Red Lobster Shrimp Nachos brings together the cheesy flavors of Cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese served over crisp nacho chips and topped with pico de gallo and shrimp. These baked nachos are more than an appetizer — it’s a complete meal!
Table of Contents
Red Lobster Seafood Nachos
When I recreated this dish in my own kitchen I made one significant change. When you order this dish at Red Lobster, it is served with a much smaller shrimp than what I chose to make here. I used a medium-sized shrimp because I wanted a nice big bite of shrimp so this recipe could be served up as a meal, not just an appetizer.
The cheese that tops these nachos is thick and creamy and so much better than just a cheddar cheese sauce. So you are in for a real treat with these nachos.
When I was playing around with this recipe I tried a couple of things I didn’t put in the final recipe. I tried lightly brushing the shrimp with a garlic butter sauce and grilling the shrimp.
I also tried boiling the shrimp in crab boil. Both of those ways were really good, but when you have the nachos in the restaurant they don’t prepare the shrimp either way.
Ingredients
Here’s what you need for this recipe:
- Cheddar Cheese
- Monterey Jack Cheese
- Cream Cheese
- Milk
- Shrimp
- Roma Tomatoes
- Red Onion
- Jalapeno Pepper
- Cilantro
- Sour Cream
- Tortilla Chips
How to Make Red Lobster Shrimp Nachos
- First, cook the shrimp until it turns pink, about 2-4 minutes. Remove the shrimp and let sit.
- In a medium-sized pot, melt all three kinds of cheese.
- Add milk to thin it out.
- In a 350 degree oven, heat up the tortilla chips on a baking sheet. This should take about 7 minutes.
- While the chips are heating up, make the pico de gallo by combining the tomatoes, red onion, jalapeno pepper, and cilantro.
- Assemble the nachos by adding the melted cheese to the baked tortilla chips.
- Top with the shrimp and pico de gallo.
- Serve with sour cream and extra jalapeno pepper slices.
How to Avoid Hot Pepper Burn to Your Fingers
When cutting up any hot peppers including jalapenos, there is always a chance you will suffer from hot pepper burn. This is essentially when the oils from the jalapeno pepper come in contact with your skin.
The best way to avoid this is to wear gloves made for cooking. But if you don’t have those, and your fingers start to burn, there is a way to stop the burn.
One way is to mix up a solution of baking soda and water. Put your hands in the paste and let dry. Once it’s dry, rinse off the paste. Repeat if necessary.
Another idea is to use rubbing alcohol to stop the burn.
You can also dip your hands in milk or another dairy product.
Whatever you do, do not touch your eyes after cutting up a hot pepper!
More Red Lobster Copycat Recipes
- Bacon Wrapped Scallops
- Cajun Shrimp
- Clam Chowder Soup Recipe
- Coconut Shrimp Dipping Sauce
- Red Lobster Shrimp Scampi
- Red Lobster Shrimp Pasta
- Red Lobster Coconut Shrimp
Favorite Shrimp Recipes
- Homemade Shrimp Alfredo
- Honey Walnut Shrimp Recipe
- Parmesan Crusted Shrimp
- Shrimp Carbonara Recipe
- Shrimp Tempura
- White Wine Shrimp Pasta
Check out more of my easy shrimp recipes and the best Red Lobster recipes here on CopyKat!
What’s your favorite Red Lobster Shrimp dish? Comment below and share your favorite.
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Red Lobster Shrimp Nachos
Ingredients
- 1 cup cheddar cheese mild
- 1/4 cup Monterey Jack Cheese
- 4 ounces cream cheese
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1/2 pound shrimp raw peeled and deveined shrimp
- 2 Roma tomatoes diced
- 1 tablespoon red onion chopped fine
- 1 teaspoon jalapeno pepper use more if you like your nachos spicy
- 2 teaspoons chopped cilantro
- 2 or 3 slices of fresh jalapeno pepper
- 2 tablespoons sour cream
- 4 ounces tortilla chips
Instructions
- Drop the shrimp into a medium-sized pot of boiling water. I personally like to add a little crab boil seasoning to the water to give the shrimp an additional layer of flavor. This is not necessary.Â
- Cook shrimp until they turn pink, and remove immediately, this will only take 2 to 4 minutes.
- Prepare cheese sauce by combining Monterey Jack cheese, Cheddar cheese, and cream cheese in a medium-sized pot over a low to medium heat. Add milk to thin the sauce, you can add additional milk if you desire.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, place tortilla chips on a heat-resistant plate. You will want to heat the chips until they are crisp. Heat chips for approximately 5 to 7 minutes.
- While the chips are heating prepare the pico de gallo by combining the tomatoes, chopped jalapeno pepper, onion, together.
- Assemble the nachos by spooning cheese sauce over the nachos. Then top with the pico de gallo you just made, top with shrimp. Garnish your nachos with sour cream, and slices of fresh jalapeno peppers.
Notes
- I used a medium-sized shrimp because I wanted a nice big bite of shrimp so this recipe could be served up as a meal, not just an appetizer.
- If you purchase frozen shrimp thaw shrimp completely before cooking. You can place them in a sieve and simply rinse cold water over them until they thaw. Â
PamelaZ
When the Nachos appetizer was first introduced at Red Lobster, it was made with Langostinos, not shrimp.
Stephanie Manley
You are right, they took a lot of expense out of their food over the years.
A-A-Ron
Back in the 80s they weren’t Shrimp, they were Lobster Nachos and made differently and we’re incredible. Blew me away as a kid. I still remember them three decades later. That’s what they need to bring back because people would pay. They’d be well over $20 but worth every penny. I’ll personally just stick to making my higher end seafood while I’m at the house if I’m not on the coast out with friends and family… I can make better than 90% of any restaurant at home from Sushi to steak and coastal fare or anything in-between and for a quarter of the price.
Frank
Made this at my World Series party, it was a hit!
Priscilla Lancaster
so sorry they stopped offering these but glad to get the recipe
Stephanie
oh no! They were great!
Rosalyn Vallejo
Stephanie… Alfredo made from scratch is the base they is for the nacho sauce just so you know.
Stephanie
Thank you for letting me know.
A-A-Ron
Alfredo sauce doesn’t belong anywhere near a nacho and I highly doubt that’s what it is… Regardless, I know what Stephanie is making for the cheese sauce and that’s as much better option. Be much better off going with that one. (Just add some real salted butter in while you’re melting it down, maybe a little sour cream and green chilli sauce. Trust me on that, you can forget whatever Red Lobster was ever making). It will be head an shoulders above their former offering at the “Dead Mobster”. 😉
LeShay
Thanks….. These are delicious
Jenn
Thank you for the recipe! Craving = satisfied. 🙂
Stephanie
I am so glad!
Katie
My husband and I think these are just as good, if not better than Red Lobster’s. I’m so glad I found this recipe!
Tiffany
I LOVE these nachos, but hate spending the $10 every time I want them. Thank you for this recipe. I can’t wait to try it.
Dogmomma
I’ve always held to the thory that ifyou love the ingredients, you will love the dish. This proves that rule.
Baltisraul
I agree with your theory and I try it a lot with new recipes for my wife. Rarely does she agree with you and I. But I keep trying!
Stephanie
Aww 😉
Kevin (Closet Cooking)
I am really liking this seafood nacho platter!
love2dine
i love nachos.. but never tried with prawns.
Dhiazara Sofia
I’ve tried this recipes and I love the cheezy taste!..