Easy Surf ‘N’ Turf Bites for a Crowd
- by Lauren Nagel
- Last updated Jan 5, 2023
As we embark on the final few months of the year, most people start gearing up for festive gatherings, dinner events, and of course holiday parties. If you want to be the “hostess with the mostess,” you’ll want some killer crowd-pleasing appetizers in your back pocket to wow your guests, and make your event stand out.
As a former high school culinary arts teacher and now full-time food blogger for the website Bonappeteach.com, I love finding ways to create dishes that help people gather around the kitchen (because we know that’s always the most popular place to be with friends and family) to enjoy good food and spark great conversation.
Depending on the size of your event and your budget, it is sometimes difficult to serve full-sized steaks and seafood to a large group of hungry guests. However, you can still impress with these mouthwatering surf ‘n’ turf bites that are versatile, easy to make and assemble, and less expensive than a full entree.
For this recipe, I picked Omaha Steaks Private Reserve New York strip steaks. These cuts have beautiful marbling and are perfect for making these bite sized appetizers. A ribeye would be a good fit for this recipe, though the New York strip is a crowd-pleaser between the flavor-intense ribeye and the lean, tender filet.
Okay, time to get this turf surfing. For a fool proof cooking experience, I suggest cranking the grill to eleven and searing your steaks first. This gives you time to cook the shrimp as the steaks rest (shrimp is lean so they take only a few minutes on the grill).
To assemble, first slice your steak into bite-sized pieces. Simply place a piece of shrimp and then a slice of the steak securely onto a toothpick. Layer the surf n’ turf bites across a platter or on a plate. Pro Tip – Sear and caramelize some lemon to drizzle over the top before serving!
If you’re worried about the food getting cold, serve it with some warm clarified butter for dipping (I promise, no one will complain about dipping their steak and shrimp in delicious warm butter).
Looking to spice it up a bit? Try serving this appetizer with this classic Chimichurri Sauce or my Fire Roasted Red Chimichurri. Both accompany the steak and shrimp’s savory flavors and add to the overall presentation. Remember, your guests taste with their eyes first, so wow them with every bite!
Surf N Turf Bites
Ingredients
- 16 oz. Omaha Steaks Wild Argentinian Red Shrimp
- 2, 8-12 oz. Private Reserve Omaha Steaks Boneless New York Strip Steaks
- Salt & Pepper
- Olive Oil
- Red Pepper Flakes and Fresh Garlic Optional
- Decorative Toothpicks
Instructions
- Preheat your grill to high heat and prepare your steaks by lightly oiling them and seasoning both sides with salt and pepper. Set them aside. In a bowl, lightly oil and season the shrimp (add in some fresh garlic and some red pepper flakes if you desire a little extra flavor and heat). Skewer the shrimp and set them aside as well.
- Prepare your steaks first to your desired doneness. While the steaks are resting, grill the shrimp, about two minutes per side.
- To assemble your surf n’ turf bites, place a shrimp on each toothpick followed by a bite sized slice of steak. Place on a platter or plate and serve with warmed butter or your favorite dipping sauce (mentioned above).
