This Copycat LongHorn Steakhouse Wild West Shrimp recipe brings one of the restaurant’s most popular appetizers right to your own kitchen. Each bite features crispy fried shrimp tossed with spicy cherry peppers, bold steakhouse seasoning, and plenty of warm garlic butter. Serve it with cool ranch dressing for dipping, and watch how quickly it disappears.
If you have ever ordered the Wild West Shrimp at LongHorn Steakhouse, you already know why it is so popular. The shrimp are crispy without being covered in a thick, heavy batter, while the cherry peppers add just enough heat and tanginess to balance all that rich garlic butter.
This homemade version is easy enough for a game-day snack but impressive enough to serve for holidays, parties, or a steakhouse-style dinner at home.
Other Easy Shrimp Recipes To Try
Why You’ll Love This Wild West Shrimp Recipe
- Crispy, lightly breaded shrimp
- Tossed in a buttery garlic sauce
- Spicy cherry peppers in every bite
- Easy homemade steakhouse seasoning
- Ready in about 30 minutes
- Perfect for parties, holidays, or game day
- Less expensive than ordering restaurant takeout
What Is LongHorn Wild West Shrimp?
LongHorn Steakhouse Wild West Shrimp is a shareable appetizer made with hand-breaded fried shrimp tossed with spicy cherry peppers and garlic butter. It is traditionally served with creamy ranch dressing for dipping.
The combination works because every element brings something different to the dish. The fried shrimp are crisp and savory, the peppers are spicy and tangy, and the garlic butter ties everything together with a rich steakhouse flavor.
This is a homemade copycat recipe inspired by the restaurant favorite and is not the official LongHorn Steakhouse recipe.
Ingredients for Copycat Wild West Shrimp
For the Shrimp
- Shrimp: Use peeled and deveined medium shrimp. Remove the tails so the appetizer is easier to eat.
- Buttermilk: Helps the flour mixture cling to the shrimp while keeping the coating light.
- All-purpose flour: Creates the crispy outer coating.
- Cornstarch: Adds extra crunch and helps the breading stay crisp after the shrimp are tossed with butter.
- Seasoning: Paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, salt, pepper, and cayenne give the shrimp plenty of bold flavor.
- Oil: Use a neutral oil with a high smoke point, such as vegetable, canola, or peanut oil.
For the Garlic Butter and Peppers
- Butter: Unsalted butter lets you control the amount of salt in the finished dish.
- Garlic: Fresh minced garlic gives the butter its best flavor.
- Cherry peppers: Jarred hot cherry peppers provide the signature spicy and tangy flavor.
- Lemon juice: Brightens the rich garlic butter.
- Parsley: Adds a little color and freshness.
- Ranch dressing: Served alongside the shrimp for dipping.
What Kind of Cherry Peppers Should I Use?
Look for jarred sliced hot cherry peppers near the pickles, olives, or Italian ingredients at the grocery store. Drain them well before adding them to the butter.
For a milder version, use sweet cherry peppers or a mixture of sweet and hot peppers. You can also rinse hot cherry peppers briefly under cool water to remove some of their heat.
Pepperoncini can work in a pinch, although they will give the recipe a slightly different flavor.
How to Make LongHorn Wild West Shrimp
1. Prepare the Shrimp
Pat the peeled and deveined shrimp completely dry with paper towels. Add them to a bowl with the buttermilk and let them sit for approximately 10 minutes.
Drying the shrimp before adding the buttermilk keeps excess water from thinning the coating.
2. Mix the Seasoned Breading
In a shallow bowl, combine the flour, cornstarch, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, salt, black pepper, and cayenne.
Remove the shrimp from the buttermilk a few pieces at a time. Let the excess drip off, and then toss the shrimp in the seasoned flour. Press the coating gently onto each piece, then shake off any loose flour.
3. Fry the Shrimp
Heat approximately two inches of oil in a heavy-bottomed pot or deep skillet to 350°F.
Working in small batches, fry the shrimp for 2 to 3 minutes, turning as needed, until the coating is crisp and golden and the shrimp are cooked through.
Transfer the fried shrimp to a wire rack placed over a sheet pan. Using a wire rack instead of paper towels helps prevent the bottom of the shrimp from becoming soggy.
4. Make the Garlic Butter
Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the minced garlic and cook for about 30 seconds, just until fragrant.
Stir in the drained cherry peppers and lemon juice. Cook for another minute to warm the peppers without making the garlic brown.
5. Toss and Serve
Add the fried shrimp to the skillet. Toss quickly and gently until the shrimp are lightly coated with the garlic butter and peppers.
Remove the pan from the heat, sprinkle with chopped parsley, and serve immediately with ranch dressing.
More Restaurant Inspired Copycat Recipes
Tips for Crispy Fried Shrimp
Keep the Oil at the Correct Temperature
The oil should stay between 340°F and 350°F while frying. If the oil is not hot enough, the shrimp will absorb too much oil and become greasy. If it is too hot, the coating may burn before the shrimp cook through.
Fry in Small Batches
Adding too many shrimp at once lowers the oil temperature. Give each piece enough room to fry evenly and become golden.
Drain the Cherry Peppers Well
Too much liquid from the pepper jar can water down the garlic butter and soften the breading.
Toss the Shrimp Right Before Serving
The shrimp will begin to soften once they are coated with garlic butter. Wait until everyone is ready to eat before tossing everything together.
Do Not Overcook the Shrimp
Medium shrimp only need a few minutes in hot oil. Overcooked shrimp become tough and rubbery.
Make It Your Own
- Make it milder: Use sweet cherry peppers and leave out the cayenne.
- Add more heat: Add extra cayenne or a spoonful of hot cherry pepper brine to the garlic butter.
- Use an air fryer: Spray the breaded shrimp generously with cooking spray and air-fry at 400°F until golden and cooked through.
- Use frozen popcorn shrimp: Prepare the shrimp according to the package instructions, then toss them with the homemade garlic butter and cherry peppers.
- Add Parmesan: Sprinkle a small amount of finely grated Parmesan over the finished shrimp.
- Serve it as dinner: Spoon the shrimp over rice, creamy mashed potatoes, pasta, or a chopped salad.
What to Serve with Wild West Shrimp
Wild West Shrimp makes a great starter before a steakhouse-inspired dinner. Serve it with:
For a party, serve the shrimp on a large white platter with toothpicks, lemon wedges, and a bowl of ranch dressing in the center.
PrintLongHorn Steakhouse Wild West Shrimp Copycat
Crispy fried shrimp are tossed with spicy cherry peppers, bold steakhouse seasoning, and warm garlic butter in this easy Copycat LongHorn Wild West Shrimp recipe. Serve it hot with creamy ranch dressing for dipping.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4–6 appetizer servings 1x
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Frying
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
For the Shrimp
- 1 pound medium raw shrimp, peeled, deveined, and tails removed
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional
- Vegetable, canola, or peanut oil, for frying
For the Garlic Butter
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 garlic cloves, finely minced
- 1/2 cup sliced hot cherry peppers, drained
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley
- Ranch dressing, for serving
- Lemon wedges, optional
Instructions
- Pat the shrimp completely dry with paper towels. Place the shrimp in a medium bowl and pour the buttermilk over them. Let the shrimp soak for 10 minutes.
- In a shallow bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, kosher salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper.
- Pour approximately 2 inches of frying oil into a heavy-bottomed pot or deep skillet. Heat the oil to 350°F.
- Remove several shrimp from the buttermilk and allow the excess to drip off. Coat the shrimp in the seasoned flour mixture, gently pressing the coating onto each piece. Shake off any excess flour.
- Carefully add the breaded shrimp to the hot oil. Fry in small batches for 2 to 3 minutes, turning as needed, until the shrimp are crisp, golden brown, and cooked through.
- Transfer the fried shrimp to a wire rack placed over a sheet pan. Allow the oil to return to 350°F before frying the next batch.
- Melt the butter in a large cast-iron skillet over medium-low heat. Add the minced garlic and cook for approximately 30 seconds, stirring constantly.
- Add the drained cherry peppers and lemon juice. Cook for 1 minute, until the peppers are warmed and the garlic is fragrant.
- Add the fried shrimp to the skillet. Toss quickly and gently until the shrimp are lightly coated with the garlic butter and cherry peppers.
- Remove the skillet from the heat and sprinkle the shrimp with chopped parsley. Serve immediately with ranch dressing and lemon wedges.
Notes
- Keep the frying oil between 340°F and 350°F. Oil that is too cool will make the breading greasy and soggy.
- Fry the shrimp in small batches to prevent the oil temperature from dropping.
- Drain the cherry peppers thoroughly so excess brine does not water down the garlic butter.
- Toss the shrimp in the garlic butter immediately before serving to preserve their crispy coating.
- Sweet cherry peppers can be substituted for hot cherry peppers for a milder appetizer.
- For a shortcut, prepare frozen popcorn shrimp according to the package directions and toss them with the homemade garlic butter and cherry peppers.
- This is a homemade copycat recipe inspired by the LongHorn Steakhouse appetizer and is not the restaurant’s official recipe.
- Nutritional information will vary depending on the amount of frying oil and ranch dressing used.
Can I Make Wild West Shrimp Ahead of Time?
Wild West Shrimp is best served immediately after frying. However, you can do some of the preparation ahead of time.
Mix the seasoned flour up to several days in advance and store it in an airtight container. You can also drain and slice the cherry peppers and prepare the garlic.
Wait to bread, fry, and toss the shrimp until shortly before serving.
How to Store and Reheat Leftovers
Store leftover shrimp in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two days.
For the best texture, reheat the shrimp in an air fryer at 375°F for 3 to 5 minutes. You can also place them on a wire rack over a sheet pan and warm them in a 400°F oven for approximately 8 minutes.
Avoid reheating fried shrimp in the microwave because the breading will become soft.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Wild West Shrimp very spicy?
The level of heat depends mainly on the cherry peppers. Hot cherry peppers give the dish a noticeable kick, but the butter and ranch dressing help balance the spice. Use sweet cherry peppers for a mild version.
Can I use frozen shrimp?
Yes. Thaw the shrimp completely, remove the shells and tails, and pat them very dry before breading.
Can I use precooked shrimp?
Raw shrimp will give you the best flavor and texture. Precooked shrimp can become rubbery during frying. If you need a shortcut, use frozen breaded popcorn shrimp and toss it with the garlic butter and peppers after baking or air-frying.
Why is my fried shrimp soggy?
The oil may not have been hot enough, the pan may have been overcrowded, or the shrimp may have sat in the garlic butter too long. Fry in small batches and toss the shrimp immediately before serving.
Can I make this recipe without deep-frying?
Yes. The breaded shrimp can be cooked in an air fryer, although the coating will not be exactly the same as restaurant-style fried shrimp.
Final Thoughts
This Copycat LongHorn Steakhouse Wild West Shrimp delivers everything you want from the restaurant favorite: crunchy shrimp, spicy cherry peppers, bold seasoning, and a buttery garlic sauce that makes it nearly impossible to stop at one bite.
It feels special enough for a holiday appetizer, but it is also quick enough to make whenever a steakhouse craving hits. Add a bowl of ranch dressing and a few lemon wedges, then serve it hot while the shrimp are still perfectly crisp.
Once you see how easy it is to make Wild West Shrimp at home, you may start skipping the appetizer menu altogether.
