I’m going out on a limb and calling this the best cajun shrimp recipe, all thanks to our homemade cajun seasoning. Of course, you can use store-bought seasoning in this recipe, but I highly recommend our homemade blend for the best cajun butter sauce coating your shrimp. This easy shrimp recipe takes less than 10 minutes to prepare thanks to our easy cajun butter. Serve with rice, fill tacos, or even transform this into cajun shrimp pasta (tips are below). And while you have it in the house, we use the same homemade cajun butter to make our cajun corn on the cob!
Key Ingredients
Shrimp: Use fresh, high-quality jumbo or large shrimp. You can keep the tails on or remove them, whichever you prefer. Cajun Seasoning: You can use store-bought or make your own. It’s a bold blend of spices popular in Creole and Cajun cuisine. Our homemade Cajun seasoning contains hot paprika (or cayenne pepper), sweet paprika, chili powder, dried thyme, sugar, and sea salt. I use the same seasoning when making our pickled shrimp recipe! Butter: I make cajun butter by stirring the cajun seasoning, garlic, and cilantro into softened butter. I use the same butter for my grilled cajun corn. Garlic: The seasoning is already super flavorful, but I love adding one garlic clove. I finely grate it using a microplane and stir it into the butter. Cilantro: I love the little pop of green from cilantro, but parsley makes an excellent substitute. You can also leave it out entirely.
For this easy cajun shrimp recipe, I cook my shrimp quickly in a hot skillet, and just as they are done, I add a swirl of our cajun butter. The cooking process is fast, making it perfect for busy nights.
What to Serve with Cajun Shrimp
When it comes to serving the shrimp, you have several delicious options. They pair wonderfully with creamy grits or rice. I especially enjoy them with this cilantro lime rice. You can even transform the sauce in this recipe into a pasta sauce. For cajun shrimp pasta, after cooking the shrimp, remove them from the skillet and add cooked pasta to the remaining butter sauce. Add a bit of starchy pasta water, then cook the pasta over low heat while stirring until the butter sauce evenly coats the pasta. Then, return the shrimp to the skillet, give it a good toss, and it’s ready to be served! 1/2 tablespoon olive oil 2 tablespoons room temperature butter 1 clove garlic, finely minced or grated 1 tablespoon cilantro or parsley leaves, minced 1 ½ teaspoons homemade cajun seasoning, see tips 2Combine the butter, garlic, cilantro (or parsley), and cajun seasoning. Mix well and set aside. 3Heat olive oil in a wide skillet over medium heat. Add the shrimp to the pan, arranging them in a single layer. It’s okay if a few shrimp are stacked on each other. Cook for about 1 minute until the shrimp begins to turn pink. 4Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the cajun butter to the skillet. Stir well to coat the shrimp evenly. 5Continue cooking and stirring until the shrimp are firm and opaque throughout, which should take 1 to 2 minutes.
