The Ultimate Surf and Turf Recipe

This Ultimate Surf and Turf recipe is the only steak & seafood recipe that you will need. A copycat from one of my favorite restaurants, it includes a rosemary flavored filet mignon steak topped with keto shrimp scampi. I kept this dish low carb, but still extra decadent, by placing the steak and shrimp on a bed of Parmesan Cauliflower Rice Risotto. This is perfect for a special occasion or date night. You could also use each part of the dish to make several different keto-friendly dinner meals. 

What is surf and turf?

Surf & Turf refers to a meal that includes both meat & seafood. The meat is the turf portion and the surf refers to the parts of the dish that come from the sea. 

While any meat could technically be the “turf”, this dish most commonly includes steak. In this recipe, I’m using steak and shrimp, but there are tons of variations. 

What inspired this surf & turf recipe?

As I mentioned in my Seared Scallops & Cauliflower Risotto recipe, my ideas for low carb holiday and keto date night dishes come from my experiences at restaurants.

My husband and I went to Ocean Prime and got a steak with shrimp scampi on top. After tasting it, I knew that I could recreate this at home as The Ultimate Keto Surf and Turf Recipe. 

Now, it’s one of my favorite keto steak dinners. 

What makes this The Ultimate Keto Surf and Turf recipe?

This Surf and Turf recipe is high on my list of indulgences. It includes a juicy, rosemary flavored seared filet mignon steak that is topped with Keto Shrimp Scampi. The steak and shrimp are sitting on Parmesan Cauliflower Risotto. 

The taste of the buttery, garlicky sauce from the Shrimp Scampi replaces the compound butter that people usually put on their steaks.

As you cut through the shrimp, steak, and then the risotto, each bite is layered with flavors that work together for something magical. 

If you’re looking for a keto and low carb steak and shrimp recipe for a date night or special occasion, then this is the only recipe you need. 

How to make The Ultimate Keto Surf and Turf:

As I mentioned above, each surf and turf recipe includes two parts. To make this dish, you’ll need to cook the steak and the seafood separately. Since making the steak is typically most challenging, I’m going to spend a bit of time detailing how to cook steak properly. 

Making the Steak (Turf)

In this recipe, I’m using two, 6-oz filet mignon steaks. This is an expensive cut of meat, but it was a special occasion for us so it was totally worth the splurge.

To prepare this steak, I used many helpful tips for how to cook steak from Delish. Yes, I did research! Who has time to mess up $30 worth of steak?

I added a bit more detail in this recipe though so that it’s easy for anyone to make. Four of their most useful tips that I used in this surf and turf recipe are below:

Set a Timer

The sear on each steak takes 2 minutes per side. You can feel comfortable setting a timer and not touching the steak for 2 minutes. Just like I said in these Quick Seared Scallops, it’s important to only flip the protein once. 

Use a cast iron pan

Cast Iron pans hold a lot of heat and distribute it evenly. So, they are the perfect tool for getting a crispy sear across the entire steak.

They also go from the stove to the oven, which is important for getting juicy meat.  I use this cast iron pot with silicone holder. This pot is super sturdy, comes pre-seasoned, and is much less expensive than some cast iron pans I’ve seen. 

Use a meat thermometer

As you notice from the steak picture above, no two steaks are exactly the same. So, in order to get your desired level of doneness, you should use a digital meat thermometer and follow the steak temperature guide that I adapted from Certified Angus Beef. 

Steak Temperature Guide

• Rare: 125 degrees
• Medium-Rare: 135 degrees
• Medium: 140 degrees
• Medium-Well: 145 degrees
• Well Done: 150 degrees

I prefer to eat my steaks Medium Well. The center turns out slightly pink, but the edges of the meat are browned. To ensure that your steak turns out juicy, I’d encourage you to not cook it beyond Medium Well. 

Bonus Tip: Steaks continue to cook while resting so use the temperature guide

Another tip, that I’m adding is to remember that while the steak rests, it will continue to cook so taking it out using the guidelines above is the best way to not overdo it! 

Making the Shrimp or Seafood (Surf)

Cooking shrimp is fairly easy. In this recipe, you simply:

1. Heat a pan to medium high heat with olive oil
2. Sauce the shallots and garlic until they are translucent
3. Add butter, dry white wine, spices and lemon to make a garlic butter sauce
4. Add the shrimp and cook them until they turn bright pink

Other Surf & Turf Meal Ideas – Variations

Can I use another steak? 

Absolutely! One of the great thing about this (and any) surf & turf recipe is being able to use any steak that you prefer. I’d recommend using top sirloin steaks, which is the meat that I used in Ranch Spiced Top Sirloin Steaks. Regardless of the steaks that you use, you can use the guide with the cook times that appears above. 

Easy Beef Top Sirloin Steak recipe with Ranch Dressing Mix

Get this recipe

What about seafood? Does it have to be steak & shrimp?

No. You can swap shrimp scampi with any other seafood that you wish. One recipe that’s super simple is Quick Seared Scallops. You might also be interested in pairing this with my Air Fryer Salmon recipe or any of these keto-friendly fish & seafood recipes.

Quick Seared Scallops (Keto, Whole30, Paleo)

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What side dishes to serve with surf and turf?

This recipe is wonderful alone. However, there are some side dishes that would be great additions. One is cauliflower risotto. You might also pair this with sautéed asparagus, sautéed green beans with shallots and garlic, or my keto-friendly creamed spinach recipe. 

Easy Keto & Low Carb Creamed Spinach Recipe

Get this recipe

Sautéed Green Beans with Garlic Recipe

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If you’re looking for even more options then you can check out more than 30 low carb side dishes recipes that I collected from around the internet.

You might also be interested in these other Cast Iron Skillet Recipes:

• Easy Whole30 Shrimp Recipe
• Keto Cast Iron Skillet Pork Chops w/ Creamy Pan Sauce
• Seared Scallops & Cauliflower Risotto

Would you care for dessert?

If you’re hoping to have a true steakhouse experience, then you might want to pair this dish with a little dessert.

I’ll be honest, though, this recipe doesn’t require a dessert, but I’m sharing these for those who want ideas.

One of my favorites is my gluten-free strawberry cheesecake. Another top choice is my low carb carrot cake recipe. But, as you’ll see below, there are tons of options for keto dessert recipes to choose from. 

Gluten-free Strawberry Cheesecake Bites

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The Ultimate Surf and Turf Recipe (Keto)

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Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Resting: 5 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

The Ultimate Surf & Turf recipe, featuring juicy, rosemary-flavored filet mignon steaks and Keto Shrimp Scampi. I served this on top of Cauliflower Risotto for a complete restaurant quality meal. 

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: Keto Recipes, Surf and Turf, Surf n' Turf

Servings: 2

Calories: 699kcal

Author: Davinah S. Smith

Want to share this recipe?To spread the word about this recipe, please save it to Pinterest, share a link to it, or rate it if you loved it. Please do not copy & paste (or screenshot) my recipes to social media or other websites.

Ingredients

Keto Shrimp Scampi

• 1/2 lb shrimp I used 16/20
• 1.5 tbsp Olive Oil
• 1/2 large shallot sliced thinly
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1/4 cup Pinot Grigio or No Sugar Added Chicken Broth
• 2 tbsp salted butter
• 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1/8 tsp Black Pepper
• 1/8 tsp red pepper flakes or more to taste
• 2 tbsp fresh parsley chopped

Rosemary Seared Filet Mignon

• 12 oz Filet Mignon Steaks I had 2 steaks that were 6 oz each
• 2 tbsp Salted Butter
• 2 tbsp Olive Oil
• 2 Rosemary Sprigs
• 1/4 tsp Sea Salt
• 1/8 tsp Black Pepper

Key Tool

• Cast Iron Skillet

Instructions

Keto Shrimp Scampi (Surf)

• Heat a medium skillet to medium heat
• Add olive oil, shallots and garlic to a pan and cook until translucent (~3 minutes)
• Add Pinot Grigio, salted butter, and lemon juice to the pan and allow to reduce by half (~5)
• Add parsley, red pepper flakes, sea salt, and black pepper and stir. 
• Add in the shrimp and cook until pink (~3 minutes). Remove the pan from the heat.

Rosemary Filet Mignon (Turf)

• Remove your steaks from the refrigerator about 30 minutes prior to cooking. This will allow them to cook evenly. 
• Pre-heat your oven to 400 degrees
• Pre-heat a cast iron skillet for 5-10 minutes on medium-high heat. You'll know that the pan is ready when you place a droplet of water into it and it quickly "dances" around the pan
• Season both sides of the steaks with the salt and pepper
• Add the olive oil to the cast iron pan. It should heat in less than a minute. You can tell that the oil is heated by stepping back away from the stove and looking for a light rising smoke above the pan. 
• Add the steaks & rosemary sprigs to the center of the cast iron pan. I placed my steaks next to each other and simply laid the rosemary in the small space in the middle. 
• Set a timer & sear the steaks for 2 minutes per side
• Add a tbsp of butter to the top of each steak. Place the cast iron pan with the steaks, rosemary, and butter into the oven
• Cook the steaks until it reaches your desired level of doneness (see the post notes). Mine took 5 minutes. 
• Remove the cast iron pan from the oven and place the steaks on a plate. Lightly cover the plate with the steaks with foil and allow the meat to rest for 5 minutes
• Plate the steaks when you are ready to eat and top them with the shrimp scampi. 

Recipe Nutrition Facts

Nutrition Facts

The Ultimate Surf and Turf Recipe (Keto)

Amount Per Serving

Calories 699 Calories from Fat 405

% Daily Value*

Fat 45g69%

Saturated Fat 20g100%

Cholesterol 455mg152%

Sodium 1764mg74%

Potassium 734mg21%

Carbohydrates 3g1%

Fiber 0g0%

Sugar 0g0%

Protein 61g122%

Vitamin A 1095IU22%

Vitamin C 12.6mg15%

Calcium 213mg21%

Iron 5.4mg30%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Did you make this recipe?Share your photos & mention @DrDavinahS! I love seeing them!

Nutritional DisclaimerThe nutritional information comes from Spoonacular API, a database of food ingredients. The nutritional information for any recipe will vary based on the exact product you use and the brand. I do not include erythritol or sugar alcohols in the final carb or net carb count as it does not have any impact on my blood glucose levels. Before starting keto or a low-carb eating plan, you should consult your doctor. I am sharing my personal experiences and none of the information included in my recipes or throughout the site should be taken as medical advice.