Cajun Shrimp

⏱ 40 mins 🍽 Serves 4 🌶 cajun 🏷 Main course

This recipe delivers tender, juicy shrimp packed with Cajun flavour. The prawns are first dry-brined with salt and baking soda to enhance their texture, then coated in a balanced, homemade spice blend offering subtle heat. They are quickly seared in a hot skillet with butter and oil until golden and just cooked through. The entire process takes about 40 minutes to serve four people, making it an excellent choice for a speedy yet impressive entree.

Cajun Shrimp

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon (7g) sweet paprika
  • 1 tablespoon (10g) granulated garlic
  • 2 teaspoons (5g) cayenne pepper
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 pound jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined (16 ounces; 454g)
  • 3/4 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt; for table salt, use half as much by volume
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon (12g) Cajun seasoning (recipe above)
  • 2 tablespoons (30ml) neutral oil, such as canola, plus more as needed
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter (1/2 ounce; 14g), plus more as needed

Method

  1. To prepare the Cajun seasoning, combine the sweet paprika, granulated garlic, cayenne pepper, onion powder, dried thyme, dried oregano, granulated sugar, white pepper, black pepper, and cumin in a small bowl, whisking until fully mixed. Place this blend into a sealed jar and set it aside.
  2. For the shrimp, use paper towels to pat them completely dry. Place the shrimp in a large bowl and toss them with the kosher salt and baking soda until they are uniformly covered. Cover the bowl and allow the shrimp to brine in your refrigerator for 30 minutes. After brining, uncover the bowl and toss the shrimp with 1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon of the prepared Cajun seasoning until evenly coated.
  3. Heat a 12-inch skillet and add the oil and butter, melting them together until the butter foams and the foam starts to settle. Arrange the seasoned shrimp in a single layer in the hot skillet. Cook until the underside turns a golden brown colour, which should take about 90 seconds. Turn each shrimp over and continue cooking until the centre is just translucent, for about 90 seconds more. Serve straight away.

Nutrition (per serving)

Sodium2298000 mg

Recipe details

CategoryMain course
Cuisinecajun
AuthorNicole Hopper