Cajun Shrimp

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Cajun shrimp is the easiest dinner recipe that’s big on flavor. The key is to generously coat the shrimp with my homemade Cajun seasoning, then pan-fry for 5 minutes until perfectly cooked. And to complete your meal, I’ve got delicious options listed below!

Cajun shrimp in a pan
Photo: Gayle McLeod

This cajun shrimp recipe is a staple quick-and-easy dinner. Especially when you’ve got a bottle of my homemade Cajun seasoning on hand. The beauty of shrimp is that in general, it’s very easy to cook, like this shrimp scampi or honey garlic shrimp. A quick pan fry is all you need! So it all comes down to how you flavor the shrimp, and this specific seasoning blend will bring you to the heart of Louisiana spice and comfort food.

If you’ve made my Cajun chicken or jambalaya recipe, you know just how delicious this Cajun seasoning is. It’s earthy, zesty, and slightly spicy with lots of bold flavors, which is the perfect way to jazz up shrimp and take a break from the usual garlic butter shrimp for dinner!

Ingredients for Cajun shrimp

Cajun Shrimp Recipe Ingredients

  • Shrimp: You’ll want to grab a bag of jumbo shrimp for this recipe. But if you can’t get fresh shrimp from a local fishmonger, opt for a bag of frozen wild-caught shrimp. They’re guaranteed to be much fresher than the shrimp sitting on the ice at the market.
  • Cajun Seasoning: My homemade version includes spices and herbs, which lends a bunch of flavor to anything you use it on. If you’re using a store-bought Cajun seasoning and notice it’s missing a few ingredients (like dried herbs) from my recipe, you can add those back in individually when tossing the shrimp.

Find the printable recipe with measurements below

How To Make Cajun Shrimp

You really can’t beat a two-ingredient 10-minute meal! Here’s how you make it:

Tossing shrimp with Cajun seasoning

Season the shrimp. Pat the shrimp dry with a paper towel. Then, add them to a mixing bowl along with the cajun seasoning and toss to evenly coat.

Shrimp tossed with Cajun seasoning

Cook the shrimp. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, flipping and tossing to cook both sides, until the shrimp is opaque and cooked through. And that’s it – you’re done!

Cajun shrimp in a pan

Ways To Serve Cajun Shrimp

  • Serve with side dishes. Complete a comforting meal with green beans, creamy mashed potatoes, roasted potatoes, rice, or sauteed cabbage.
  • Make Cajun shrimp pasta. Toss any pasta (of your choice) with freshly minced garlic and butter, then mix in the cajun shrimp — the results are magical. For a gluten-free option, zucchini noodles are my go-to!
  • Add to a salad or bowl. Whether making a macro bowl or salad, use this Cajun shrimp as the main protein. It’ll taste great with avocado, grilled corn, and beans!

Common Questions

Why do leave the tails on the shrimp?

The honest answer is that it makes the photo look better. And we tend to eat with our eyes first! In other simmering dishes, like jambalaya, the tails also impart flavor into the recipe. But for this recipe, you can certainly buy shrimp with the tails removed or remove them yourself before cooking.

How to make a Cajun shrimp boil?

For a Cajun shrimp boil, you’ll need shrimp, sliced potatoes, andouille sausage, and corn. You could even add crab legs in there! Boil everything in water along with my Cajun shrimp seasoning, until cooked through. I need to add a separate recipe for this in the future!

How do you know when shrimp is done cooking?

Keep your eye on the time because shrimp can easily overcook! Sauteéd shrimp generally only need a few minutes before they start to turn opaque and the tails start to curl in.

Sauteed Cajun shrimp in a skillet

How To Store Cooked Shrimp

  • Store for the week: Leftover Cajun shrimp is a great meal prep tool! Store it in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. Then make delicious meals with it throughout the week by giving it a quick reheat in the microwave.
  • Freeze for later: This will also keep for up to 3 months in the freezer. When you’re ready to enjoy it, thaw it in the fridge overnight.
  • For reheating: You have two options here. One, you can microwave it with a splash of water for about 30 seconds to a minute. Second, you can pan-fry it again with a drizzle of olive oil or butter.

More Shrimp Recipes

I hope you enjoy this delicious Cajun shrimp recipe! If you make it, I’d love to hear how it turned out in the comment box below.

A pan of Cajun shrimp

Easy Cajun Shrimp

5 from 5 votes
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 5 minutes
Total: 10 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Author: Lisa Bryan

Description

This Cajun shrimp is the quickest dinner idea that's big on flavor, thanks to my homemade Cajun seasoning! It's the perfect way to jazz up a simple shrimp dinner.

Ingredients 
 

Instructions 

  • Season the shrimp. Pat the shrimp dry with a paper towel. Add them to a mixing bowl along with the cajun seasoning and toss to evenly coat.
    Prepping Cajun shrimp in a bowl
  • Cook the shrimp. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, until the shrimp is opaque and cooked through.
    A pan with cooked Cajun shrimp

Lisa’s Tips

  • If you want tips for storing homemade spice blends and seasonings, make sure to check out my spice drawer organization post. 

Nutrition

Calories: 188kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 214mg | Sodium: 964mg | Potassium: 232mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 0.2g | Vitamin A: 1168IU | Vitamin C: 0.01mg | Calcium: 96mg | Iron: 1mg
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Cajun
Keyword: Cajun Shrimp, Cajun Shrimp Recipe
Did you make this recipe?Mention @downshiftology or tag #downshiftology!

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About the author

Lisa Bryan

Lisa is a bestselling cookbook author, recipe developer, and YouTuber (with over 2.5 million subscribers) living in sunny Southern California. She started Downshiftology in 2014, and is passionate about making healthy food with fresh, simple and seasonal ingredients.

5 from 5 votes

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14 Comments

  1. This recipe is truly really simple to put together! And the seasoning! I have been short off shy when it comes to shrimps but this was amazing and super delicious too. Thank you so much!

    1. Hi Mareile – It’s always a good idea to have this Cajun seasoning on hand for shrimp and chicken!

  2. Been wanting to cook Cajun style. Thanks for the recipes. Going out today for groceries. Adding salmon and shrimp, etc. to my list.5 stars

  3. Thank you for this simple recipe and spice mix. It is a wonderful start for a whole30 plan. I use a little less salt in the blend but that’s just me.5 stars

  4. I forgot I still had some Cajun seasoning leftover from making your jambalaya recipe, so just made this. Crazy easy and delicious!5 stars

    1. Yes, once you have the cajun seasoning it’s so easy to whip up! All you have to do is sprinkle and then saute. Enjoy!