Easy Blackened Shrimp Recipe
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With a homemade blend of bold and savory seasonings, this Blackened Shrimp recipe is beyond simple to make! It’s ready in 10 minutes and the Cajun-inspired shrimp can be used for a variety of dishes like tacos or pasta, or served all on their own.
Reasons You’ll Love this 10 Minute Blackened Shrimp Recipe
I love shrimp and make them at least once a week because they are easy to make and cook super quick. There is always a bag of frozen shrimp in my freezer in case I need to whip up a quick healthy dinner.
The bold flavor of blackened shrimp have been a favorite of mine for years, it’s one of my favorite shrimp recipes.
- Quick and easy: This recipe only takes 10 minutes to put together and is super simple to make!
- Packed with flavor: Thanks to a homemade seasoning blend, this shrimp is loaded with bold and mouthwatering savory flavors
- Versatile: Because it’s so easy to make, this shrimp is great for a weeknight meal but can also be served for an elegant sit down dinner with friends and family. You can use your shrimp for tacos, burritos, rice bowls, pasta dishes, and more!
What is Blackened Shrimp?
The concept of blackening or blackened food is a Southern cooking technique used to add bold flavors to fish, shrimp, chicken and other food. The mixture of spices create this bold flavor, and this technique is often used in Cajun cuisine to create a beautiful blackened crust.
Blackened Shrimp Ingredients
You can make these delicious shrimp with just a few ingredients, and I bet you already have most of them in your pantry!
All you need for this recipe is:
- Jumbo Shrimp: I like to buy peeled and deveined shrimp for easier prep, but a more affordable option would be to peel and de-vein them yourself.
- Fresh Lime: Using fresh lime juice is the best way to balance out the savory flavors with refreshing citrus.
- Spices: Blackened seasoning is made with garlic salt and black pepper, onion powder, cayenne pepper, paprika, dried thyme and dried oregano. Add some brown sugar for some rich sweetness. Alternatively, you can purchase blacken seasoning, this one is great!
How to Make the Best Blackened Shrimp
This recipe makes the most delicious blackened shrimp! They cook quickly, so they’re an awesome protein to make on a weeknight when you get home late from work or any time you’re in a hurry. These shrimp will cook in about 5 minutes.
- Make Homemade Cajun Seasoning Blend: Combine the spices for the blackening seasoning in a small bowl.
- Prepare Shrimp: Clean your raw shrimp by peeling and deveining them (if they’re not already). If you aren’t sure how to do this, watch this video. Then, add the shrimp to a large bowl.
- Season Shrimp: Add spices to the shrimp and toss until they are fully coated. You can use as much or as little seasoning as you like. If you have leftover blacken seasoning, you can store it in a jar like this one. I always like to keep some on hand because I use it so much!
- Cook Shrimp: Next, lay the seasoned shrimp in a cast iron skillet or non stick pan, being careful not to overlap or overcrowd the pan. If the pan is overcrowded, the shrimp won’t cook evenly or get a nice crisp.
- Finish and Serve: Cook the shrimp for 1-2 minutes per side and use a good pair of tongs when flipping. Then transfer the cooked shrimp to a plate and serve!
How to Make Blackened Seasoning
Blackened seasoning is so easy to make and most people have all the ingredients in their spice cabinet. The best part about making it at home is that you can adjust the ingredients to get the seasoning perfect for your palate. If you like it hotter, add some extra heat, if you like it sweeter, add some extra sugar. Make it your own!
This recipe makes a larger batch so you can store it and have it on hand next time you are ready to blacken shrimp, fish, or chicken.
To make this homemade blackening seasoning, combine:
- 2 tablespoons paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 tablespoon garlic salt (you can sub this for garlic powder, just make sure you add salt too)
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- a pinch of black pepper
- 1 tablespoon dried thyme
- a pinch of onion powder
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
I like to store my custom seasoning blends in jars like these. They’re great for sauces and dressings too!
Can I Grill these Shrimp?
You can grill or bake these blackened shrimp. If you’re grilling them, you might want to use grill-safe skewers that make flipping the shrimp easy so you don’t lose any between the grates.
If you’re baking your spicy shrimp, pre-heat the oven to 400 F, spread the shrimp out on a foiled baking sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes or until shrimp are opaque. Make sure you adjust the time based on the size of your shrimp.
What to Serve with Blackened Shrimp
The possibilities are endless! I added them to this creamy Avocado Risotto and it was delicious! The creaminess of the avocado pairs perfectly with the bold flavor of the shrimp. You can even add them to salads like this Toasted Farro Salad or this Easy Green Salad. The vinaigrette in that green salad recipe is TO DIE FOR.
Here are a few other recipes I love to pair them with:
- Spinach And Ricotta Stuffed Peppers
- Blackened Shrimp Taco Bowls
- Crispy Air Fryer French Fries
- Harvest Salad With Champagne Apple Cider Vinaigrette (pictured below)
- Farmers’ Market Salad With Couscous
- Broccolini With Marcona Almonds
- Baby Bok Choy
Yes, but I recommend letting it thaw before cooking it. Cooking from frozen can lead to uneven heating and it’ll take longer as well!
Using pre cooked shrimp is a little risky, since you have to cook the shrimp with the seasoning to give it that nice savory, blackened flavor. You can try seasoning pre-cooked shrimp and cooking it, but you may not get the full flavor of the seasoning mix.
The main perpetrator when it comes to spiciness in the seasoning is the cayenne pepper, so feel free to use more or less depending on your taste. If you like spicy foods, you can also add some red pepper flakes or chili powder.
Is Blackened Seasoning Whole30 Compliant?
If you are using this recipe, just omit the sugar from the blackening spice blend, and it will be compliant to the Whole30 diet. If you are using a store bought seasoning, be sure to check the label or use this Whole30 compliant blackened seasoning.
Add these shrimp to lettuce wraps, top them with pineapple and cilantro, and boom you’ve got yourself some delicious Whole30 approved blackened shrimp tacos!
The trick to making them perfectly is to get the pan nice and hot before adding the shrimp. Don’t overcrowd the pan, because the heat won’t transfer properly throughout the pan.
Can I Meal Prep Blackened Shrimp?
Blackened shrimp are a great protein to meal prep with. They don’t give off a fishy smell when you heat them in the microwave and they taste great several days after making them.
If you’re meal prepping with them, check out these BPA free glass meal prep containers.
Expert Tips
- This shrimp can be served on its own or used as a topping for salads and rice bowls, a filling for tacos or burritos, or with your favorite pasta.
- Before adding the oil and spices, pat the shrimp dry with some paper towels so everything adheres better.
- Cook the shrimp in batches if your skillet isn’t quite large enough. If they’re overcrowded they won’t cook as evenly.
- Sear in a super hot pan or hot skillet for just a few minutes on each side–this will prevent the shrimp from overcooking but still allow the seasoning to develop its rich and bold flavor.
- Garnish with cilantro, green onions,
Looking for more shrimp recipes? Try these:
- Lemon Orzo Salad With Garlic Butter Shrimp
- Garlic Butter Shrimp
- Blackened Shrimp Taco Bowls
- Creamy Basil Pesto Shrimp Pasta
- Honey Garlic Shrimp
- One Pan Garlic Parmesan Shrimp Spaghetti
Want to Try these Blackened Shrimp?
PIN IT to your shrimp, seafood, or dinner recipes board to save it for later!
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Easy Blackened Shrimp Recipe
Ingredients
Shrimp
- 1 pound jumbo shrimp peeled and deveined
- 1 tablespoon olive oil, more for cooking
- 1 lime, juice
- 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, for garnish
Blackened Seasoning
- 2 tablespoon brown sugar, omit for Whole30
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon dried thyme
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 tablespoon paprika
- 1 tablespoon garlic salt, if you sub this for garlic powder, just be sure to add salt to the mixture
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
Instructions
- Combine all blackened seasoning ingredients in a small mixing bowl.
- Toss shrimp and olive oil together in a large mixing bowl. Then add the blackened seasoning and mix until shrimp are fully coated.
- Add 1 tbsp of olive oil to a cast iron skillet or non-stick pan and heat on medium-high until the pan is hot.
- Lay shrimp flat on pan without overlapping them and cook for 3-4 minute, then flip and cook 2-3 more minutes or until the shrimp are opaque and fully cooked. When finished, transfer the shrimp to a plate and garnish with fresh cilantro and lime juice. Serve them in tacos, rice bowls, or on their own with some roasted vegetables!
Video
Notes
- This is the enameled cast iron skillet I use and love!
- This cast iron skillet is a really good affordable option.
