Buffalo shrimp make the perfect appetizer or main course meal. The jumbo shrimp are lightly breaded and fried then tossed in a spicy buffalo sauce.
I think I could put buffalo sauce on just about everything. Even though chicken wings are a favorite, we also like Frank’s on buffalo chicken meatballs, buffalo fries, and of course on game day we have buffalo chicken dip.
Serve buffalo shrimp as the main meal alongside instant pot corn on the cob or a baked potato in the air fryer. You can also put them on lettuce (or in a wrap) and add your other favorite toppings to make a quick salad. If you like bread, turn it into a po’ boy by adding them to a hoagie roll.
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🍤 Ingredients:
- all-purpose flour and cornstarch – make the perfect breading for crispy shrimp.
- Seasoning: garlic powder, black pepper, paprika, Cajun or creole seasoning
- shrimp – make sure they are raw and deveined; you can use fresh shrimp or frozen.
- Frank’s buffalo sauce – this is our favorite brand, but you can also use the store brand if needed.
- vegetable oil or shortening for frying – when deep frying, we recommend vegetable oil instead of olive oil because unless you are buying high quality, the smoke point is lower.
- Ranch dressing or a side of blue cheese dressing for dipping
For a full list of ingredients and their measurements, 📋 please view my printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Optional Garnish: Serve buffalo shrimp with celery sticks and carrot sticks. Blue cheese dip and ranch dressing pair well with the buffalo flavor. You can also use this recipe to make buffalo shrimp tacos and lettuce wraps for more of a main dish.
Substitutions and Variations
- Homemade buffalo sauce – combine ½ cup of your favorite hot sauce with a ½ stick of butter in a medium saucepan. Add cayenne pepper (based on your preference of heat) to the melted butter mixture. Then pour in a tablespoon of white vinegar. Simmer for 4-5 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow it to cool to room temperature.
- Breading – the combo of flour and cornstarch makes the outside crispy. You could also use panko breadcrumbs or a pork rind and coconut flour blend for healthy options like keto and low carb.
- Air fryer buffalo shrimp – follow the same directions for prepping. Add the shrimp to the air fryer basket in a single layer. Spray generously with cooking spray. Air fry for 5 minutes at 385 degrees. Flip the shrimp and continue cooking for another 5 minutes. Then toss in buffalo sauce. Adjust the cooking time as needed for the size of your air fryer and shrimp.
🔪 Instructions:
PREP: Rinse the raw shrimp in a sieve and drain.
Step 1: Add the flour, cornstarch, and seasonings to a gallon freezer bag. Stir or shake to combine.
Step 2: Add a handful of shrimp to the bag, seal, and shake. Take the breaded shrimp from the bag and place on a wire rack.
Step 3: Once you have coated all of the shrimp in the flour mixture, let them chill in the refrigerator for 20-30 minutes. Dip the shrimp once more in the breading.
Step 4: Fill a Dutch oven or large post with 3-4 inches of oil. Heat to 375 degrees over medium heat.
Pro Tip: Don’t overcrowd the pot when adding the shrimp. They will not cook as evenly and will really cool the oil down.
Step 6: Carefully drop the shrimp into the oil and fry until golden brown. Toss shrimp around while they are frying so they are cooked evenly.
Step 7: Place the cooked shrimp in a single layer on paper towels to let the excess oil drain. Repeat until all of the shrimp have cooked.
Step 6: Add the shrimp to a medium bowl and toss in the buffalo sauce. (Toss gently so that the breading doesn’t peel off.)
SERVE: Serve these tender shrimp with your favorite dipping sauce, in tacos, or lettuce wraps.
Buffalo Shrimp Cooking Tips
- You can use small or large shrimp for this recipe. We like jumbo shrimp the best.
- Make sure if using frozen shrimp, they have thawed first.
- Do not use pre-cooked shrimp. These will be tough since they have already been cooked.
- Use a thermometer to check the temperature of the oil. It will lose some heat as the shrimp are added, so adjust the burner as needed.
- If you have a deep fryer, use that instead of the stove top method. Deep fryers hold a constant temperature and you can save the oil.
- If desired, skip tossing the shrimp and serve the buffalo sauce on the side. (The breading starts to soften once coated in sauce, so either eat them right away or wait to toss them with the sauce.)
Fun Fact
Some shrimp can grow over 12 inches long! – The Original Oyster House
Recipe FAQs
Deveined shrimp refers to shrimp that have had their digestive tract removed. The “black vein” in a shrimp is actually its digestive tract, which can contain sand, grit, and sometimes, dark matter that some people find unappetizing. While not harmful to consume, many people prefer to remove the vein for aesthetic and taste reasons.
To devein shrimp, you make a shallow cut along the back of the shrimp and remove the black or dark-colored vein that runs along the length of the body. This can be done using a small paring knife or a special shrimp deveining tool.
No. The vein that runs on the bottom side of shrimp is actually a nerve, the digestive tract is on top. The vein on top is the one that is removed when you buy deveined shrimp from the grocery store.
Buffalo shrimp are best on the day they are cooked. As they sit in the refrigerator, they will become a little soggy. You can store them in an airtight container for 2 days. To reheat, add them back to the air fryer for a few minutes or line a baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Bake at 375 degrees until they are warm and crisp.
If you know you want to keep the leftovers, store the fried shrimp in one container and the buffalo sauce in a small bowl. Reheat the shrimp then toss in the spicy sauce before serving. If needed, warm the sauce in a small saucepan to take the chill off of it.
Buffalo sauce is tangy and buttery with a slightly spicy flavor.
More Delicious Seafood Recipes
If you tried this Buffalo Shrimp Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how you liked it in the 📝 comments below.
Buffalo Shrimp
Ingredients
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon coarse black pepper
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon Cajun or creole seasoning
- 1 pound raw deveined peeled shrimp
- ½ cup Frank’s buffalo sauce
- vegetable oil or shortening for frying at least 4 cups
- Ranch dressing or blue cheese dressing for dipping optional
Instructions
- Be sure that shrimp are thawed completely. Rinse in a sieve and allow to drain.
- In a large Ziploc bag combine flour, cornstarch, garlic powder, black pepper, paprika, Cajun seasoning. Stir to combine thoroughly.
- Working in batches, add a handful of the shrimp to the bag, seal, and shake to coat the shrimp in the seasoning mixture. Remove the shrimp from the bag and set out on a wire rack (place rack on top of a sheet pan to catch any excess flour).
- After coating all of the shrimp in the first coating, set the shrimp in the refrigerator for 20-30 minutes to help the coating adhere to the shrimp.
- Coat the shrimp with a second layer of the flour/seasoning.
- Meanwhile, fill a dutch oven or heavy stock pot with 3-4 inches of oil. Heat until the oil reaches 375°F (this will take 10-15 minutes).
- Carefully drop several coated shrimp at a time into the hot oil and fry until golden brown and crispy (about 2-3 minutes). Toss the shrimp around in the oil a couple times to ensure even cooking. Maintain an oil temperature of 350°F for best results. The chicken tenders will cook through in about 5 minutes. I’ve found that as long as the oil temperature is maintained correctly, the chicken will be cooked by the time the breading is a deep golden brown.
- Place cooked shrimp on a few layers of paper towel to soak up excess oil.
- Carefully toss the shrimp with the buffalo sauce and serve immediately with blue cheese dressing (or ranch.)
Notes
Nutrition
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