Craving Outback Steakhouse’s famous Bloomin Fried Shrimp but can’t reach the restaurant? This copycat recipe delivers all the crispy, spicy goodness you love from the comfort of your kitchen. These golden shrimp feature the same addictive seasoning blend as the iconic Bloomin Onion, paired with that legendary spicy bloom sauce. With a perfectly seasoned buttermilk batter and foolproof frying technique, you’ll create restaurant-quality shrimp that might surpass the original.
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What Makes the Outback Steakhouse Bloomin Shrimp So Good?
Bloomin’ Onion is probably the most popular appetizer at Outback Steakhouse. While most people are obsessed with the Bloom Sauce, the legit delicious dipping sauce that comes with it, they tend to forget that the onion’s breading is incredibly tasty.
Although the Outback Bloomin Fried Shrimp appetizer uses slightly different ingredients in its breading than the onion, it might be even more flavorful. Whether you serve Outback Bloomin Shrimp as an appetizer or a party platter, it’s additively delicious.
Why This Recipe Works
The secret lies in the double-dredging technique borrowed from Southern fried chicken traditions. The buttermilk creates tender, juicy shrimp while the seasoned flour coating delivers maximum crunch. The Cajun-inspired spice blend provides the perfect heat level, while the bloom sauce combines creamy mayo with tangy horseradish for an irresistible dipping experience that makes this appetizer absolutely addictive.
Bloomin Shrimp IngredientsÂ
For the Bloomin Shrimp:
- All-purpose flour – Creates the crispy coating foundation and holds seasonings
- Smoked paprika – Adds deep, smoky flavor and beautiful color
- Garlic powder – Provides savory depth without overpowering heat
- Salt – Enhances all flavors and helps create a crispy texture
- Black pepper – Adds mild heat and aromatic spice
- Cayenne pepper – Delivers the signature kick and heat level
- Buttermilk – Tenderizes shrimp and creates superior coating adhesion
- Raw shrimp – Medium-sized, deveined for optimal cooking and eating
For the Bloom Sauce:
- Mayonnaise – Forms the creamy base that balances heat and tang
- Ketchup – Adds sweetness and signature pink color
- Horseradish – Provides sharp, sinus-clearing bite
- Paprika – Enhances color and adds mild pepper flavor
- Garlic powder – Contributes savory background notes
- Dried oregano – Adds herbal complexity and Mediterranean notes
- Cayenne pepper – Creates the spicy kick that makes this sauce famous
How to Make Bloomin Shrimp Outback Steakhouse Style
To make the bloom sauce:
- Place all the sauce ingredients in a small bowl.
- Stir until well combined and smooth.
- Cover the bowl and place it in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
To bread the shrimp:
- Set up your breading station with two wide but shallow dishes and a wire rack on top of a rimmed baking tray. Pie tins work well for breading.Â
- In the first shallow bowl, mix the flour with the smoked paprika, garlic powder, salt, freshly ground black pepper, and cayenne pepper.Â
- Pour the buttermilk into the other bowl.
- Coat one shrimp at a time in the seasoned flour mixture and shake off any excess.
- Dunk the shrimp in the buttermilk and immediately coat it again in the seasoned flour.
- Place the breaded shrimp on the wire rack and finish breading the remaining shrimp similarly.Â
- Let the shrimp rest for at least five minutes before frying to allow the breading to set up.
To fry the shrimp:
- Add two inches of vegetable oil to a wide, deep pan. A rondeau or work is perfect. If you have a tabletop deep fryer with a fryer basket, use it to make frying much easier.Â
- Attach a deep-fry thermometer to the side of the pan.
- Heat the oil on medium-high to 350°.
- Carefully add shrimp to the hot oil. Overcrowding the pan will lower the oil’s temperature too much. Batches of five or six shrimp are usually ideal.Â
- Fry the shrimp for a minute or two until golden brown. Use a cooking spider to turn the shrimp over halfway through cooking.
- Remove the shrimp from the oil with the cooking spider and drain them on a clean wire rack over a rimmed baking tray. Do not drain them on paper towels, as this will cause the bottom side to become soggy.
- Wait for the cooking oil to return to 350°F, and start frying a new batch of shrimp.
- Serve the shrimp warm with a big bowl of Bloom Sauce.
What to Serve With Outback Bloomin Shrimp
The dipping sauce is a must! Sure, Bloom Sauce is great, but there are other dipping sauces. Try classic cocktail sauce with its sharp tang and horseradish bite, Thai chili sauce, or Joe’s Crab Shack Dipping Sauce with its sweet and sour tropical flavors.Â
Don’t be afraid to think outside the box. Serve the shrimp with pasta or on a roll as a sandwich with shredded lettuce, sliced tomatoes, and plenty of Bloom Sauce.
The bloom sauce is also great for deep-fried mushrooms, homemade onion rings, or a blooming onion.
Storage of Sauce Instructions
- Refrigerator Storage: Store the sauce wrapped in plastic for up to 3 days before or after serving. The flavors improve after a day of chilling.
- Serving Temperature: Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before serving for optimal spreading consistency.
- Freezing: Not recommended, as cream cheese-based appetizers may separate and lose texture when thawed.
More Outback Copycat Recipes
- Alice Springs Chicken
- Bloomin Fried Chicken
- Blue Cheese Vinaigrette
- Caesar Salad Dressing
- Steamed Green Beans
- Queensland Chicken and Shrimp
Favorite Shrimp Recipes
- Air Fryer Bang Bang Shrimp
- Air Fryer Tempura Shrimp
- Bubba Gump Shrimp
- Honey Walnut Shrimp
- Killer Shrimp
- Shrimp Alfredo
- Shrimp Pasta Salad
Check out my easy seafood recipes and the best copycat Outback recipes on CopyKat!
Outback Bloomin Fried Shrimp – Easy Copycat Recipe
Ingredients
Bloom Sauce
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 2 teaspoons ketchup
- 2 tablespoons horseradish or a little less
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/8 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 dash ground black pepper
- 1 dash cayenne pepper
Fried Shrimp
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 4 teaspoons paprika
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 pound peeled medium-sized raw shrimp
- vegetable oil for frying
Instructions
- Prepare the bloom sauce by combining all the sauce ingredients in a small bowl. Stir well. Cover and place in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
- Create a dredging station: Place the flour, paprika, garlic powder, salt, ground black pepper, and cayenne pepper into a pie plate and stir to combine. Place the buttermilk and water into another pie plate and stir to combine. Place a wire rack on top of a cookie sheet.
- Dredge the shrimp in the seasoned flour and shake off the excess. Then dip the dredged shrimp into the buttermilk and shake off the excess. Dip the shrimp into the seasoned flour for a second time and place the breaded shrimp onto the wire rack. Repeat for the remaining shrimp and let them rest for about 5 minutes before cooking.
- Pour the vegetable oil into a skillet until it reaches a depth of 1 to 2 inches. Heat the oil to 350°F.
- Place a few pieces of shrimp into the oil and fry until done, about 1 to 2 minutes. Turn the shrimp over while frying to make sure both sides of the shrimp are golden brown. Then remove the shrimp from the oil and let them drain on a clean wire rack.
- To serve, place the shrimp on a plate and drizzle some of the bloom sauce on top.
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