Buffalo Shrimp Recipe

This fiery Buffalo Shrimp Recipe will bring the heat to your dinner table and appetizer menus. Cool down the spice with a side of buttermilk ranch or blue cheese dip, and enjoy a restaurant favorite at home.

Ingredients to Make Buffalo Shrimp Recipe

Do you ever feel like just snacking for your dinner? You know the days I’m talking about, those days you’re in the mood for finger foods instead of a full scale meal. Those are the kind of days I serve up Cajun seasoned wings, buffalo wings or dips like my chicken bacon ranch dip. It’s a fun way to bring variety to weeknight meals. This buffalo shrimp is a family favorite, combining our love of fried shrimp with the flavor of buffalo wings. Ingredients to make spicy Buffalo Shrimp: (Scroll down for full printable recipe card.)

• Shrimp: Two pounds jumbo or large tail-on shrimp that have been peeled and deveined.
• Breading: All purpose flour, cornstarch, salt, Creole seasoning or seafood seasoning, granulated garlic or garlic powder, lemon pepper, cayenne pepper, onion powder and cumin.
• Oil: Vegetable oil or peanut oil for frying.
• Buffalo Sauce: Hot sauce i.e. Frank’s red hot, salted or unsalted butter, cayenne pepper, granulated garlic and a few dashes Worcestershire sauce.

How to Make the Best Buffalo Shrimp Recipe

The biggest mistake you can make when preparing shrimp is over-cooking it. Depending on the size, shrimp takes mere minutes to cook, and can be ready to eat in no time flat.

• Make the Breading – In a large plastic storage bag, toss together flour, cornstarch, salt, Creole or seafood seasoning, garlic, lemon pepper, onion powder and cumin. Seal bag and shake until seasonings are evenly distributed. (You can also use a shallow dish.)
• Coat the Shrimp – Add shrimp. Seal bag and toss in the flour mixture until evenly coated.
• Refrigerate – Place shrimp into the refrigerator with the bag open for 30 minutes. Repeat sealing the bag and shaking after 15 minutes of chill time.
• Heat Oil – Heat oil to 350-360°F. Remove shrimp from fridge and seal bag and shake again to coat.
• Cook – Fry in batches per the cook time in the recipe until golden brown. Have nearby a pan lined with paper towels. Remove with a slotted spoon to drain on pan. Season with additional seafood or Creole seasoning immediately.
• Make the Buffalo Sauce – Melt together the hot sauce, butter, cayenne, garlic and Worcestershire sauce. Keep warm.
• Toss the Shrimp in the Sauce – After all shrimp is cooked, toss in sauce. Serve immediately with bleu cheese dressing or ranch dressing and a side of carrot sticks and celery.

Tips for Making Spicy Buffalo Shrimp

• Kitchen Tools You’ll Need: Mixing bowl, measuring cups and spoons, a whisk to sift together the breading ingredients, a saucepan to make the buffalo sauce, a Dutch oven, deep pot or deep fryer, a thermometer and stainless steel spider or slotted spoon to remove the cooked shrimp from the oil.
• Watch the Cooking Time: It’s important that you stay engaged when cooking shrimp so you can adjust the cooking time based on the size of the shrimp you’re frying. I used jumbo shrimp for this recipe. You can adapt using whatever size you enjoy most.
• Adjust the Spice to Taste: You can adjust the amount of spice by using more, or less hot sauce. Use your favorite brand of hot sauce such as Frank’s red hot sauce, Crystal’s or Tabasco sauce.
• Why Chill the Shrimp? The purpose of allowing the shrimp chill time after breading is so that, the breading will fully coat and adhere to each piece. I highly recommend using a large storage bag for easy clean-up.
• How to Serve Buffalo Shrimp: You can serve this Buffalo Shrimp with a homemade ranch dip or blue cheese dip to cool down the heat.
• Side Dishes to Serve with Shrimp: Serve this spicy shrimp as an appetizer with carrots, celery sticks or any fresh veggies that you enjoy. It’s equally delicious as an entrée with a side of french fries or sweet potato fries.

Recipe Variations

• Make Half for Less Servings: This recipe can be easily halved, including the delicious homemade buffalo sauce.
• Seasoning: You can use Cajun seasoning, Creole seasoning or seafood seasoning for the breading.
• Cayenne Pepper Substitution: For less spice, you can reduce the amount of cayenne pepper or omit it altogether. You can also replace it with paprika.
• Tails On Or Off: You can remove the tails or leave them intact making them easy to grab and eat.
• Oil: You can use vegetable oil, peanut oil or canola oil.

Storage and Leftovers

• Leftovers: Buffalo Shrimp is best made and eaten fresh. I don’t recommend making a larger batch just to have leftovers.store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
• Freezer: If you have more shrimp than you expect to eat in one sitting, pop the shrimp into the freezer for another meal. Store frozen for up to 2 months.
• Reheating: If you simply MUST reheat buffalo shrimp, reheat in the basket of a preheated 325°F air fryer or in a preheated 350°F oven in a single layer on a sheet pan to crisp the breading.

More Southern Style Shrimp Recipes to Make

• Skip the drive thru and enjoy this Shrimp Fried Rice at home.
• If you’re a fan of Cajun food, checkout my recipe for spicy Shrimp Creole served over a big bowl of white rice.
• Another simple dinner option is Shrimp Scampi that can be on the table in no time flat.
• Chow down on a homemade Shrimp Po’boy for supper!
• Shrimp Salad  makes for a satisfying warm weather meal served on a bed of lettuce or a Kaiser roll.
• You may also enjoy this recipe for Shrimp Cocktail from Barefeet in the Kitchen for holiday small bites and casual soirees.

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Helpful Kitchen Items:

• Sheet Pan
• Mixing Bowls
• Measuring Set
• Large Pot