Garlic Buffalo Shrimp – Healthy, Low Carb Seafood Recipe
September 18, 2018 •This spicy buffalo shrimp recipe is healthy and low carb but also full of spicy flavor. It works great for appetizer for parties or a main dish for weeknight dinners.
I eat a lot of seafood, at least three times a week. It’s got a tremendous amount of protein for not too many calories, and I just like it. This is not to say that I’ve always liked it. There was a period of about twenty years when I wouldn’t touch seafood with a ten foot pole, but fortunately, that is OVER!
I started eating seafood after my bariatric surgery, and I found a new love for it.
I also love spicy foods. When I was young, I thought the spicier, the better, but in my old age {cough} I prefer things a little more on the milder side. Still, I like big, bold flavors, and this garlic buffalo shrimp has just that.
Even with the spicy hot sauce in the recipe, I like to sprinkle extra over my shrimp and serve them with a puddle of blue cheese dressing for that authentic buffalo wings flavor. The salad dressing brings a layer of creaminess to the shrimp that I really like. I use Bolthouse Farms because it has only 35 calories per tablespoon, compared to well over 100 for traditional blue cheese. It’s not as thick or as rich, but it has a good flavor.
Because I am calorie-conscious, these shrimp are neither breaded nor deep-fried. While those would probably taste better, I don’t miss them in the final dish. It’s spicy and rich and good just the way it is, without the extra carbs and calories.
How to make garlic buffalo shrimp
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add olive oil, garlic, and butter and sauté until fragrant, but being careful not to allow it to brown. About 2 minutes.
- Add a dash of salt and pepper, then the hot sauce. Cook until garlic is softened, another minute or two.
- Taste and adjust seasonings. Add BBQ sauce if desired for a sweeter finished flavor or more hot sauce if you want the sauce spicier.
- Add shrimp to the pan and sauté until opaque, about 3 minutes for fresh or 4 minutes for frozen. Be careful not to overcook or the shrimp will get rubbery.
- To serve, sprinkle with additional hot sauce and blue cheese.
If you like shrimp, you should check out these other seafood recipes:
- Rich butter shrimp
- Traditional Old Bay steamed shrimp
- Spicy cajun shrimp over pasta or rice
- Cheesy shrimp pasta
- Low carb crab cakes
Seafood is a powerhouse on the menu because it has a lot of protein for very few calories. If you are conscious of how you prepare it, shrimp can be the perfect protein for low carb and calorie conscious palates. You don’t have to sacrifice flavor either, as this garlic buffalo shrimp recipe will show you! Enjoy!
Garlic Buffalo Shrimp - Healthy, Low Carb Seafood Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic pressed with a garlic press
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 dash salt
- 1 dash pepper
- 2 tablespoons hot sauce I like Frank's RedHot.
- 1 teaspoon BBQ sauce optional
- 1 pound shrimp large or jumbo
- blue cheese salad dressing
Instructions
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add olive oil, garlic, and butter and sauté until fragrant, but being careful not to allow it to brown. About 2 minutes.
- Add a dash of salt and pepper, then hot sauce. Cook until garlic is softened, another minute or two.
- Taste and adjust seasonings. Add BBQ sauce if desired or more hot sauce if you want the sauce spicier.
- Add shrimp to the pan and sauté until opaque.
- To serve, sprinkle with additional hot sauce as desired and blue cheese dressing.
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