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These quick, juicy Cajun Shrimp are exploding with flavor. Use store-bought or homemade Cajun seasoning and pair with your favorite starch and vegetable for dinner in 15 minutes or less.
Meggan’s notes
As a classically-trained chef and busy mother of three, I have lots of experience pulling together flavorful meals fast. Sometimes all you need is a good spice blend in your back pocket to make dinner time a breeze.
A combination of butter and olive oil infuses ensures the shrimp cook up tender without scorching, and garlic adds warmth and depth of flavor. The secret, though, is the Cajun seasoning. You can obviously buy a blend at the store, but the homemade version is made with common spices and nothing exotic.
Make your own Cajun seasoning blend with garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, thyme, and Italian seasoning,. Add cayenne pepper for heat, or leave it out if you want something mild. Make a big jar and keep it in the pantry for up to 6 months.
Table of Contents
Recipe ingredients
At a Glance: Here is a quick snapshot of what ingredients are in this recipe.
Please see the recipe card below for specific quantities.
Ingredient notes
- Shrimp: For the best flavor, buy individually quick frozen raw shrimp. Thaw frozen shrimp overnight in the refrigerator or in a bowl in the sink with a trickle of cold water running over them. To clean the shrimp, use a paring knife to cut along the dark vein on the back of each shrimp and remove it. Rinse out the back of each shrimp and pat dry with paper towels.
- Cajun seasoning: Make it yourself with 3 tbsp. paprika, 2 tbsp. garlic powder, 2 tbsp. Italian seasoning, 1 tbsp. cayenne pepper, 1 tbsp. onion powder, and 1 tbsp. dried thyme. Store in an airtight container.
Step-by-step instructions
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt butter and olive oil together. Stir in garlic and Cajun seasoning until fragrant, about 30 seconds (do not scorch).
- Add shrimp and stir until pink and cooked through, about 3 to 5 minutes depending on the size of your shrimp.
- Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper (I prefer a pinch of each.) Serve with lemon wedges.
Recipe tips and variations
- Yield: This recipe makes about 2 cups of cooked shrimp, enough for 4 servings, ½ cup each.
- Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Mardi Gras: Ready to celebrate Fat Tuesday? I’ve put together 30+ Mardi Gras Recipes to help you celebrate. Start with Crab Cakes with Remoulade, Fried Okra, or Hush Puppies served with a Muffaletta sandwich, Dirty Rice, a bowl of Chicken Gumbo, or Shrimp Étouffée. Finish your meal with a sweet treat such as Bananas Foster, a heaping pile of Beignets, or some Pecan Pralines.
Frequently Asked Questions
Try Cajun seasoning with any protein, such as shrimp, catfish, steak, pork, or salmon. Or use it to spice up corn on the cob, home fries, eggs, or steamed or roasted vegetables. You’ll also find Cajun seasoning as an ingredient for several popular New Orleans specialties, including gumbo, po-boys, étouffée, and jambalaya.
Unless you’re on a fishing (shrimping?) boat, any shrimp you come across were, almost certainly, previously frozen. They can thaw it for the seafood case at your local grocery store, but it is not “fresh.” It is just “thawed.” To that end, just buy the IQF (individually quick-frozen) shrimp and don’t feel bad about it at all. It was likely frozen on a boat just after being caught, and it’s as fresh as you can do.
Use kitchen shears or a sharp knife to cut along the middle back of each shrimp, leaving the tail intact. Cut along the dark vein on the back of each shrimp and remove it. Rinse out the vein of each shrimp and pat dry.
More Cajun favorites
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Cajun Shrimp
Ingredients
- 1 pound raw shrimp peeled and deveined (see note 1)
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning (see note 2)
- lemon wedges for serving
Instructions
- Pat shrimp dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper (I like 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper). In a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt butter and olive oil together. Stir in garlic and Cajun seasoning until fragrant, about 30 seconds (do not scorch).
- Add shrimp and stir until pink and cooked through, about 3 to 5 minutes depending on the size of your shrimp. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper (I prefer a pinch of each.) Serve with lemon wedges.
Recipe Video
Notes
- Shrimp: For the best flavor, buy individually quick frozen raw shrimp. Thaw frozen shrimp overnight in the refrigerator or in a bowl in the sink with a trickle of cold water running over them. To clean the shrimp, use a paring knife to cut along the dark vein on the back of each shrimp and remove it. Rinse out the back of each shrimp and pat dry with paper towels.
-
Cajun seasoning: Make it yourself with 3 tbsp. paprika, 2 tbsp. garlic powder, 2 tbsp. Italian seasoning, 1 tbsp. cayenne pepper, 1 tbsp. onion powder, and 1 tbsp. dried thyme. Store in an airtight container.
- Yield: This recipe makes about 2 cups of cooked shrimp, enough for 4 servings, ½ cup each.
- Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Nutrition
Meggan Hill is a classically-trained chef and professional writer. Her meticulously-tested recipes and detailed tutorials bring confidence and success to home cooks everywhere. Meggan has been featured on NPR, HuffPost, FoxNews, LA Times, and more.
Teast great
Thanks, Robert! I’m glad you enjoyed it! – Meggan