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This ultimate Surf and Turf recipe is the only steak & shrimp 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 dinner.
What is Surf and Turf?
Surf & Turf is a meal that includes meat & seafood. The meat is the turf and the surf refers to the seafood. While any meat could technically be the “turf”, surf n’ turf most commonly includes steak. In this recipe, I’m using steak and shrimp, but there are tons of variations. For example, you could pair steak with scallops or broiled lobster tail.
How to make the Ultimate Surf and Turf Dinner:
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 a steak properly.
Tips to Cook Steak Properly
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 a 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
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.
You should also know 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!
Other Surf and Turf Dinner Ideas
Surf & Turf recipes include steak and seafood. So, you can use any steak that you prefer. Some steak recipes that would work are:
Just like the steak, you can swap the shrimp scampi with any seafood recipe that you wish. Some seafood recipes are:
Steak and Shrimp Dinner Side Dish Recommendations
This recipe is wonderful alone. However, there are some side dishes that would be great additions.
- Keto Mushroom Risotto
- Sautéed Asparagus
- Sautéed Green Beans with shallots and garlic
- Keto-friendly Creamed Spinach
The Ultimate Surf and Turf (Steak and Shrimp) Recipe
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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 Butter
- 1/2 tbsp Lemon Juice
- 1/4 tsp Natural Ancient 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 Butter
- 2 tbsp Olive Oil
- 2 Rosemary Sprigs
- 1/4 tsp Natural Ancient Sea Salt
- 1/8 tsp Black Pepper
Key Tool
Instructions
Keto Shrimp Scampi (Surf)
- Watch the tutorial below to see me make the shrimp scampi
- 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.
Nutrition Details
The nutrition facts come from entering the recipe ingredients into Spoonacular API, a database of food ingredients. They may vary for any recipe based on the exact product used. The keto sweeteners I use have 0g net carbs & are not included because sugar alcohols do not impact most people. This is provided as a courtesy, but you can do your own calculations if you wish!
