Who doesn’t like a quick, easy meal that doesn’t require too much cooking? It’s even better if there is prep that can be done ahead of time. Salads are usually a great go-to for situations such as this. That leaves me more time to catch up on whatever Netflix show I happen to be binging at the moment. This salad fits the above criteria, but showcases some skill in the kitchen. It combines two tasty dishes that you might not normally think would go together: buffalo shrimp and Caesar salad.

There will be no store bought dressing here. The thought of making dressings from scratch can be intimidating. However, homemade salad dressings are much easier than you may think. Plus, they just taste better, in my opinion. Once you make this dressing, I promise you will rethink picking up that bottle next time you are at the grocery store.

Most things in this recipe can be prepped in advance and stored in the fridge until you’re ready to assemble the salad. The shrimp is the only ingredient that requires actual cooking. I say cooking but the air fryer does most of the work here. Air fryers have become one of the must have appliances as households are looking for ways to make preparing meals easier and a bit more healthy. You’d be surprised how much you can do with them!

The shrimp are tossed in a tangy, spicy buffalo sauce. Frank’s Red Hot Buffalo Sauce to be specific. Because, you know, I put that ish on everythang! Feel free to use as little or as much as you’d like here.

Once the shrimp is ready, all that is left to do is assemble your salad. Toss the chopped romaine lettuce with the homemade dressing. Add croutons, extra grated Parm, and shrimp. You can really make this salad to your liking when it comes to the amount of dressing, cheese and sauce you use.

I like to serve this as a main course for lunch or dinner. If you prefer, you could definitely divide it into smaller servings for a starter to a meal.

If you make this recipe, leave a comment below and post on Instagram. Make sure to tag @blasianbonvivant and use hashtag #bvvrecipe.

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Air-Fried Buffalo Shrimp Caesar Salad

Prep Time25 minutes mins

Cook Time6 minutes mins

Total Time31 minutes mins

Course: Main Course, Salad

Cuisine: American

Keywords: air fryer, buffalo shrimp, caesar salad, salad

Servings: 4

Equipment

• Air Fryer

Ingredients

Buffalo Shrimp

• 1 lb large shrimp (deveined, easy peel)
• 1/4 cup Frank's Red Hot Buffalo Sauce
• 2 eggs (beaten)
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 cup flour
• salt and pepper
• coconut oil spray (can sub for canola or vegetable oil)

Caesar Dressings

• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tsp anchovy paste
• 2 tbsp lemon juice, freshly squeezed
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 cup mayonnaise (I used an olive oil mayo)
• 1/2 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated
• salt and pepper

Salad

• 8 cups romaine lettuce, chopped
• 2 cups croutons
• Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated (optional for topping)

Instructions

For Caesar Dressing

• In a medium mixing bowl, add garlic, anchovy paste, lemon juice, Dijon mustard and Worcestershire sauce. Whisk together. Add mayonnaise, Parmigiano-Reggiano and whisk until well combined. Taste and add salt & freshly cracked pepper to your liking. Set aside. Dressing can be made ahead and stored in the fridge for a week.

For the Salad

• Rinse and dry romaine lettuce. Chop into bite size pieces producing 8 cups. You can also opt to use precut, bagged romaine lettuce to save time. Place in a large bowl, cover and set in fridge until ready to assemble salads.

For Buffalo Shrimp

• Peel shrimp and leave on tails. Rinse, pat dry and set aside.
• Place parchment liner in air fryer basket (if applicable).
• In a small bowl whisk together eggs and water. Place flour in a separate bowl and season with salt & pepper.
• Dip shrimp in egg and gently shake off excess egg. Proceed to coat shrimp in flour.
• Place flour covered shrimp in a single layer in air fryer basket. Spray the shrimp with coconut oil. Flip and coat the other side. You may need to cook the shrimp in batches. If so, only coat shrimp needed for each batch.
• Set air fryer to 350 degrees and 4 minutes. Flip shrimp and cook an additional 2 minutes. Set cooked shrimp on a paper towel lined baking sheet until all shrimp are cooked. Air fryer times may vary. Consult your manual for recommended cooking times.
• While shrimp is cooking, heat Frank's Red Hot Buffalo Sauce in a small sauce pan on medium heat. Once sauce starts to bubble turn heat to low to keep warm.
• Place cooked shrimp in a large bowl and drizzle buffalo sauce on top. Toss to cover shrimp. Use as little or as much sauce as you like.

Salad Assembly

• Toss chopped romaine lettuce with casear dressing. Start with a little and gradually add more based on your preference.
• Toss in croutons. Divide salad among 4 plates (approximately 2 cups per person).
• Grate additional Parmigiano-Reggiano on top of salad.
• Divide buffalo shrimp between the 4 salads and serve.

Notes

• Shrimp can be fried traditionally, if you do not own an air fryer. Fry in vegetable oil at 375 degrees for approximately 4 minutes or until golden brown.
• You may have extra dressing which you can store in a small mason jar in the fridge. Use within a week.