Who else loves food drenched in buffalo sauce? C’mon, I know you love it! Buffalo Wings and now Grilled Buffalo Shrimp are the best. They all have that kick of cayenne pepper with a nice cooling Zesty Ranch on the side. If you love buffalo, then you are going to love my Grilled Buffalo Shrimp with Zesty Ranch recipe.
Why you’ll love this recipe
Forget fancy schmancy dinners. Sometimes you just crave bold flavors that hit you right in the feels. These Buffalo Shrimp are gonna be your new best friend for exactly that reason. We’re talking juicy, tender shrimp with a crispy crust that begs to be coated in a delicious homemade Buffalo sauce.
With a handful of simple ingredients, you can create the perfect tasty appetizer or main course for game day or dinner. After one bite, bold, smoky, sweet, and slightly tangy bad boys are sure to become a family favorite.
If you love buffalo recipes, you’ll love BUFFALO CHICKEN QUESADILLA, LOADED BUFFALO CHICKEN KETTLE CHIPS, and GRILLED BUFFALO CHICKEN WINGS WITH MELTED CHEESE!
Ingredients
SHRIMP:
- Shrimp, peeled & deveined
- Kosher Salt
- Black Pepper
- Garlic Powder
- Canola Oil – Helps the garlic powder, salt, and pepper stick to the shrimp and also gives it that nice golden brown crust.
BUFFALO SAUCE:
- Unsalted Butter – Creates a creamy base for the sauce, furthermore adding richness and rounding out the heat.
- Hot Sauce – Choose your preferred level of heat to define the dish’s fiery personality. Frank’s red hot is a great choice.
- White Vinegar – Adds a touch of tang and acidity to cut through the richness of the butter and also balance the sweetness of the honey.
- Honey – Balances the heat of the hot sauce with a touch of sweetness.
- Worcestershire sauce – Contributes umami depth and complex savory notes.
- Kosher Salt
- Black Pepper
- Garlic Powder
ZESTY RANCH:
- Sour Cream & Mayonnaise – Provide the creamy foundation for the ranch, offering contrasting textures and a touch of tang.
- Buttermilk – Adds a subtle tang and lightness, and also thins the sauce for easier drizzling and coating.
- Lemon, juiced – Brightens the flavor profile with a vibrant acidity, preventing the ranch from feeling heavy.
- Parsley, finely chopped
- Dill, finely chopped
- Kosher Salt
- Black Pepper
- Garlic Powder
How to Make Buffalo Shrimp
We start with the most elusive animal of them all: the great white buffalo shrimp. Just kidding, we are just going to use medium shrimp for this Grilled Buffalo Shrimp recipe. But it would be epic to make it with large shrimp or jumbo shrimp.
Season these raw shrimp with canola oil, Salt, Pepper, and Garlic, then skewer them onto the flexible skewers. These are new pieces of gear for me, so I wanted to try them out! They can hold a ton of food, but feel free to use classic skewers for this to make it easier.
Grill the coated shrimp up for only 1.5 minutes per side so we do not overcook them, then add them to a medium bowl for us to toss them in the spicy Buffalo Sauce.
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The Sauces
Speaking of that amazing buffalo sauce, we are going to simmer it up at the same time as the shrimp! The recipe for this is not overly complicated, so feel free to dress it up more if you like. Just some melted butter, cayenne-based hot sauce, white vinegar, Worcestershire, and some honey cooked together until they become thickened.
Once the sauce is thick, we are going to pour it into the bowl with cooked shrimp and toss. Make sure to coat it evenly! I would also add the buffalo sauce in two parts, so you get a nice coating.
The last piece of this puzzle is the homemade ranch dressing. Mix all the ingredients for this simple recipe as well before grilling or right before you eat. It doesn’t matter which time you make it. Just make sure to place it in the fridge when you are done.
Serve these Grilled Buffalo Shrimp with a side of Zesty Ranch, and get ready to have your mind blown. Enjoy this simple recipe with family, friends, and more. Cheers!
Tips
- The cooking time may need to be altered depending on the size of the shrimp you use.
- Grill the shrimp in a single layer so they cook evenly.
More Shrimp Recipes
How to store leftovers & reheat
Store leftover shrimp in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. You can also freeze for up to 6 months.
Before reheating, let your shrimp come to room temperature.
To reheat:
- Place a large skillet on the stovetop on medium-high heat.
- Throw a little butter or oil in the bottom of the pan and then add the shrimp. Let the shrimp heat up until the crust forms again.
- Remove from the heat and serve how you like.
What to serve with Buffalo Shrimp
Pair your buffalo shrimp with some corn tortillas so you can turn them into some delicious buffalo shrimp tacos! If you want to keep things low-carb, then add the shrimp to a lettuce wrap and enjoy! You can also serve these up with some celery sticks and carrot sticks on the side.
Buffalo Shrimp Recipe FAQs
Nope! Although I do love a homemade buffalo sauce, you can totally cut down the recipe time if you use premade sauce!
Yes! Feel free to grab a cast iron skillet and make your shrimp and sauces on the stove.
Yes! Just make sure to thaw them completely before cooking.
Grilled Buffalo Shrimp with Zesty Ranch
Ingredients
Shrimp:
- 1.5 lbs of Shrimp peeled & deveined
- 2 tsp of Kosher Salt
- 1 tsp of Black Pepper
- 1 tsp of Garlic Powder
- 1 tbsp of Canola Oil
Buffalo Sauce:
- 2 tbsp of Unsalted Butter
- 1.5 tbsp of Hot Sauce
- 1 tbsp of White Vinegar
- 1 tbsp of Honey
- 1 tsp of Worcestershire
- 1 tsp of Kosher Salt
- 1 tsp of Black Pepper
- 1 tsp of Garlic Powder
Zesty Ranch:
- 3 tbsp of Sour Cream
- 3 tbsp of Mayonnaise
- 2 tbsp of Buttermilk
- 1 Lemon juiced
- 2 tsp of Parsley finely chopped
- 2 tsp of Dill finely chopped
- ½ tsp of Kosher Salt
- ½ tsp of Black Pepper
- ½ tsp of Garlic Powder
Instructions
- In a bowl, add the shrimp, canola oil, salt, pepper and garlic.
- Mix thoroughly then add to your skewers.
- Mix together the ingredients for the Zesty Ranch as well and place in the fridge.
- Preheat your fire/grill for direct cooking at medium high temperature (around 375F).
- Add a bbq sauce/basting skillet on to preheat for 2 minutes. Add in your butter and let it melt.
- Next, add the rest of the ingredients for the buffalo sauce and let simmer for 2-3 minutes. Make sure to stir occasionally.
- When the sauce has thickened (about 5 minutes), pull it off to a cooler side of the grill to stay warm.
- Add your shrimp on to the grill and cook for about 1.5 minutes per side until they are golden brown.
- Once done, pull them off the skewers and place them in a bowl.
- Add the buffalo sauce to the bowl and toss/mix.
- Serve the shrimp immediately with the side of Zesty Ranch. Enjoy!
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