Buffalo Shrimp Bites
Buffalo Shrimp Bites are tasty party nibbles, easy to make and perfect for game watching and entertaining. Topped with celery and crushed nacho chips for crunch, Buffalo shrimp and cream cheese with ranch dressing are layered in flaky premade phyllo shells for a super simple party bite that is always a hit.
These little bites are an adaptation of my Buffalo Chicken Dip with shrimp instead of chicken and perfectly packaged for bite-sized noshing. And they totally prove that football food can be pretty too.
Why this recipe works
This recipe is so stinking easy and tasty, we have no excuse not to make it. The shrimp cook so quickly under the broiler (or in a skillet by the way), then everything just goes in these cute little premade phyllo cups topped with cheese, crackers, and celery, and we can munch to our heart’s content.
This recipe works because these nibbles are DELICIOUS, this recipe is easy, the ingredients are all easy to obtain, and we are happy happy.
About the ingredients
Shrimp. I have used little shrimp and medium shrimp, and it’s all good – both work. Just ensure they are shelled completely and deveined, and if the shrimp are super small, you may need to put 2 per bite instead. The batch of Buffalo shrimp bites in these photos were made with shrimp from the freezer section at Walmart. How’s that for easy!
For the shrimp: extra virgin olive oil, kosher salt, fresh cracked pepper, Old Bay seafood seasoning, and Buffalo wing sauce.
Two packages of mini phyllo shells (15 per package). Find these in the grocery freezer section with the phyllo (fillo?) sheets and fancy desserts.
Cream cheese and ranch salad dressing. I used full fat, but you can use reduced fat if desired.
Toppings: Shredded pepper jack cheese, celery, and crushed nacho cheese-flavored chips. Shred the cheese from a block rather than buying it already shredded.
How to make buffalo shrimp bites
Full instructions are in the recipe card below, but in a nut shell we are doing the following:
- Cook the shrimp. I give instructions to use the broiler, but this can be quickly done on the stovetop in a skillet as well.
- Once the shrimp are done, we toss them in buffalo sauce. Separately, we also mix the cream cheese and ranch salad dressing together.
- Lay all the little phyllo shells on a rimmed bake sheet and put a little of the cream cheese and ranch mixture in each. I use a Ziploc bag with a corner cut off (like I always do with Deviled Eggs) to pipe the filling into each phyllo shell.
- Place a shrimp onto the cream cheese filling in each phyllo shell, then top each with cheese.
- Bake just until heated through and a little sizzly (~10 minutes).
- Top with crushed chips and chopped celery.
When topping this little buffalo shrimp bites, the cheese, chips, and celery will get everywhere over the pan. This is unavoidable unless you are so careful about it – and there’s no reason to be. Just let it get everywhere.
TIP: top these bites with the chips and celery as soon as they come out of the oven while the cheese is hot so the chips and celery will adhere on top.
FAQs
Since the phyllo shells are so delicate, it is best to store these in a plastic container with a tight-fitting lid.
These nibbles can be served warm fresh from the oven or at room temperature. Take care not to burn your mouth as the cream cheese and ranch dressing mixture will be quite hot when removed from the oven.
Buffalo Shrimp Bites
Ingredients
- 30 medium shrimp peeled and deveined
- 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 pinch kosher salt
- 1 pinch fresh cracked pepper
- ½ tsp Old Bay seasoning
- 2 pkgs frozen phyllo shells 15 shells each
- 4 oz cream cheese softened
- ¼ cup ranch dressing
- 2 Tbsp buffalo wing sauce
- 1 cup shredded pepper jack cheese
- ¼ cup crushed nacho cheese-flavored Doritos chips
- 1 celery rib very finely diced
Instructions
- Heat oven broiler on high heat.
- On a rimmed bake sheet, toss the shrimp in the olive oil. Season with salt, pepper, and Old Bay.
- Spread the shrimp in a single layer. Broil 30 seconds, flip, and broil another 30 seconds or until just cooked through. Toss the shrimp with the buffalo sauce.
- Set oven temperature to 350°F.
- In a bowl, combine the cream cheese and ranch dressing.
- Gently spoon or pipe ~1 teaspoon cream cheese mixture into each phyllo cup on a rimmed bake sheet. Top the cream cheese layer with a shrimp. Top each shrimp with some cheese (cheese will spill onto the bake sheet – that's unavoidable).
- Bake the filled phyllo cups for 8-10 minutes until cheese is melted and cups are heated through and a little bubbly.
- Remove from the oven and immediately top each with a sprinkling of celery and crushed Doritos (these will also get all over the bake sheet too). Serve warm. Yield: 30 appetizers.
Nutrition
Calorie count is purely an estimate calculated using an online application to serve as a guide and not to be taken as accurate nutritional information. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
