Ukoy are crisp Filipino fritters built around small shrimp and finely cut vegetables. This version combines sweet kalabasa, bean sprouts and whole shell-on shrimp in a light annatto-tinted batter. Keeping the fritters thin and the oil hot produces lacy, brittle edges, while sawsawang suka supplies the acidity and chilli needed to balance the fried crust.
Recipe at a glance
- Servings
- 12 servings
- Prep Time
- 35 mins
- Cook Time
- 30 mins
- Drying Time
- 10 mins for the washed shrimp and vegetables.
- Resting Time
- 20 mins for the batter.
- Total Time
- 1 hour 25 mins
- Cuisine
- Filipino
- Course
- Appetizer, snack or side dish
- Cooking Method
- Batter mixing and deep-frying
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Best Served With
- Sawsawang suka, arroz caldo, pancit, cold beer, or a simple tomato and cucumber salad.
Before you begin
Ingredients & equipment
Gather what you need first, then cook through the method with confidence.
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Equipment
- Heavy frying pot or deep fryerpaid link
- Deep-fry thermometerpaid link
- Wire rack and traypaid link
- Wide metal spoonpaid link
- Mixing bowlspaid link
- Whiskpaid link
- Chef’s knifepaid link
- Julienne peeler or mandolinepaid link
- Digital kitchen scalepaid link
Ingredients
For the spiced vinegar
- Cane vinegarpaid link: 250 ml
- Garlic: 20 g, finely chopped
- Red onion: 80 g, finely diced
- Bird’s-eye chillies: 3, thinly sliced
- Dark brown sugarpaid link: 12 g
- Fine sea saltpaid link: 4 g
- Whole black peppercorns: 5 g, lightly crushed
For the fritters
- Small shell-on shrimp: 450 g, heads trimmed and rinsed
- Kalabasa or kabocha squash: 500 g, peeled and julienned
- Mung bean sproutspaid link: 250 g, rinsed and dried
- Carrot: 150 g, julienned
- Scallions: 100 g, cut into 4 cm lengths
- Plain flourpaid link: 160 g
- Rice flourpaid link: 100 g
- Cornstarch: 70 g Shop paid link
- Baking powderpaid link: 4 g
- Annatto powderpaid link: 3 g
- Fine sea saltpaid link: 6 g
- Freshly ground black pepper: 2 g
- Egg: 1
- Fish sauce: 20 ml Shop paid link
- Ice-cold water: 400 ml
- Neutral frying oilpaid link: 1.5 litres, or as needed
Preparation Overview
Mix all vinegar ingredients and leave them to infuse while cooking. Dry the shrimp and vegetables thoroughly. Combine the three flours, baking powder, annatto, salt and pepper. Whisk egg, fish sauce and cold water separately, then mix into the dry ingredients and rest for 20 minutes.
Method
Heat 5–6 cm frying oil in a heavy pot to 175°C.
Fold squash, bean sprouts, carrot and scallions into the rested batter. The mixture should be lightly coated rather than swimming in batter.
Place about 80 g vegetable mixture on a wide metal spoon or small plate and arrange 2–3 shrimp on top.
Slide the mixture carefully into the hot oil and use the spoon to spread it into a thin 12–14 cm fritter.
Fry two fritters at a time for 2–3 minutes per side until deep golden and crisp. Keep the oil between 170°C and 180°C.
Drain the fritters upright on a wire rack rather than flat on paper towel.
Skim loose crumbs from the oil between batches so they do not burn.
Serve the ukoy immediately with the infused spiced vinegar.
Beginner Technique Notes
Dry ingredients are essential: water on the vegetables thins the batter and makes hot oil spit.
Thin fritters become crisp throughout. A thick mound may brown outside while remaining doughy in the centre.
A thermometer makes frying safer and more consistent. Let the oil recover before adding the next batch.
Tips and Variations
Small shell-on shrimp become crisp and contribute strong shrimp flavour. Use peeled shrimp only if diners cannot manage the shells.
Replace some squash with sweet potato or green papaya while keeping the total vegetable weight similar.
Rice flour and cornstarch create a lighter crust; do not replace all of them with plain flour.
Serving Ideas
- Serve on a rack-lined platter as soon as each batch is ready. Dip the crisp edge into vinegar immediately before eating rather than pouring sauce over the fritters.
Storage
Ukoy is best fresh. Refrigerate leftovers for up to 2 days, then reheat on a rack at 200°C for 8–10 minutes or air-fry until crisp. Do not microwave. The vinegar keeps refrigerated for 2 weeks.
Nutritional Value
Allergen Notes
Contains shellfish, wheat, egg and fish. Frying oil may carry allergens from other foods if reused. Shell-on shrimp are unsuitable for anyone with a shellfish allergy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is my ukoy soggy?
The oil may be too cool, the vegetables too wet, or the fritters too thick. Maintain 170–180°C and drain on a rack.
Can large shrimp be used?
Yes, but cut peeled large shrimp into smaller pieces so the fritters remain thin and cook evenly.
Can ukoy be prepared ahead?
Mix the dry ingredients and cut the vegetables ahead, but combine them with wet batter only shortly before frying.
What gives ukoy its orange colour?
A small amount of annatto adds the traditional warm colour without making the batter spicy.
