This Easy Buffalo Shrimp Recipe can be served baked, seared, or fried. You won’t miss the appetizer from Hooters, once you have a dose of this!
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This dish is perfect for when you are in a rut and need to jazz up the flavor of your meals. This dish only takes 20 minutes to make! Eat the shrimp as a main dish with accompanying sides or throw the shrimp on salads or tacos!
What Type of Shrimp to Use
Shrimp can be found at the grocery store in a few different ways. There is raw, pre-cooked, raw and frozen, deveined, tails on, tails off, etc.
I never use pre-cooked shrimp. There is an obvious difference in taste due to the lack of quality. The shrimp is cooked and then frozen and you have to cook it/warm it up again. This usually overcooks the shrimp. Raw shrimp only takes minutes to make, just buy it raw.
Always look for deveined, that’s my preference. The black vein that runs along the back of the shrimp is the digestive intestinal tract. Is this shrimp poop, yes.
You can buy it with the vein and remove it using a sharp paring knife to make a slit along the back and lift out the vein with the tip of the knife.
I love to buy large shrimp.
What Sauce to Use
Always use your favorite buffalo sauce. When it comes to the sauce I look for quality, great taste, and no-added-sugar. I use Franks Red Hot or the Buffalo Sauce from Primal Kitchen.
How to Make Buffalo Shrimp
I have two ways you can make this recipe. If you are looking for something crispy and breaded, I use panko breadcrumbs and my air fryer. You can also pan-fry or deep fry the shrimp if you want.
If you want a low-carb and gluten-free option, you can pan sear the shrimp and then drizzle it in buffalo sauce. See the steps outlined in the recipe card.
- Spray the air fryer basket with cooking oil.
- Place flour, egg, and panko bread crumbs in three separate bowls. Add the paprika, salt, and pepper to taste to the bowl with the flour.
- Create a cooking station. Dip the shrimp in the flour, then the egg, and the panko bread crumbs last.
- Add the shrimp to the Air Fryer basket.
- Air fry.
What Goes With the Shrimp? Pairing Ideas
I love ranch so I love to drizzle ranch over the shrimp. If you love blue cheese and green onions, those are great options, too. Serve this dish as a main dish with sides or turn it into a salad, tacos, whatever you wish!
Air Fryer Broccoli
Air Fryer Asparagus
Keto Low Carb Cauliflower Mash
Creamy Cucumber Salad
How to Reheat
If using the air fryer, reheat the shrimp in the air fryer, a few minutes on 350 degrees until warm.
Baked shrimp can be reheated in the oven on 350 degrees for 4-5 minutes or until warm.
Pan-seared shrimp can be warmed up in the pan, in the air fryer, or in the oven.
In general, shrimp is best served fresh. Reheating it may alter the texture. I do not recommend using the microwave.
More Buffalo Recipes
Air Fryer Buffalo Wings
Air Fryer Buffalo Cauliflower
Keto Low Carb Buffalo Chicken Dip
Buffalo Chicken Soup
Buffalo Chicken Lettuce Wraps
Buffalo Chicken Tenders
More Shrimp and Seafood Recipes
Cajun Shrimp Pasta
Shrimp Egg Rolls
Air Fryer Shrimp
Keto Shrimp Alfredo
Seafood Shrimp Pho Soup
Tuna Poke Bowls
Blackened Fish Tacos
Grilled Cedar Plank Shrimp
Shrimp Parmesan (Parmigiana)
Jerk Shrimp Recipe
Easy Buffalo Shrimp Recipe
Ingredients
Breaded Shrimp
- 1 pound raw shrimp Peeled and deveined.
- 1 egg Beaten.
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup panko bread crumbs
- 1 teaspoon paprika I like to use smoked paprika.
- salt and pepper to taste
- cooking oil I like to use olive oil.
- 1/4 cup Buffalo Sauce
Pan Seared Shrimp
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 pound raw shrimp Peeled and deveined.
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup Buffalo Sauce
Instructions
Breaded Air Fryer Shrimp
- Spray the air fryer basket with cooking oil.
- Place the flour, egg, and panko bread crumbs in three separate bowls. Add the paprika, salt, and pepper to taste to the bowl with the flour.
- Create a cooking station. Dip the shrimp in the flour, then the egg, and the panko bread crumbs last.
- Add the shrimp to the Air Fryer basket. Spray the shrimp with cooking oil. Cook for 6 minutes on 400 degrees.
- Open the basket and flip the shrimp to the other side. If you like your buffalo shrimp saucy, cook for an additional 2 minutes without adding the buffalo sauce (add it after the shrimp have cooked). If you prefer to have the flavor of the buffalo sauce baked into the shrimp. Remove the shrimp from the basket, toss it in the buffalo sauce and air fry for an additional 2 minutes.
- Ensure the shrimp has crisped to your liking and adjust cook time if necessary.
Breaded Baked Buffalo Shrimp
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Follow the breading instructions noted above.
- Place the breaded shrimp on a sheet pan. Spray the shrimp with cooking oil. Bake for 10-15 minutes until crisp.
Pan Seared Shrimp
- Season the shrimp with the paprika, salt, and pepper to taste.
- Place a skillet on medium-high heat and add the olive oil and shrimp.
- Cook the shrimp for 2-3 minutes on each side until it is no longer pink.
- Remove the shrimp from the pan and drizzle in buffalo sauce.
Notes
- The macros noted above are for breaded shrimp. For pan-seared/low carb: Cals:144 Fat: 7G Protein: 17G Net Carbs: 2G
- Every air fryer cooks at different speeds. Monitor your dish and adjust the cook time as necessary.
- When breading the shrimp, your hands will get sticky, keep a moist towel nearby.
Nick
Tuesday 28th of December 2021
Made these tonight and they're wonderful! Did 2 lbs of extra large shrimp (2 batches) in my air fryer oven. Served with herb&butter rice and blue cheese dressing. Ran out of buffalo sauce after the first batch, so I threw 1/2 hot sauce & 1/2 melted butter form emergency Frank's. It's actually healthier than the regular buffalo sauce 'cause it doesn't have the extra junk in it. Dinner is a big hit for my hard to please wife and for me. Thanks Brandi!
staysnatched
Saturday 1st of January 2022
I'm glad it was a hit.
Stewart
Friday 5th of November 2021
Quick tasty recipe enjoyed by my family. As a tasty complement to this meal, try this terrific Asian dipping sauce. It's easy to prepare. Mix equal parts of mayonnaise and Hoi Sin sauce together. Try it, you will love it.
staysnatched
Saturday 6th of November 2021
I'm glad you enjoyed the recipe.
Erin
Tuesday 9th of March 2021
Loved this recipe! Such an easy and delicious way to use shrimp I had on hand. My husband was jealous because he was eating something else for dinner so we’ll probably make it again this week!
staysnatched
Tuesday 9th of March 2021
haha! I love it.
Erin
Saturday 6th of March 2021
Made this for Buffalo shrimp tacos tonight. So easy and delicious! Easy and quick dinner
staysnatched
Tuesday 9th of March 2021
I'm in love with this idea!
Jason
Saturday 26th of September 2020
I actually like the flavor of the buffalo sauce. I use this recipe to fry shrimp because I like crispy shrimp. But I feel difficult to peel shrimp so it takes me a lot of time to prepare. This fried shrimp a little bit fat, add some vegetable will be perfect. But children like to dimp buffalo shrimp into mayonnaise.
staysnatched
Thursday 1st of October 2020
I hope you enjoyed the recipe.