When you want an easy weeknight dinner with a little kick, few dishes come together as quickly as this Cajun shrimp recipe. Toss some shrimp in a skillet with spices for a few minutes, and your main dish is done. Truly! The spices are at the heart of this recipe. Garlic, thyme, and even a little nutmeg provide a unique taste that sets this shrimp apart.
This Cajun shrimp recipe could actually be considered a hybrid of Creole and Cajun ingredients. The difference between Cajun and Creole food can be challenging to tease apart. Even when you draw lines, everyone tends to cross them as they use and tweak handed-down recipes.
Most Cajun recipes were developed in Louisiana’s bayous, miles from the coast where Gulf shrimp are readily available. Cajun recipes also rely heavily on peppery spice mixes, whereas Creole dishes usually don’t have as much kick (but there’s always a bottle of hot sauce on the table). Also note: There are rarely tomatoes in Cajun cooking, but you often see them in things like shrimp Creole.
Instead of a long, low and slow cook, this skillet dish takes mere minutes to come together. You’ll have a full-flavored dish to serve over rice or other grains, greens and more in no time.
Ingredients for Cajun Shrimp
- Shrimp: For this recipe, use fresh or frozen large shrimp, which are usually 31 to 40 pieces per pound (you’ll see “31/40” on the label). Choose shell-on shrimp, and clean them at home. Among the types of shrimp, white shrimp tend to be larger than brown and pink shrimp—all will be great here.
- Spices: A lively combination of paprika, thyme, nutmeg, garlic powder and cayenne pepper creates the heat and flavor so essential to Cajun cuisine. You can always make a big batch of homemade Cajun seasoning to keep handy. Add about 4 teaspoons to every pound of shrimp.
- Olive oil: Cooking the spices in oil before you add shrimp is called “blooming,” which enhances and marries the flavors. Extra virgin olive oil has a smoking point high enough that a brief saute on the stovetop will be unlikely to set off your house’s smoke alarms.
Directions
Step 1: Bloom the spices
In a large nonstick skillet, saute the paprika, thyme, salt, nutmeg, garlic powder and cayenne in oil for 30 seconds, stirring constantly.
Step 2: Cook the shrimp
Add the shrimp.
Saute for two to three minutes or until the shrimp turns pink, stirring occasionally. Serve immediately.
Editor’s Tip: You can also look at the shape to know that your shrimp are done cooking. They’re cooked if they curl into a nice C shape. Overcooked shrimp curl tightly into an O shape.
Recipe Variations
- Change the heat: Paprika comes in many varieties, from hot to sweet to smoked, so the type you choose can alter the dish’s spiciness and smokiness. Bump up the heat by substituting habanero, ghost or Carolina reaper pepper powder for the cayenne pepper or splashing in hot sauce or at the table. Or reduce the heat by substituting ground cumin.
- Go for Creole flavors: Shift from Cajun to Creole seasonings. Use about 4 teaspoons of this Creole seasoning mix instead of the recipe’s spices.
- Make it creamy: Make this dish creamy for a cooling effect that balances the hot spices without masking them. If you’ve already cooked the shrimp, set it aside, and heat 4 to 6 tablespoons of heavy cream or sour cream in the spice-coated pan over medium-low heat, stirring, just until it starts to simmer, about one minute. Return the shrimp to the pan, and cook, stirring for another minute to blend the flavors.
- Add vegetables: Instead of serving your vegetables on the side, add them to the pan for extra flavor. Cook onions, bell peppers and dense vegetables like broccoli in the spices before you add the shrimp. Tender vegetables like baby asparagus and spinach or precooked leftovers can go in at the same time as the shrimp. If you fill the pan, you may want an extra splash or two of oil.
- Go full Cajun: Instead of fresh shrimp from coastal waters, use crawfish, a classic in Cajun cooking. As with shrimp, you can find it fresh regionally or buy frozen crawfish tails. The frozen meat has typically been boiled, so defrost and cook until just heated through, one to two minutes.
How to Store Cajun Shrimp
This dish is worth making fresh to avoid reheating already-cooked shrimp. If you do have leftover shrimp, however, keep them in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to four days. Mix them into a salad or spicy shrimp salsa. If you want them warm, toss them briefly in a skillet over medium-low heat.
Can you freeze Cajun shrimp?
It’s best to avoid freezing Cajun shrimp, especially if you started with frozen shrimp. Cooking and then freezing shrimp degrades their taste and texture.
Cajun Shrimp Tips
How do you peel and devein shrimp?
It’s worth learning how to peel and devein shrimp (aka how to clean shrimp) yourself. Starting with raw, unpeeled shrimp gives you so many moist, tender options. Precooked shrimp work well for cold recipes like shrimp tostadas but not as well for cooked dishes.
How do you know when shrimp is done cooking?
Shrimp are done cooking when they turn opaque and curl into a C shape. Depending on the species, they will show more pink or orange tones when cooked. It helps to flip them once so both sides cook against the surface of the pan. Shrimp and other fish continue to cook after you remove them from a heat source, so immediately dish them out, directly from the stovetop, or transfer them to a serving dish so that they no longer absorb the pan’s heat.
How do you serve Cajun shrimp?
Serve Cajun shrimp over rice or other grains, like couscous or quinoa, or toss with hot pasta (this is especially good if you made a creamy variation). Serve the shrimp on a wilted spinach salad with a side of cornbread or toss with mixed sauteed vegetables to distribute the heat. Pile the shrimp on grits or mashed potatoes, then serve roasted fresh okra or black-eyed peas with collard greens as a southern side.
