This Cajun shrimp explodes with flavor and comes together in less than 10 minutes! Tender shrimp is quickly pan-fried in a delicious blend of spices and ready to serve alongside rice, pasta, and/or grilled veggies.
What Makes This Cajun Shrimp So Good
- It takes less than 10 minutes to make! You’ll throw together a homemade Cajun seasoning, then fully cook your shrimp in no time. This Cajun shrimp is the easiest recipe you’ll make all week.
- It’s delightfully spicy and loaded with flavor. Cajun seasoning is surprisingly easy to make at home, and includes a blend of spices you probably already have on-hand. Spices like paprika, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper are easily sourced and taste delicious!
- It’s incredibly versatile, you can serve it any way you’d like! I love tossing a few of these Cajun shrimp in with a salad for a quick and easy lunch. This shrimp would also taste delicious over a creamy pasta or alongside your favorite veggies for a healthy, low-carb meal.
Key Ingredients for Cajun Shrimp
Shrimp – It’s best to start with raw, peeled, and deveined shrimp for this recipe. I leave the tails on the shrimp while cooking, as it adds just a little bit more flavor. Though feel free to remove the tails from your shrimp before cooking, if you’d like!
Cayenne Pepper – It simply wouldn’t be Cajun shrimp without a little cayenne pepper! Just half of a teaspoon is enough to add the perfect amount of spice to this recipe. However, if you prefer things spicier, you can add more cayenne pepper. And if you have a low spice tolerance, I’d recommend using just a quarter teaspoon of cayenne pepper instead.
Chef’s Tips
- You’ll start by toasting the spices in a pan with melted butter for just 30 seconds. This is an important step to bring out the flavor and increase the overall depth of flavor of this Cajun shrimp. Though you’ll want to keep a close eye on the spices during this step, as they can burn quickly!
- You can double the batch of spices in this recipe and set them aside to use later on as a Cajun seasoning in other dishes! I love using this same spice blend with chicken for a delicious Cajun chicken recipe.
- Just like the spices, shrimp cooks quickly as well! This is the reason why this Cajun shrimp comes together so quickly, but also means you’ll need to keep a watchful eye over it as it cooks. Place the shrimp in the pan and toss frequently to ensure each shrimp cooks evenly!
More Delicious Shrimp Recipes
- Shrimp Ceviche
- Shrimp Fajitas
- Bacon Wrapped Shrimp
- Garlic Butter Shrimp
- Frozen Shrimp in Air Fryer
- Blackened Shrimp with Remoulade Sauce
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Cajun Shrimp
Equipment
- Large skillet
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 pound raw shrimp peeled and deveined
Instructions
- Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat.
- Add in the paprika, garlic powder, salt, oregano, onion powder, and cayenne powder. Cook for 30 seconds, stirring constantly.
- Add in the shrimp and cook for 2-3 minutes or until cooked through.
Notes
- Make it Dairy-Free: Use dairy-free butter instead of regular butter.
Nutrition
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Hi! I’m Sam, a travel, food and fitness enthusiast from the New York metro area. I love creating new and inventive recipes, and my favorite part is sharing them with others. My love of food goes all the way back to my early childhood, I grew up cooking alongside my mom and Nonna – the two best cooks I know! When I’m not in the kitchen, I’m either planning my next vacation, spending time outdoors (preferably on a beach), or bingeing Netflix’s latest docu-series. My passion for eating and living well led me to create the blog and Instagram account, Sam Does Her Best, where I health-ify my favorite comfort foods. I’m a big believer that good-for-you food can still be exploding with flavor and (most importantly) easy to make. I’m thrilled to be here at 40 Aprons doing what I do best – creating, photographing, and sharing delicious recipes with you all!
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