Spicy Cajun Shrimp Skillet
Spicy Cajun Shrimp Skillet is a super fast (15 minute!) and healthy dinner recipe. We love to keep this paleo and serve it with cauliflower rice, but regular rice is delicious, too.
We've got a spicy shrimp recipe for you that is so good you'll be tempted to lick your plate clean. It's also crazy quick and easy to make.
Why you want this Cajun shrimp for dinner tonight
- It's spicy and flavorful.
- 15 minute healthy dinner recipes = awesome.
- Super easy to make into a meal that pleases everyone at your table. Cauliflower rice is my choice, but I make regular rice for my family.
READ MORE: Homemade Cajun Seasoning
How to make this spicy shrimp
Cooking shrimp in a skillet is the easiest ever. They take only a couple minutes to cook so they're perfect for when you want dinner in a hurry.
- You're going to start making this Cajun shrimp recipe by marinating the shrimp in some Cajun seasoning, oil, salt, and chili flakes.
- Next, chop the veggies and get the ingredients out of the panty.
- Now all you have to do is sear the shrimp, add the veggies, tomato paste, and stock. That's it!
Adding the tomato paste and stock creates a bit of a sauce. It's delicious!
Full recipe in the recipe card below.
How long do I cook shrimp in a skillet?
Not long! Average sized shrimp will take only 4-5 minutes to cook. You will know they are cooked when they turn opaque and pink. Don't overcook them as they will turn rubbery.
What should I serve with skillet shrimp?
If you serve this with cauliflower rice it can easily be a complete healthy meal. If you opt for regular rice, you'll probably want to add another vegetable.
Roasted or steamed broccoli would be great. Or you could keep things super easy and add a couple extra peppers to the shrimp skillet.
A side of buttery corn on the cob would be delicious, too!
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Favorite shrimp recipes:
- Cajun Shrimp Boil Skewers
- Sticky Sesame Honey Shrimp with Ginger Broccoli
- Bang Bang Shrimp
- Thai Coconut Shrimp Eggs Benedict
Spicy Shrimp Skillet Recipe
If you love this recipe as much as we do, let us know with a 5-star rating!
Ingredients
- 1 ½ lbs shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning
- 1 tablespoon oil
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- A pinch of chili flakes
- 2 green bell peppers, diced small
- 2 small shallots, minced (about ⅓ cup)
- 2 tablespoon tomato paste
- ½ cup chicken or vegetable stock
- Sea salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Place the shrimp in a bowl and toss with the Cajun seasoning, oil, salt, and chili flakes. Set aside to marinate while you prep the veggies.1 ½ lbs shrimp, 2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning, 1 tablespoon oil, ½ teaspoon sea salt, A pinch of chili flakes
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp and sear for 2 minutes. Add the peppers and shallots to the pan then cook for 2 more minutes.2 green bell peppers, 2 small shallots
- Push the shrimp to the side of the pan and add the tomato paste. Let the tomato paste caramelize for 2-3 minutes, or until it had darkened and is sweet smelling. Stir it into the shrimp.2 tablespoon tomato paste
- Add the chicken or vegetable stock to the pan and stir. Season to taste with salt and pepper.½ cup chicken or vegetable stock
I’ve commented on this recipe before, but it’s seriously so great, it deserves a second 5-star review from me. I made it again tonight for the first time in a while. Normally I serve it with mashed potatoes, but tonight I made cauliflower rice with it and it was just as good. A great alternative when trying to cut carbs! Thanks, again, for this easy and delicious recipe. I love it!
Such a lovely, tasty simple sauce. Absolutely great for a day you just don’t have it in you to cook, but you still have to eat. Thank you so much.
Really good. I’d use a little less than the recommended amount salt, but otherwise it’s spot on. I added a bit of canned corn at the end and thought it came out nicely.
Corn sounds like a great addition!
How do I email this recipe to myself. I am already getting emails from you but did not get this one
If you click the print button in the recipe you’ll be able to save a pdf copy to your computer and email it that way. 🙂
I stumbled on this because, frankly, I was searching for a shrimp recipe I could tolerate. It didn’t even have to be great. Just decent. See, I’m not a big fan of seafood, but my husband loves it. On the nights we have cod and shrimp, he cooks, and I choke it down. He loves his one single recipe for cooking cod and shrimp, and it just doesn’t pass the test for me. Anyway, since it’s just the two of us, we only cook about 6 ounces of shrimp instead of a pound and a half. The first time I made this recipe, I adjusted it to account for such a small amount of shrimp. When I made it again this week, I used the full amount of seasoning and brushed some of it on two pieces of cod which I cooked separately. And all I can say is BRAVO! This is so much better than the decent and tolerable recipe I was looking for. I CRAVE it! Never have I ever had such good seafood at home! The first time I made it, I was sure I did something wrong because it really is so fast and easy, but I clearly hadn’t missed any steps because it was an explosion of incredible flavors. Everything about this recipe is so perfect. Even the shallots were a great choice. When I couldn’t find shallots in the past, I subbed regular onions. I considered it this time even though my local store had shallots available, but I decided to follow the recipe exactly and use them. The sweetness of them combined with the spicy Cajun seasoning is just incredible. I’m so thrilled to have found a seafood recipe my husband and I both like. Thank you so much for this!
This is such a great comment! Thank you so much for coming back to let us know. It makes me so happy to hear that you’ve found a shrimp recipe you love!
Made this tonight , quick, easy and loads of flavor. My daughter doesn’t care for spicy foods , but couldn’t quit eating it…lol..love it !!!
That’s so great to hear! Hooray!