These crispy butterflied buffalo shrimp are thin, crunchy, perfectly seasoned, and coated in a buttery, spicy buffalo sauce. Butterflying the shrimp gives you even more surface area for that crispy coating, making every bite extra flavorful.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

If you love buffalo wings but want to switch things up, these shrimp are such a fun alternative. Instead of leaving the shrimp whole, I butterfly them before breading, which opens them up and makes them a little thinner. That means there’s more surface area to season, more room for that crispy coating, and plenty of edges that get crunchy once they hit the hot oil.

The coating is simple, too. Eggs help the seasoned flour mixture stick to the shrimp, while cornstarch keeps the crust lighter and crispier instead of heavy or doughy. Once they’re fried, the shrimp are tossed in just enough buttery buffalo sauce to give you that tangy, spicy flavor without completely covering up all that crunch.

Texture-wise, you get crispy, craggy edges on the outside with tender, juicy shrimp in the middle. Add some ranch or blue cheese on the side and you have an appetizer that disappears pretty quickly.

Ingredients

You’ll start with one pound of large or jumbo raw shrimp, peeled, deveined and tails removed.

For the wet mixture, you only need eggs. I use two large eggs whisked together until smooth. You can add a small splash of water to loosen them up if needed and a little hot sauce if you want another layer of flavor.

The crispy coating is made with all-purpose flour and cornstarch. The flour gives the crust its structure, while the cornstarch helps it fry up lighter and crispier. Season the dry mixture with 1 teaspoon each of salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika, then add ½ teaspoon each of black pepper and cayenne. The cayenne is optional, especially since the shrimp will already be getting plenty of heat from the buffalo sauce.

For the buffalo sauce, I use Frank’s RedHot Original mixed with melted butter. A little honey rounds out the sharp vinegar flavor without making the sauce noticeably sweet, while garlic powder adds another savory layer. Worcestershire sauce is optional, but just a small splash adds some extra depth.

How to Make Butterflied Buffalo Shrimp

Start by peeling and deveining your shrimp if they haven’t already been cleaned. To butterfly them, make a deeper cut along the back of each shrimp where it was deveined. You want to slice almost all the way through without cutting the shrimp completely in half. Open the shrimp up and gently flatten it.

Butterflying may seem like one extra step, but it makes a big difference here. Opening the shrimp gives you more surface area for your seasonings and coating to cling to. It also makes the shrimp slightly thinner, which means they cook quickly and develop even more crispy edges.

Pat the shrimp dry before breading. In one shallow bowl, whisk the eggs until completely combined. In another bowl, combine the flour, cornstarch, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, black pepper, and cayenne if you’re using it.

Dip each butterflied shrimp into the egg mixture, letting any excess drip away. Then place it into the seasoned flour mixture and press the coating onto both sides. Make sure you get some of that flour mixture into all the little crevices created when you butterflied the shrimp.

Once the shrimp are coated in the flour, let them sit for a few minutes. Once the flour has absorbed some of the moisture and starts sticking to the shrimp, they’re ready to fry. This short resting time helps the coating stay attached instead of falling off once it hits the oil.

Heat your frying oil to 350°F. Fry the shrimp in small batches so you don’t overcrowd the pan or lower the temperature of the oil. They only need about 2 to 3 minutes, depending on their size. Once they’re golden brown and crispy, transfer them to a wire rack so air can circulate underneath and keep that crust crunchy.

While the shrimp are frying, make the buffalo sauce by stirring together the hot sauce, melted butter, honey, garlic powder, and Worcestershire sauce if using.

Right before serving, lightly toss or drizzle the shrimp with the buffalo sauce. You want enough sauce to coat them without completely soaking the crust. Serve immediately while they’re hot and crispy.

Ingredient Notes

Shrimp: Large or jumbo shrimp work best because butterflying smaller shrimp can be a little tedious. Raw shrimp are important here since they’ll cook during frying. Using already-cooked shrimp can leave them tough and rubbery.

Eggs: Eggs replace the buttermilk in this version and help create a coating that really holds onto the shrimp. They also give you a slightly more substantial, crispy crust.

Flour: Regular all-purpose flour works perfectly for the base of the coating and gives it enough structure to hold up once the buffalo sauce is added.

Cornstarch: Cornstarch is one of the secrets to keeping fried foods crisp. Mixing it with flour produces a lighter, crunchier coating that doesn’t feel overly thick.

Paprika: Paprika adds mild flavor and also helps give the fried coating a beautiful golden color.

Cayenne: This is completely optional. If you like your buffalo shrimp spicy, add it. If you prefer to let the buffalo sauce provide most of the heat, you can leave it out.

Buffalo sauce: Frank’s RedHot Original gives this the classic buffalo flavor, but another cayenne pepper hot sauce can be substituted.

Butter: Butter mellows out the sharpness of the hot sauce and gives buffalo sauce its signature rich, silky texture.

Honey: Just a teaspoon helps balance the tangy heat. It’s not enough to turn this into a sweet buffalo sauce.

Tips for the Best Crispy Butterflied Buffalo Shrimp

Don’t skip drying the shrimp before you begin. Extra moisture can make it harder for the egg and seasoned coating to stick properly.

When you dredge the shrimp, press the flour mixture onto them rather than simply dropping them into the bowl and shaking them around. Because the shrimp are butterflied, there are more little edges and crevices for the coating to grab onto.

Let the coated shrimp rest before frying. Once the flour has absorbed some of the moisture from the egg and starts looking slightly damp in spots, the coating is set and ready for the oil.

Keep your oil around 350°F. Oil that isn’t hot enough can make the coating absorb too much oil and become greasy, while oil that is too hot can brown the crust before the shrimp are cooked.

Work in batches. Adding too many shrimp at once drops the oil temperature and can prevent them from getting as crispy.

A wire rack is better than placing freshly fried shrimp directly onto paper towels. Paper towels can trap steam underneath the shrimp and soften the crust.

Finally, don’t drown the shrimp in buffalo sauce. A quick toss or drizzle gives you plenty of flavor while leaving some of those crispy edges exposed.

What to Serve with Butterflied Buffalo Shrimp

These shrimp are great on their own as an appetizer, especially with a cold, creamy dipping sauce. Ranch is my favorite with buffalo shrimp, but blue cheese dressing is the classic buffalo pairing if that’s more your style. Celery and carrot sticks add something fresh and crunchy alongside the fried shrimp.

If you want to turn them into more of a meal, serve them with crispy fries, seasoned potato wedges, coleslaw, or a simple chopped salad. They would also be great tucked into warm tortillas with shredded lettuce and ranch for quick buffalo shrimp tacos.

For something a little fresher, serve them over a crisp salad with tomatoes, cucumbers, celery, and a drizzle of ranch. The spicy, crunchy shrimp give you plenty of flavor without needing much else.

Kitchen Tools

Sharp paring knife for butterflying the shrimp
Cutting board
Two shallow bowls
Whisk
Heavy-bottomed skillet, Dutch oven, or frying pot
Cooking thermometer
Tongs or spider strainer
Sheet pan
Wire cooling rack
Small bowl for buffalo sauce

Frequently Asked Questions

Why should I butterfly shrimp before frying them?
Butterflying gives the shrimp more surface area, which means you can get more seasoning and crispy coating onto each shrimp. It also makes them slightly thinner so they cook quickly and develop more crunchy edges.

Do I need buttermilk for fried shrimp?
No. This recipe uses eggs instead. The eggs help the seasoned flour and cornstarch mixture adhere to the shrimp and create a crispy crust.

Why add cornstarch to the flour?
Cornstarch helps reduce some of the gluten development you would get from using flour alone, which gives the finished coating a lighter, crispier texture.

How do I know when the breaded shrimp are ready to fry?
After coating the shrimp, let them rest for several minutes. Once the flour has absorbed some of the moisture from the egg and the coating looks like it’s really sticking to the shrimp, they’re ready for the oil.

What temperature should I fry shrimp at?
Keep the oil around 350°F. This is hot enough to crisp the coating quickly without overcooking the shrimp.

How long does shrimp take to fry?
Large butterflied shrimp generally take about 2 to 3 minutes. They cook quickly, so remove them once the coating is golden and the shrimp are opaque inside.

How do I keep buffalo shrimp crispy?
Drain the fried shrimp on a wire rack rather than paper towels and don’t toss them with the buffalo sauce until just before serving. Use only enough sauce to lightly coat them.

Can I make these ahead of time?
They’re best right after frying, but you can fry them a little ahead and keep the buffalo sauce separate. Reheat the shrimp in an air fryer at 375°F for about 3 to 4 minutes, then toss them with warm buffalo sauce immediately before serving.

Can I reheat leftover buffalo shrimp?
Yes. An air fryer works best. Heat them at 375°F for about 3 to 4 minutes, checking early so the shrimp don’t overcook. Already-sauced shrimp may not become quite as crispy as freshly fried shrimp.

Recipe