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    Spicy Cajun Shrimp

    Published: Jul 16, 2015 / 27 Comments

    34.1K shares
    • Facebook818
    Recipe Print

    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!

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    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

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    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.

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    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.

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    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

     

    4.95 from 35 votes

    Spicy Cajun Shrimp

    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!
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 15 mins
    Cook Time 15 mins
    Total Time 30 mins
    Course Appetizer
    Cuisine American, Southern
    Servings 4 servings
    Calories per serving 266 kcal
    Author: Julia

    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 Information
    Spicy Cajun Shrimp
    Amount per Serving
    Calories
    266
    % Daily Value*
    Fat
     
    13
    g
    20
    %
    Saturated Fat
     
    7
    g
    44
    %
    Cholesterol
     
    315
    mg
    105
    %
    Sodium
     
    1452
    mg
    63
    %
    Potassium
     
    326
    mg
    9
    %
    Carbohydrates
     
    11
    g
    4
    %
    Fiber
     
    1
    g
    4
    %
    Sugar
     
    7
    g
    8
    %
    Protein
     
    24
    g
    48
    %
    Vitamin A
     
    1605
    IU
    32
    %
    Vitamin C
     
    15.8
    mg
    19
    %
    Calcium
     
    199
    mg
    20
    %
    Iron
     
    3.4
    mg
    19
    %
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

    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.

    Keyword cajun shrimp, how to cook shrimp, spicy shrimp
    Tried this recipe?Be sure to leave a comment and provide a Star Rating below - I love your feedback and try to respond to every comment!
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    Please share your comment and Star Rating in the comments section below.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Erin Reilly

      November 30, 2020 at 8:11 pm

      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!!

      Reply
      • Julia

        December 04, 2020 at 12:53 am

        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!

        Reply
    2. Patti

      June 30, 2019 at 9:12 pm

      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?

      Reply
      • Julia

        July 22, 2019 at 2:50 pm

        Yes, exactly! Leave the tails on if you use it as an appetizer or finger food!

        Reply
    3. Bayou Andy

      March 07, 2019 at 5:34 pm

      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!!!

      Reply
      • Julia

        March 25, 2019 at 7:34 pm

        I am so glad you liked this recipe! Thank you for your suggestion!

        Reply
    4. Bruce Brevitz

      February 21, 2019 at 7:49 pm

      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.

      Reply
      • Julia

        February 22, 2019 at 9:19 pm

        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!

        Reply
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