Seafood Nachos with Blackened Shrimp, Catfish, and Crab
Seafood nachos made with blackened shrimp, catfish, and crab, and topped with spicy cheese sauce is the ultimate game day appetizer. Add your favorite toppings like sour cream, jalapeños, and pico de gallo, or enjoy as is!
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 622kcal
Ingredients
Blackened Seasoning
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 2 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons granulated onion
- 2 teaspoons granulated garlic
- 1 teaspoon cayenne
- ¾ black pepper
- ½ teaspoon white pepper
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
Seafood Nachos
- 3 pounds large raw shrimp tail off, peeled, and deveined
- 1 pound catfish filets boneless
- 12 ounces of crab meat drained (jumbo lump, lump, or claw meat)
- 3 tablespoons blackened seasoning
- ½ cup unsalted butter cubed
- tortilla chips good quality, lightly salted
Spicy Nacho Cheese Sauce
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 5 tablespoons flour
- 1 cup milk
- 1 shallot diced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ cup beer lager recommended
- 1 pound sharp cheddar cheese shredded
- 1 teaspoon blackened seasoning or Cajun seasoning
Instructions
- Blackened Seasoning: Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and stir.
- Blackened Shrimp, Catfish, and Crab: Season shrimp with 1 tablespoon of blackened seasoning.
- Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a cast iron skillet and add shrimp over medium-high heat.
- Toss shrimp in skillet until meat turns light pink, about 4 minutes.
- Remove the shrimp from the skillet and add to a bowl and pour the remaining butter from the skillet on top of the shrimp. Cover with foil to keep warm; you can place it in the oven on low heat, if desired.
- Season catfish with 1 tablespoon of blackened seasoning.
- Melt 2 more tablespoons of butter in a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat and add catfish.
- Sear catfish on both sides, for about 4 minutes.
- Remove catfish from skillet, roughly chop and set aside. Cover with foil to keep warm.
- Season crab meat with 1 tablespoon of blackening seasoning.
- Add the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter to the skillet and melt.
- Add crab meat and cook until heated through, about 5 minutes.
- When you are ready to plate, add tortilla chips to a shallow dish and top it with seafood. Drizzle cheese sauce on nachos and add your favorite toppings such as sour cream, pico de gallo, jalapeños, etc. Serve warm and enjoy.
Spicy Cheese Sauce
- Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat.
- Once butter is melted, add flour and whisk until combined.
- Reduce heat to low and add milk.
- Bring the mixture to a simmer and stir till thickened, about 3 minutes.
- Remove from heat, add shallots, beer, and cheese, and mix well.
- Add 1 tablespoon of Blackened Seasoning and stir to fully incorporate. Add salt to taste, if desired.
- Drizzle nachos and serve immediately.
Video
Nutrition
Calories: 622kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 56g | Fat: 38g | Saturated Fat: 21g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 363mg | Sodium: 3213mg | Potassium: 642mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 1946IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 575mg | Iron: 2mg
