you want to make a homemade Chinese meal.

Ingredient notes

Ingredients for shrimp toast on a white marble background.

Shrimp: I recommend using the best quality shrimp you can afford. If given the option, get wild shrimp rather than farm-raised shrimp. The shrimp in this photo are wild Argentine red shrimp (which is why they are red/pink even though they are raw). I also like using wild Gulf shrimp, but will generally get whatever wild shrimp is available (or on sale!).
Bread: Use plain white sandwich bread for this shrimp toast recipe. Aim for better quality white sandwich bread that is firm and dense. This will avoid the bread from absorbing too much of the oil when pan-frying. You'll need to carefully cut the crusts off and then cut each slice in half diagonally into triangles. Use a serrated bread knife to achieve the best results.
Egg White: Egg white is a binding agent that helps hold together the shrimp paste.
Cornstarch: Cornstarch is another binding agent that helps the shrimp paste come together and stay juicy.
Sesame Seeds: You can dip the shrimp toasts shrimp-side down in sesame seeds if you would like. It's not necessary, but I like the look of having half the shrimp toasts covered in sesame seeds, and the other half naked. You could even dip all of them in sesame seeds or none at all, as this is an optional component.

Closeup of triangular fried shrimp toasts, half topped with sesame seeds, on a white platter.

How to make it

Remove the crusts from 6 slices of white sandwich bread, and cut each slice in half diagonally.

Six slices of white bread with crusts removed, cut in half diagonally on a black tray.

Combine peeled and deveined shrimp, sliced scallions, minced garlic, egg white, soy sauce, grated ginger, cornstarch, sesame oil, and salt in the bowl of a food processor.

Raw shrimp, scallions, ginger, garlic, cornstarch, and other seasonings in a food processor bowl.

Pulse until finely chopped, but not pureed. There should still be some small pieces of shrimp throughout the mixture as opposed to being a smooth paste.

A spoon lifting some chunky shrimp paste out of a glass bowl.

Spread the mixture evenly over one side of each piece of bread, spreading all the way to the edge.

Closeup of triangles of bread spread with shrimp paste on a black tray.

Dip the shrimp side into sesame seeds to coat, if desired. You can make half with sesame seeds and half without for a nice contrast.

Two rows of uncooked triangular shrimp toasts on a black tray, half topped with sesame seeds.

Pour oil into a heavy-bottom nonstick skillet and place over medium-high heat. In batches, carefully place triangles shrimp-side down and fry until the bottom and edges are golden brown, about 2 to 3 minutes.

Six triangular pieces of bread shallow frying in a nonstick skillet.

Flip triangles over and fry for an additional minute. Drain on a paper towel-lined plate or tray and repeat with the remaining toasts.

Twelve triangular fried shrimp toasts on a paper towel lined cafeteria tray draining excess oil.

Serve warm with Thai sweet chile sauce, if desired, for dipping.

Please scroll to the bottom of the post for the full recipe (in a printable recipe card) including ingredient amounts and detailed instructions.

Two rows of shrimp toasts on a white rectangular platter with a bowl of red sauce.

Expert tips and FAQs

If you don’t have a food processor, you can mince the shrimp with a knife and mix everything else together by hand in a bowl. The key, if you're using a food processor, is to pulse the mixture about 10 to 15 times. You want some chunky bits of shrimp in there, as opposed to a completely smooth paste.

Use a small cheese spreader, butter knife or small spoon to spread the shrimp mixture evenly over the bread triangles.

These shrimp toasts are best enjoyed immediately, but you can arrange them on a rack set in a baking sheet (so the bottoms stay crisp) to warm them back up in the oven right before guests arrive, if needed.

Although you can enjoy shrimp toasts plain as they are, a bit of sweet, tangy, and slightly spicy Thai sweet chili sauce is a great accompaniment. It may not be super traditional, but it's delicious!

To avoid waste, after trimming the crusts off the bread you can make some fresh breadcrumbs in your (clean) food processor. Store fresh breadcrumbs in the freezer.

Can I prepare shrimp toast in advance?

Yes, you can assemble your shrimp toasts in advance and cover and refrigerate them arranged in a single layer up to overnight before cooking them. You can also make the shrimp paste a day in advance, cover and refrigerate, and then spread it on the bread triangles right before cooking.

How can I bake shrimp toast?

To make baked shrimp toasts, brush or spray the top and bottom of your shrimp toasts with vegetable oil and arrange them on a baking sheet. Bake at 400°F (200°C) for about 12 minutes or until golden brown and crisp.

How can I air-fry shrimp toast?

To make air-fried shrimp toasts, brush or spray the top and bottom of your shrimp toasts with vegetable oil and arrange them in a single layer in the air fryer basket. Frying times will vary based on your air fryer. Use the visual queues of the browning of the toast to determine how long to air-fry.

A platter of shrimp toasts with a bowl of red sauce on a colorful kitchen towel.

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Shrimp Toast (Haa Dō Si 蝦多士)

Ingredient notes

How to make it

Expert tips and FAQs

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