Fried Buffalo Shrimp

These Fried Buffalo Shrimp are the perfect gameday appetizer! The crispy fried shrimp are tossed in homemade buffalo sauce for maximum flavor.

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According to most reports, buffalo chicken wings were invented sometime in the mid-1960’s in Buffalo, New York. There is some debate as to which restaurant was the first to serve buffalo wings. Regardless of origin, there is no doubting the popularity of buffalo wings. Every sports bar in America has some version of hot wings on the menu. From restaurants named after wings (Buffalo Wild Wings) to wing festivals and “wing throwdowns,” buffalo wings are a staple in American cuisine.

Given the popularity of buffalo chicken wings, it’s surprising we don’t see buffalo shrimp very often. I’ve come across fried buffalo shrimp on occasion, but it’s fairly uncommon. Well, it’s time to fix that…starting with this homemade buffalo shrimp recipe!

Fried Buffalo Shrimp

For this Fried Buffalo Shrimp, I combined my recipes for fried seafood and fried chicken. The shrimp start with a quick rest in a buttermilk marinade before getting dipped into a seasoned flour mixture. Then it’s off to the frying pan for a quick 2-3 minute fry. And after that? That’s where the magic happens. Those fried shrimp are tossed in a homemade buffalo sauce. Good luck eating just one!

We don’t fry foods very often around here – maybe a couple of times a year. But now that we’ve discovered how delicious these Fried Buffalo Shrimp are, we might need to make ’em more often! Let’s take a look at how to make these shrimp:

• Buttermilk Marinade. Buttermilk is a common ingredient for marinades as the acidity in the buttermilk helps tenderize the meat. When making fried chicken, the chicken rests in the buttermilk marinade for several hours. Since shrimp are much smaller, they only need to rest in the marinade for ~30 minutes.
  • Buttermilk. If you don’t use buttermilk a lot, I highly recommend keeping buttermilk powder in the fridge. It has a long shelf life, and you can mix up however much you need for each recipe.
  • Eggs. The eggs help the flour mixture stick to the shrimp which leads to crispier fried shrimp.
  • Hot Sauce. Adds flavor.
  • Mustard. Adds a subtle tangy flavor.
  • Seasonings. A combo of Cajun seasoning, black pepper, garlic powder and onion powder adds lots of flavor to the marinade.

• Seasoned Flour. After the shrimp rest in the marinade, they get tossed in a seasoned flour mixture. When making ‘regular’ fried shrimp, I like to use a bit of cornmeal in this dry mixture. However, for these Fried Buffalo Shrimp, I opted to keep it simple and use just flour and Cajun seasonings.
  • All-Purpose Flour. Leads to crispy fried shrimp. Perfect for holding onto that buffalo sauce!
  • Cajun Seasoning. Adds flavor to the flour mixture.

• Homemade Buffalo Sauce. Sure, you can use store-bought ‘wing sauce,” but homemade Buffalo sauce is actually quite easy to make.
  • Hot Pepper Sauce. You’ll need a bunch of it. I typically use Frank’s Red Hot. (Note that this is Frank’s Red Hot, not Frank’s Wing Sauce.)
  • Apple Cider Vinegar. Adds that tangy flavor that makes buffalo sauce so addicting!
  • Unsalted Butter. Butter helps balance the heat, but it also thickens the sauce so that it sticks to the shrimp a bit better.
  • Seasonings. Black pepper, garlic powder and a tiny splash of Worcestershire sauce finishes off the buffalo sauce.

These Fried Buffalo Shrimp are an excellent party appetizer for Super Bowl parties or game nights. We made extras, and we reheated the leftovers and added them a salad with blue cheese dressing. Talk about an easy (and delicious) meal using leftovers! Another leftover idea would be to toss a few shrimp into a tortilla with chopped lettuce and crumbled blue cheese. Yum.

How to Reheat Leftovers

Speaking of leftovers, any leftover Buffalo Shrimp should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. While they won’t be quite as crispy as they were when cooked fresh, the leftover shrimp can be reheated in an oven or toaster oven for 4-5 minutes. If you have leftover buffalo sauce, store it in a separate container and toss the reheated shrimp in sauce before serving.

Leftovers can also be frozen. Just place the cooled fried shrimp in a freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Let thaw before reheating.

If you’re looking for a fantastic gameday recipe, then these crispy Buffalo Shrimp deserve a spot on the table! They are an excellent appetizer, and you can use either tail-on or tail-off shrimp. Good luck eating just one. I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do around our house – Cheers!

Did you make this Fried Buffalo Shrimp recipe at home? Leave a comment, or snap a photo and tag me on Instagram (@Spicedblog) – I’d love to see your version!

Fried Buffalo Shrimp

These Fried Buffalo Shrimp are the perfect gameday appetizer! The crispy fried shrimp are tossed in homemade buffalo sauce for maximum flavor.

5 from 3 votes

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes

Marinating Time: 30 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour

Servings: 12 servings

Calories: 312kcal

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Ingredients

For the Marinade

• 1 cup buttermilk
• 2 large eggs
• 1 Tbsp hot sauce
• 1 Tbsp yellow mustard
• 1 Tbsp Cajun seasoning
• ½ Tbsp black pepper
• ½ Tbsp garlic powder
• ½ Tbsp onion powder
• 2 pounds large or jumbo raw shrimp peeled and deveined with tails on or tails off

For the Buffalo Sauce

• ⅔ cup hot pepper sauce I used Frank’s Red Hot
• ½ cup apple cider vinegar
• ½ cup unsalted butter
• ½ tsp black pepper
• ¼ tsp garlic powder
• ¼ tsp Worcestershire sauce

For the Fried Shrimp

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 Tbsp Cajun seasoning
• canola oil vegetable oil or peanut oil, for frying (see note)
• {optional} blue cheese dressing or ranch dressing for dipping

Instructions

For the Marinade

• Using a large bowl, combine all ingredients for shrimp (buttermilk, eggs, hot sauce, mustard, Cajun seasoning, black pepper, garlic powder and onion powder). Add shrimp and toss until well coated; refrigerate for 30 minutes.

For the Buffalo Sauce

• Using a medium saucepan, add all ingredients and place over medium heat.
• Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally.
• Remove from heat. (Note: If necessary, keep saucepan over low heat so the sauce stays warm until needed.)

For the Fried Shrimp

• Using a large mixing bowl, combine flour and Cajun seasoning.
• Working in batches of 4-5 shrimp, remove shrimp from buttermilk mixture and toss in breading mixture. Make sure the entire surface of each shrimp is coated. Place shrimp on a large baking sheet and repeat with remaining shrimp.
• Using a deep frying pan, Dutch oven or deep fryer, add 2” of oil and place over medium-high heat until it reaches 350°F. (Test oil by dropping a pinch of dry breading into hot oil. If it bubbles immediately, then oil is ready.)
• Working in batches of 13-15, fry the breaded shrimp for 2-3 minutes, or until golden brown.
• Using a slotted spoon, transfer cooked shrimp to paper towel-lined plate to absorb any excess oil. Repeat with remaining shrimp.
• Toss shrimp in warm buffalo sauce before serving.
• {Optional} Serve with blue cheese dressing or ranch dressing.

Notes

The amount of oil will depend on the size of the pan you use for frying. You’ll need enough oil to fill the pan 2” deep with oil. Canola oil, vegetable oil and peanut oil are the best options for deep frying.

Looking for more buffalo recipes? Check out these other favorites, too: