Spicy Cajun Shrimp with lots of sauce - delicious Southern dinner or appetizer! Made with garlic, ketchup, chicken broth, hot sauce, Cajun spice, and green onions. Super easy to make - 30 minutes from start to finish!
I love Cajun spice, and not surprisingly it goes really well with shrimp! Try this recipe, and you'll see what I mean! I couldn't stop eating it!
I wanted a simple spicy Cajun-style shrimp dinner that I could make with just a few basic ingredients. This recipe worked really well, and all 25 jumbo shrimp were devoured within 20 minutes by 3 people (including me). It's amazing how fast the food can disappear from the table if it tastes good!
Ingredients you need
Spicy Shrimp
- jumbo shrimp (20-25 count, peeled but with tails, deveined)
- garlic cloves , minced
- Cajun seasoning , containing salt
- butter
Spicy Sauce
- chicken broth
- ketchup
- green onions , finely chopped
- hot sauce (hot cayenne sauce, such as Frank's hot sauce)
Garnish
- 3 green onions finely chopped
Recipe Notes
- Use jumbo shrimp, about 20-25 count. The shrimp should peeled, deveined, but still with tails on.
- Use store-bought Cajun spice. If your Cajun spice already contained salt, you do not need to add salt to your shrimp. But if your Cajun mix is without salt, add a pinch of salt, to your shrimp.
- For hot sauce, use hot cayenne sauce, such as Frank's hot sauce.
How to cook spicy Cajun shrimp
In a small bowl, toss shrimp together with minced garlic, and Cajun spice and a pinch of salt (see recipe note above).
Melt butter in a large skillet on medium-hot heat. Add shrimp (mixed with garlic and Cajun spice) to the skillet and cook for about 1 minute on each side, flipping once.
Remove the shrimp from the skillet onto a plate. Add chicken broth, ketchup, chopped green onions, hot sauce to the same skillet. Bring everything to boil and mix well.
Add back the shrimp, boil or simmer for a couple of minutes until the shrimp is cooked through and the sauce thickens, constantly stirring. If sauce is too thick, add a small amount of water.
Serve topped with chopped green onions.
If you're in a hurry, and want an easy flavorful and spicy Cajun shrimp - this is the recipe for you! Southern comfort food!
Related spicy shrimp recipes
- Spicy Shrimp with Pasta in Garlic Tomato Cream Sauce
- Spicy Shrimp, Tomato, Spinach Pasta in Garlic Butter Sauce
- Shrimp and Veggies with Tortellini
Spicy Cajun Shrimp
Ingredients
Cajun Shrimp:
- 1 pound jumbo shrimp (20-25 count, peeled but with tails, deveined)
- 4 garlic cloves , minced
- 1 tablespoon cajun seasoning , containing salt
- 4 tablespoons butter
Sauce for shrimp:
- ½ cup chicken broth
- ½ cup ketchup
- 5 green onions , finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon hot sauce (hot cayenne sauce, such as Frank's hot sauce)
For garnish:
- 3 green onions finely chopped
Instructions
- In a small bowl, toss shrimp together with minced garlic, and cajun spice (my Cajun spice already contained salt, so no salt needed to be added, but if your mix is without salt, add a pinch of salt, too).
- Melt butter in a large skillet on medium-hot heat. Add shrimp (mixed with garlic and Cajun spice) to the skillet and cook for about 1 minute on each side, flipping once.
- Remove shrimp from the skillet onto a plate. Add chicken broth, ketchup, chopped green onions, hot sauce to the same skillet, bring to boil, mix everything well.
- Add back the shrimp, boil or simmer for a couple of minutes until shrimp cooks and sauce thickens, constantly stirring. If sauce is too thick, add a small amount of water.
- To serve, top with green onions.
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer:
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed. It should not be used as a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
This was amazing!! I actually made it for my mom and I for dinner tonight. I actually served it over white rice and it was absolutely delicious!!
Erin, I am so glad you liked this recipe! Thank you so much for stopping by and sharing such positive feedback - I really appreciate it!
May I ask why leave the tails on? If you are using it as an appetizer are the tails left on for easy finger food?
Yes, exactly! Leave the tails on if you use it as an appetizer or finger food!
May I suggest using Heintz chili sauce in the bottle in place of ketchup. It puts a little different dimension to the dish. Great, simple recipe!!!
I am so glad you liked this recipe! Thank you for your suggestion!
Oh my God! This was beyond unbelievable! I tweaked it just a bit. First of all, I doubled the recipe. For my sauce, I used a combination of chicken broth and white wine/ketchup/onions and hot sauce.
I served the result over thick spaghetti. Julia, I cannot TELL you how much I LOVED this! I have to go and coach Women's Semi-Professional Football. If I didn't? I think I'd FINISH it! I look forward to following you! Thanks for bringing some warmth to a Cold Minnesota evening.
Thank you for such a wonderful comment! It made my day! So happy you liked this shrimp. Serving it over spaghetti is such a great idea!
Always, a go to dish for us!!
Perfect taste!! Angel hair pasta is our choice.
Baguette to soak up the sauce!!!!thanks!!
Bill, you are welcome! Angel hair pasta and the bread to soak up the sauce - great choices!
I tripled the recipe and served it with carribean rice, southern style green beans and warm peach cobbler with vanilla ice cream...big time hit with my friends! This is a big time keeper!
So glad you liked it! Your side dish choices sound so good! So does your dessert. No wonder your friends loved your cooking!
Made your recipe tonight for dinner, it was great. Made shrimp stock for my rice and substituted it also for the chicken stock. I also used Patagonian shrimp. Easy to fix and best expectations. My better half loved it. Thank you.
You're very welcome! So glad you enjoyed this recipe.
I made this for my family along with white rice. Everyone enjoyed them. Thanks for the recipe. So easy to make.
So happy to hear that! Serving rice with this shrimp sounds delicious!
Loved it over pasta!!
Great idea to serve this shrimp over pasta!
I LOVE this easy recipe! I made it for my partner n she loved it! She is a picky eater n she can't get enough! Thank u for sharing w everyone...
I guess my emocon didn’t show up! The Sweet is carrots.
🙂
Hey Julia
Sounds Deliciously Yummy Making this tonight, I may add some sweet smoky paprika Your dish, with some sweet and white rice, sounds like a Winner to Me
Thanks for Sharing with the masses 🙂
You are very welcome, Cheryl!
We liked it but had to add half lemon juice and old bay seasoming....
Great additions!
I want to make this for dinner tonight. It looks so good reminds me of my uncles bbq shrimp. Yum!!! So recommend rice or with pasta! Thanks
I hope you liked it! Rice sounds like a perfect side dish here.