All Recipes
Beverages
Breakfast
Appetizers
Dinner
Sides
Dessert
Videos
A sticky sauce with a buttery garlic New Orleans flavor coats this quickly made Cajun Shrimp. This simple recipe only requires 2 steps and can be made in under 30 minutes for one easy weeknight meal. This shrimp also makes a great party appetizer.
Easy shrimp recipes make my weeknights easier because they’re quick to prepare like this recipe, but also everyone loves them. This is why in addition to this recipe I love making recipes like Honey Garlic Shrimp and Shrimp Scampi during the week.
Why This Recipe Works
These delicious shrimp are swimming in a buttery garlic sauce that has hints of earthy flavor and a bold, slightly, spicy kick from the cajun seasoning. Also known as New Orleans shrimp, this recipe comes together quickly in under 30 minutes. This includes marinating the shrimp.
Shrimp recipes cooked in the skillet are some of the easiest weeknight meals you can make. This shrimp has a bit of a kick so I wouldn’t recommend it for kids, but if you like a little spice then this dish is for you. To cut down on the spice leavce out the additional paprika and cayenne pepper.
You can easily turn this shrimp into a party appetizer by serving it on skewers or make an entire meal out of it. Toss some roasted veggies into the skillet and you’ve got a complete meal. It’s also great over rice or a salad too.
If you love authentic cajun recipes then try my red beans and rice recipe next.
Ingredients Needed
The secret is in the sauce with this cajun shrimp recipe. As it turns to a glaze and is tossed with the shrimp it coats it in a rich flavor. The cajun seasoning already contains paprika and caayenne pepper, but I like to add extra for more flavor and kick. You can omit these additional spices if you like.
Ingredient Notes
- Worcestershire Sauce: this tangy and pungent savory sauce really brings a rich flavor to the overall marinade and sauce, which is why there is so much of it. If you’d like a gluten-free option you can also use gluten-free Tamari or coconut aminos.
- Cajun Seasoning: this seasoning blend is one you can find in the spice isle of your grocery store and is partially responisble for that little kick that comes from the sauce. You can also use the guide below to mix your own.
- Butter: the shrimp is pan-seared in butter, but you can also swap this for oil if you’d like to make a dair-free version.
- Shrimp: you will need raw, peeled, and deveined shrimp for this recipe, but I recommend leaving the tails on for appearance. Large to jumbo-sized shrimp works best.
Homemade Cajun Seasoning
If you can’t find any cajun seasoning you can easily blend your own using these basic spices below. I suggest tripling this batch and storing any leftovers in a container in your pantry for cooking later.
- 2 teaspoons Smoked Paprika
- 1 teaspoon Dried Thyme
- 1/4 teaspoon Salt
- 1/2 teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 1/4 teaspoon Onion Powder
- 1/8 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Prepare the sauce. In a small mixing bowl whisk the Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, olive oil, honey, cajun seasoning, paprika, cayenne pepper, and minced garlic, and set aside.
- Marinate. Pour about 1/4 of the sauce onto the thawed shrimp and let it marinate for about 20 minutes.
- Cook the shrimp. In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Drain the marinade from the shrimp and season the shrimp with salt. Place them in a single layer around the skillet. Cook shrimp for 1 to 2 minutes per side or until the centers are pink. Using a slotted spoon remove the shrimp from the skillet and set aside.
- Heat the sauce. Pour the sauce into the skillet and let it bubble and reduce by half, about 5 minutes. Add the shrimp back to the skillet and toss to coat. Garnish with the green onions.
Serving Suggestions
If you plan on serving this as an appetizer I recommend placing 2 to 3 shrimp pieces on a skewer, but if you’re making this into a meal some additional serving ideas are listed below.
- Steamed Rice
- With a simple salad.
- Turn this into a spicy shrimp pasta by serving it over some cooked noodles.
- Goes well with steamed or roasted vegetables.
- With crusty bread.
Helpful Equipment
The beauty of this recipe is how basic it is and you won’t need much to prepare it either. You most likely have all of these tools in your own kitchen, but I always like to include some links to my favorites.
- Large Skillet: my Lodge skillet is one of my favorites and I use it constantly. Right now I only have a 10″ so for this recipe I have to prepare it in batches.
- Sharp Knife: we recently updated some of our knives to this brand and I love them as well as love how pretty they are.
- Measuring Cups and Spoons
- Mixing Bowl: I absolutely love these adorable mixing bowls and they’re stackable too.
- Small Whisk: I find I go through whisk often, and I’ve loved using this one.
- Tongs: These tongs are a great price and it comes in two different sizes.
Recipe Notes and Tips
- To give this shrimp an even bolder flavor toast the spices before mixing them into the marinade. To do this pour 1 teaspoon of oil into the skillet you plan to cook the shrimp in and toast over medium-low heat for about 30 seconds.
- Shrimp cooking tip. Once you’ve placed the last shrimp in the skillet and the tails have turned pink start with the first one you laid down and flip it to the other side. Once you’ve flipped the last shrimp the first shrimp you placed in the skillet should be done.
- Store any leftovers in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. To reheat place a small amount of oil or melt some butter into a skillet over medium heat. Add the shrimp and heat until warm to the touch.
FAQs
This is a simple blend of spices with a bold flavor. In most cajun seasoning you will find smoked paprika, thyme, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and cayenne pepper.
This seasoning blend has a bold and spicy flavor that comes from the mixture of the paprika aand cayenne pepper that has undertones of a subtle earthy taste.
Related Recipes
Cajun Shrimp
Equipment
- 10-inch or larger Skillet
- Measuring Cups and Spoons
- Mixing Bowl
- Tongs
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup Worcestershire Sauce
- 2 tablespoons Brown Sugar
- 1 tablespoons Olive Oil
- 1 tablespoon Honey
- 1 tablespoon Cajun Seasoning
- 2 teaspoons Paprika
- 1 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
- 3 Garlic Cloves minced
- 3 tablespoons Butter
- 1 lb Shrimp peeled and deveined
- 1 teaspoons Salt
- 1/4 cup Green Onions
Instructions
- In a small mixing bowl whisk the Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, olive oil, honey, cajun seasoning, paprika, cayenne pepper, and minced garlic, and set aside.
- Pour about 1/4 of the sauce onto the thawed shrimp and let it marinate for about 20 minutes.
- In a large skillet (preferably an iron skillet), melt the butter over medium-high heat. Drain the marinade from the shrimp and season the shrimp with salt. Place them in a single layer around the skillet (you may need to work in batches so the shrimp aren't overcrowded). Cook shrimp for 1 to 2 minutes per side or until the centers are pink.
- Using a slotted spoon remove the shrimp from the skillet and set aside.
- Pour the sauce into the skillet and let it bubble and reduce by half, about 5 minutes. Add the shrimp back to the skillet and toss to coat.
- Garnish with the diced green onions.
Notes
- To give this shrimp an even bolder flavor toast the spices before mixing them into the marinade. To do this pour 1 teaspoon of oil into the skillet you plan to cook the shrimp in and toast over medium-low heat for about 30 seconds.
- Shrimp cooking tip. Once you’ve placed the last shrimp in the skillet and the tails have turned pink start with the first one you laid down and flip it to the other side. Once you’ve flipped the last shrimp the first shrimp you placed in the skillet should be done.
- Store any leftovers in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. To reheat place a small amount of oil or melt some butter into a skillet over medium heat. Add the shrimp and heat until warm to the touch.
Homemade Cajun Seasoning
If you can’t find any cajun seasoning you can easily blend your own using these basic spices below. I suggest tripling this batch and storing any leftovers in a container in your pantry for cooking later.- 2 teaspoons Smoked Paprika
- 1 teaspoon Dried Thyme
- 1/4 teaspoon Salt
- 1/2 teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 1/4 teaspoon Onion Powder
- 1/8 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
