These Keto Jalapeño Shrimp Hushpuppies are crispy, tasty, and perfectly dunk-able into a quick homemade jalapeño sauce! Serve these up as an appetizer, snack, or as a side dish!
Lauren and I both think these Keto Jalapeño Shrimp Hushpuppies are a true gift from the universe. Seriously, they’re so good with so many things but typically they’re A) not gluten-free, B) not keto, and C) fried in junk oils. Enter this keto version that while, yes, it’s not technically a hushpuppy it sure mimics one quite nicely.
We decided to spice these up by not only adding jalapeños to the batter but also whipping up a jalapeño sauce for dunking as well.
What is a hushpuppy?
A hushpuppy is typically fried cornmeal fritters. There’s no corn here though!
The name “hush-puppy” dates back to the year 1899 and is often attributed to hunters and fishermen who would fry a cornmeal mixture and feed it to their dogs to “hush the puppies.” Other legends date the term to the Civil War, in which Confederate soldiers are said to have tossed fried cornbread to hush their barking dogs. I may have to try frying our Keto Cornbread recipe for a quick compare and contrast for the sake of science obviously.
Fun stuff. I always love knowing the history of a dish.
Do I have to use whey protein isolate?
Yes, for this recipe you do. The whey isolate acts as the flour in this recipe and allows the hushpuppies to get super crispy.
What is whey protein isolate?
Whey protein isolate is a dietary supplement and food ingredient created by separating components from whey. Whey is a milk by-product of the cheese-making process. You can find it at most grocers in the supplement section with other protein powders. You can also order it online, this is the kind we use.
What is the nutritional information for Keto Jalapeño Shrimp Hushpuppies?
As always, you can find the full nutritional breakdown including the carb count (total carbs and net carbs) at the bottom of the recipe card. You can find the serving size/yield at the top of the recipe card. You should always double-check your specific ingredients as different brand’s ingredients may have different values.
To get a specific serving size you’ll want to weigh the final dish then divide by the number of servings. We can’t provide this information as your cooking style will vary from ours as well as the brand ingredients you choose to use.
Keto Jalapeño Shrimp Hushpuppies
Ingredients
- 1 lb peeled and deveined shrimp minced
- 2 large jalapeños minced
- 2 green onions thinly sliced
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 2 large eggs
- ¼ cup unsalted butter melted
- 3 tablespoons coconut flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon xanthan gum
- 1 scoop 23.3g whey protein isolate
- 2 cups coconut oil for frying
Jalapeño Sauce:
- 3 large jalapeños
- 1 bunch fresh cilantro
- 4 medium cloves garlic
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
- Make the sauce by blending all of the ingredients together in a blender or food processor until smooth, refrigerate until ready to serve.
- Place all of the hushpuppy ingredients in a food processor and pulse until combined. Heat the oil in a 5-quart Dutch oven over medium heat until it reaches 350° F.
- Drop 2 tablespoons worth of batter into the hot oil and fry 3-5 minutes until golden brown and cooked through. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain excess oil, repeat with remaining batter.
- Serve the hushpuppies with the Jalapeño sauce.
Do you use raw shrimp or cooked shrimp for the batter?
Raw
Wow! Those look amazing!
I can’t do whey at all. Can I use something else? Arrowroot, tapioca flour etc.
Unfortunately, we haven’t tested this recipe for anything other than whey protein isolate so we can’t advise on a sub.