Whenever I eat at Longhorn Steakhouse, I encourage my dining partners to order my favorite appetizer, Wild West Shrimp.
If I can’t talk them into splitting an appetizer, I order the Wild West Shrimp as my entree. I add a house salad and I’m good to go. Don’t dare ask me to share.
Yes, the portion is huge and I won’t even pretend that I can’t eat the whole thing. I can.
There’s just something about cherry peppers sauteed in butter, combined with lightly fried shrimp with a touch of prairie dust, that causes my taste buds to go wild.
Of course, I can’t leave out dunking the shrimp into the ranch dressing. Ranch makes everything better.
When I can’t make it to the nearest Longhorn Steakhouse, I make Wild West Shrimp at home. Trial and error is the only way to go and I finally hit on the perfect recipe.
Does it taste exactly like the shrimp at Longhorn Steakhouse? Probably not, but it’s mighty close. That’s good enough for me.
Longhorn Steakhouse Wild West Shrimp
The breading on the shrimp is very light, so I decided to go with dredging the shrimp in self-rising flour, with no eggs, and no heavy batter. Salt, pepper, and flour work perfectly.
After frying the shrimp for 3-5 minutes, let drain on paper towels.
Melt 1/2 cup butter in a skillet. Add 1/2 cup cherry peppers and sprinkle lightly with prairie dust. You will not use all of the prairie dust.
Once you taste these shrimp, you’ll make them again and again. And you’ll already have the prairie dust because you won’t use it all – just a light sprinkle.
Helpful Hint: I use Mezzetta Sweet Cherry Peppers in the jar. After slicing the peppers, rinse them off to remove the seeds.
Pour butter and peppers over the shrimp and serve with ranch dressing.
Longhorn Steakhouse Wild West Shrimp Copycat Recipe
Wild West Shrimp is my favorite appetizer. This copycat recipe is crunchy, crispy and seasoned to perfection.
Ingredients
- Oil for frying (I use peanut oil)
- 12 oz. medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1 cup self-rising flour
- 1/2 cup cherry peppers (I use the ones in a jar)
- 1/2 cup butter
- Juice of one lemon
- Ranch dressing, for dipping
Longhorn Prairie Dust (You will not use all the prairie dust)
- 1/2 cup paprika
- 1/4 cup kosher salt
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 Tablespoons ground mustard
- 1/2 cup chili powder
- 1/4 cup ground cumin
- 2 Tablespoons black pepper
- 1/4 cup granulated garlic
- 2 Tablespoons cayenne pepper
Instructions
- Heat 1" oil on medium high heat. In a medium bowl add a dash of salt and pepper to the cup of flour. Dredge shrimp and cook for about 2 minutes or until golden brown. Remove with slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Transfer to serving dish.
- In another skillet, melt butter on medium high heat. Add lemon juice and peppers and sauté for 5 minutes. Lightly sprinkle mixture with Prairie Dust (you will not use it all) and pour over shrimp.
Prairie Dust
- Mix all prairie dust ingredients together. Store in a covered container. Note: Lightly sprinkle the prairie dust on the shrimp mixture. You will not use it all. Store the remaining prairie dust in a covered container.
- Serve with ranch dressing.
Nutrition Information
Yield
4Serving Size
3 oz.Amount Per Serving Calories 598Total Fat 27gSaturated Fat 10gTrans Fat 1gUnsaturated Fat 16gCholesterol 212mgSodium 8903mgCarbohydrates 67gFiber 15gSugar 16gProtein 31g
Prairie Dust is a delicious seasoning that can also be used to season pork chops, steaks, or seafood.
Have you ever tried this appetizer at Longhorn Steakhouse? If not, you need to make this ASAP.
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41 comments
No way! This is one of my favorite meals at Longhorn, so I will definitely be trying this! I am totally looking forward to making this.
I’ve never tried this dish, we don’t have a Longhorn here any more. It sounds nice and simple to make, and like it’s very flavorful.
Is it better to use raw shrimp or precooked?
You need to use raw shrimp for this recipe.
Oh this looks so delicious! I bet the coating is just yummy on these – Prairie Dust is such a lovely name for it 🙂
These look delicious and so much easier to make then I would have thought. I also liked the look of the Lobster Tacos too that were listed…YUM!!
I have never had this at Longhorn but it looks so good! I love shrimp, so I’m going to have to try this recipe!
We have never had this shrimp dish at the Longhorn Steak House before it looks delicious. Easy enough to make at home but we would probably just enjoy eating the shrimp with out the added ranch dressing.
I am going to do just like you did – order the wild west shrimp and make it into you entree. Those shrimps look so crunchy and delicious! I will include this in our menu plan for next week.
I have never had this at Longhorn. I always order the steak. Your recipe looks scrumptious and it looks like we both have shrimp on our minds right now! I feel a little bit like Bubba Gump when it comes to shrimp, I like it no matter how it is cooked!
Yum! This shrimp recipe looks great, definitely something I would try.
The wild west shrimp looks really delicious and full of taste. I love shrimps and these can really be a great meal.
This looks super delish! I never heard of those sweet peppers and will have to look for them. They look easier to cook!
This has made my lips very wet for this and looks very yummy, so I need this in my tummy. Love fish, love shrimp, not sure if I can muster the peppers mind you. Thanks for sharing 🙂
This looks delicious, I’ve not had Longhorn Steakhouse shrimp but I’m a shrimp lover. This is really simple, adding shrimp to my grocery list.
The Wild West Shrimp is my go-to appetizer at Longhorn Steakhouse (it’s so good)! I’ve never thought to try and make it at home. I can’t wait to try this recipe out.
My husband is a shrimp-a-holic. We don’t have a Longhorn Steakhouse nearby, so we’ve never even been to try this. He would just devour it though. I must make this soon.
This looks absolutely delicious! I bet my husband would love it! We haven’t had the chance to eat at a Longhorn Steakhouse, but if they have food like this, sign me up!
This is calling my name. I have never eaten at a Longhorn Steakhouse, but looking at this copycat recipe, I think I would like to. Or just stay at home and make these. That’s even better.
This dish looks so good! I’ve never tried it at Longhorn before so it’s a must for me to try at home.
I made this recipe and it tasted very similar to the real deal!!! I turned my dish into shrimp and grits. So I put it with the butter and peppers all that on top of grits and it was amazing!
I’d like to find out more? I’d care to find out some additional information.
I made this today and it was almost spot on! However, be aware you are making enough “prairie dust” to last for several months! I suggest putting it in a salt shaker and sprinkling it on the shrimp. I made a mistake of adding it to the butter and peppers before and it made the shrimp very brown and the powder turned into a brown sludge! Either sprinkle the dust lightly either before or after you pour the peppers onto the shrimp. A little bit goes a long way!
That’s why, in the post, I stated, “Add 1/2 cup cherry peppers and sprinkle lightly with prairie dust. You will not use all of the prairie dust.” I will add it to the notes in the recipe portion as well in case people miss that part. Thanks!
Your recipe calls for 1/4 cup of cherry peppers but I found myself wishing I had prepared more. I’m still confused as to when to sprinkle the prarie dust. In the peppers, butter & lemon juice or on the shrimp before or after you add the peppers? Don’t get me wrong, it’s a great recipe and is almost exactly like you get at Longhorn, but I’m a ne cook and I guess I need more specific instructions. Thanks for this because I love Wild West shrimp.
Oh never mind. I saw what you referenced and now it’s clear to me. Thanks so much for your answer! I’m going to try this again this weekend.
In the body of the post, I referenced 1/2 cup cherry peppers. In the recipe, I have 1/4 cup. I just corrected the recipe portion to read 1/2 cup peppers. Thanks for pointing it out to me. Have a great weekend!
I just tried this recipe and omg it’s anaxing.. A bit spicy but very delicious!!!
*amazing
We often order this as an appetizer when out to lunch with co-workers, but instead of battered and fried shrimp we have the shrimp sautéed with the seasoning, excellent! Can’t wait to try it with this recipe!
I’m definitely going to try your recipe this week. It sounds like I wrote your article. Lol. I always order the shrimp as my entree with a side salad. Their homemade ranch for my salad and an extra for dipping the shrimp in and I’m set.
Hello. I’m making this Sunday. I need to clarify something. Is it 1/4 or 1/2 c butter. The description above the recipe says 1/2 and the list of ingredients says 1/4.
It’s 1/2 cup. Thanks so much for catching this. I corrected it in the list of ingredients.
My all time favorite at Longhorns. As a matter of fact , we order one togo at the end of our meal. I am so anxious to try this , I can’t wait. And tomorrow is Friday – fish night!
Thank you so much.
ps – we ask for blue cheese instead of ranch (yuck).
Omg these are one of my favorites there too but I walkways order a small ribeye steak or the chopped sirloin steak ,a potato ,and a salad and sometimes I get the cheese stuffed mushrooms. Your recipe is amazing ty so much for sharing this with us that can cook but can’t figure out recipes that taste like the real thing I can’t wait to make this, you did for get one thing though at longhorn they put a few slices of jalapeño pepper in it not cooked just mixed in and then put back on top for garnish.
Do you got a longhorn ranch dressing recipe?
I never eat all the food I order there but it’s great to eat the next day for lunch but the shrimp never makes it home! Ty again!
I’ve tried to make this recipe twice. Both times complete failure and waste of ingredients. I feel like something is missing/wrong with the recipe. The first time I did it, the taste wasn’t very apparent and the second time, it was apparent but nothing like Longhorns shrimp. I trashed both time. I would really like to know what I’m doing wrong or if the instructions are just bad.
Sorry you’re having problems with the recipe. It has over 70 reviews and has 4-1/2 stars. It always turns out perfectly for me.
Should the shrimp be frozen or thawed?? ◡̈
Thawed
This is my go-to recipe. My husband prefers this recipe over the actual Longhorn shrimp, so something’s happenin’ right! ;P
So glad to hear that! 🙂