Menbosha Recipe (Crispy Shrimp Toast)

Treat yourself to these extra indulgent crispy shrimp toast or menbosha. With just a few simple everyday ingredients, you can create the crunchiest, most delicious snack at home!

These mini sandwich-looking bites are actually referred to as toast and they are stuffed with tender succulent shrimp paste. This savory snack is crispy and crunchy on the outside, but soft and juicy on the inside.

Although you can enjoy this on its own, I personally think it tastes better with a dipping sauce to help counter the greasiness. A good dipping sauce is essential for a crispy treat and this is no exception!

After deep-fried to golden perfection, I like serving this with a delicious spicy garlicky ketchup-based dipping sauce. The ketchup-based sauce is acidic, a little spicy, and complements these shrimp toasts incredibly well. It almost tastes like an elevated spicy shrimp cocktail sauce!

Crack open a beer or soda and munch on these mini toasts because you deserve it (and they’re really freaking good)!

What is Menbosha?

‘Mian bao xia‘ or menbosha is a Chinese dish that is made of marinated shrimp balls that are sandwiched between two slices of milk bread. The word ‘mian bao‘ translates to bread, while the word ‘xia‘ means prawn in Chinese. These are often enjoyed as an appetizer or as a party snack (think hors d’oeuvres).

This classic Chinese snack started to gain popularity in Korea after being featured by Korean-Taiwanese celebrity chef Lee Yeon-bok. He has a restaurant serving Korean-Chinese cuisine, and menbosha is always a big hit. 

You can find menbosha in many Chinese restaurants across the United States however, over the past few years they’ve slowly disappeared from the menu of New York City restaurants. Thanks to the internet, we can keep dishes like this alive and make them even better at home.

Menbosha (Crispy Shrimp Toast) Ingredients & Substitutions

Shrimp: I usually purchase shell-on shrimp and save the shells to make shrimp stock but this is not necessary. Feel free to use peeled or frozen uncooked shrimp for this recipe. If using frozen shrimp, allow them to thaw completely before prepping.

Egg white: the egg white acts as the binding agent to hold the mixture together. There is no substitute for egg whites.

Potato starch: similar to the egg white, potato starch helps bind the filling together. You can substitute potato starch with corn starch.

Sesame oil: I love the addition of sesame oil in this filling because it adds a beautiful nutty aroma and flavor.

Milk bread: this recipe is traditionally made with milk bread which is more flavorful than regular white bread. Unlike regular white bread, milk bread is made with milk, which adds richness to the bread. If you can’t find milk bread, you can substitute this with regular white bread.

Dipping Sauce Ingredients & Substitutions

Ketchup: ketchup is the base of the dipping sauce and it’s used to emulate the familiar taste of shrimp cocktail sauce. It also adds a bit of tang and sweetness.

Garlic: mincing the garlic helps to impart the garlic flavor into the dipping sauce. You could also grate the garlic as well. I love the garlicky aroma and flavor in the dipping sauce and don’t think it’s quite the same without it. If you really wanted to, you could omit it completely.

Chili oil: I used my Korean Chili Oil recipe to add spice to the dipping sauce. While you can use any chili oil, I prefer using my Korean chili oil because the gochugaru (Korean red pepper flakes) adds smokiness and subtle heat to the oil. If you don’t want the dipping sauce to be spicy, you can omit the chili oil.

Sugar: sugar is added to help to counter the tanginess of the ketchup. Feel free to adjust the sweetness by adjusting the sugar.

White Vinegar: the vinegar adds tanginess to the sauce which helps cut through the greasiness of the crispy shrimp toast. Similar to sugar, you can adjust the tanginess by adjusting the vinegar.

How to Make Crispy Shrimp Toast (Menbosha)

You’ll be surprised by how easily you can make this delicious snack at home. It only takes 30 minutes to put together! To get started, simply follow my detailed instructions below.

Step 1: Prepare the bread.

Start by stacking the bread and cutting off the crusts from each slice. Next, cut the bread in half and then into quarters.

Once the bread has been prepped, set them aside. If you can’t find milk bread, you can substitute it with regular white bread. 

Step 2: Prepare the shrimp filling.

To prepare the shrimp, first, peel them and devein them. Next, wash them thoroughly then pat them dry with a paper towel. If using frozen or peeled shrimp, you can skip this step.

Place a piece of shrimp on a cutting board then smack it to flatten the shrimp with the flat side of your knife. Repeat for the remaining shrimp.

Next, mince the shrimp finely. Transfer the finely minced shrimp into a medium-sized mixing bowl.

Pour in the starch, egg white, salt, white pepper, and sesame oil. Stir to mix everything thoroughly in one direction until well combined.

It’s important to stir in one direction to promote the development of myosin. This is a natural protein that binds the meat together for a stickier and more cohesive filling. The end result should look like a very chunky shrimp paste.

Step 3: Assemble the shrimp toast.

Once the shrimp filling and bread are prepped, it’s time to assemble the toast! Begin by taking a handful of the shrimp paste and forming a ball about the width of the sliced bread.

Once a ball is formed, place the shrimp paste on top of one piece of bread. Then, top it with another piece of bread, to create a mini sandwich. Use your finger to clean up the sides of the toast so that there is no shrimp paste sticking out. This will ensure even cooking on all sides. Repeat this until all toasts are assembled.

Step 4: Fry the shrimp toast.

In a deep pot over medium heat, pour in the oil about halfway up. I recommend using a neutral oil with a high smoke point such as vegetable, canola, avocado, or grapeseed so it doesn’t affect the taste of the sandwich.

Once the oil reaches 325°F/162°C, carefully your shrimp toast and fry each side for about two minutes or until they’ve turned golden brown. Be sure to work in small batches to prevent overcrowding the pot. You don’t want to overcrowd them because it will drop the temperature oil and cause the bread to soak up the greasy oil.

Alternatively, you can also bake the shrimp toast in an oven or air fry them at 365°F/180°C for 8 to 10 minutes or until perfectly crisp. Just make sure to flip them halfway to ensure both sides are evenly cooked.

Once the crispy shrimp toasts are perfectly crispy and golden brown, transfer them to a wire rack to let them cool and drain the excess oil.

Step 5: Prepare the dipping sauce.

While the shrimp toast is cooling, you can prepare the dipping sauce to serve with the crispy shrimp toast. In a small mixing bowl, combine ketchup, minced garlic, chili oil, sugar, and vinegar. Mix everything together until well combined. Taste and adjust the seasoning according to your taste and preferences. 

Step 6: Serve and enjoy!

Once the shrimp toast has slightly cooled, cut each toast in half.

Serve the shrimp toast with the dipping sauce and enjoy while still warm!

Cooking tips for Crispy Shrimp Toast (Menbosha)

Here are some helpful tips to keep in mind when preparing this delicious snack!

• When mixing the shrimp paste together, mix in one direction for a sticker and a more cohesive filling.

• When assembling the shrimp toast, use your finger to clean up the sides of the toast so there is no shrimp paste sticking out.
• Avoid overcrowding the pot when frying the shrimp toast. Overcrowding the pot will drop the temperature of the oil and cause the bread to soak up the oil. We don’t want greasy shrimp toast!
• Adjust the recipe of the dipping sauce according to your preference. If you want it to become more appealing to your kids, you can add more sugar for extra sweetness or omit the chili oil. If you’re a spicy food lover, simply add more chili oil!
• If you’re health-conscious, baking in an oven or air-frying your crispy shrimp toast is a great alternative. This ensures your toast will remain crispy while using less oil. Spray the toast with cooking oil spray then bake or air fry at 365°F/180°C for about 10 minutes. Be sure to flip it halfway so it cooks evenly.
• These can be made in advance and stored in the freezer to be enjoyed whenever you’re craving some! I recommend wrapping each toast individually with plastic wrap before transferring them to the freezer. With proper storage, frozen menbosha can last for up to 3 weeks.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is ‘menbosha’ from?

The dish shrimp toast or ‘mian bo xia‘ (menbosha) originated in Guangdong, China over 100 years ago. It eventually made its way throughout the rest of China, Hong Kong, and Korea before being introduced in the United States. Now you will commonly see shrimp toast served in Chinese take-out restaurants and dim sum restaurants.

What is shrimp toast made of?

Korean-style shrimp toast is made up of shrimp paste that is sandwiched between two small pieces of bread. The shrimp filling is usually made of finely minced shrimp, starch, egg white, sesame oil, salt, and white pepper. While there are many variations of shrimp toast, these are some of the more common ingredients for the filling.

Chinese-style shrimp toast usually uses sesame seeds to coat the shrimp toast with sesame seeds before frying.

Looking for more indulgent appetizer recipes? Check out these recipes below!

• Crispy Chicken Gizzards
• Korean Seafood Pancake
• Japchae Dumplings
• Pepsi Chicken Wings
• Potato Cheese Pancake
• Chive and Egg Pockets

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