Last updated on April 13th, 2019 at 10:37 pm
These delicious Blackened Shrimp are the perfect versatile and fast weeknight meal. Try them in tacos, lettuce wraps, on pasta, rice, or simply on their own!
I love having a big bag of frozen shrimp on hand for those busy weeknights when we need a fast, delicious meal! They thaw out so quickly in a bowl of warm water, and they only take 5 minutes to cook all the way through.
The incredible spice mix I paired the shrimp with double as a marinade, and the perfect coating to give these babies a beautiful blackened crust.
What Are Blackened Shrimp?
Blackening is a style of cooking that is most often associated with Cajun cuisine. Using a gorgeous mix of bold spices and a touch of herbs, the shrimp are completely coated in the spice mix before letting them sizzle on a hot skillet.
This mixture includes brown sugar which begins to caramelize the second it hits the pan, which helps the spice mixture cling to the shrimp and get crispy. So good!
How to Make Blackened Shrimp
First, mix your blackening seasoning well in a small bowl. Dump the mixture over your shrimp and stir until each one is coated generously. Set the shrimp aside for 30 minutes to marinate and soak up all those amazing flavors.
Next, heat a skillet up to medium-high heat. You can even go all the way to high heat if you want a nice dark crust. Coat the pan in 1 tablespoon of olive oil and arrange the shrimp in the pan in one layer. Let them cook for 2 minutes and then flip. Cook for another 2 minutes, add your garlic, and let it toast up in the pan for 30 seconds.
That’s it, you’re done! It doesn’t get any easier. Top these shrimp with some chopped up cilantro and serve with lime wedges. YUM!
We used frozen shrimp for this recipe, but you can use pre-cooked. Cook them for only 30 seconds on each side so that they don’t get overcooked.
How to Serve Blackened Shrimp
We served these as shrimp tacos, but you can enjoy them in so many different ways! Make a low-carb lunch or dinner by using them in lettuce wraps, top your rice or pasta with them, or just grab a fork and eat them as is!
Who’s ready to dig in?!
Looking for More Shrimp Recipes? Try These:
Blackened Shrimp
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp chili powder
- 1 tbsp paprika
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp oregano dried
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp brown sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1 1/2 lbs shrimp uncooked, peeled
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic minced
Optional garnish
- cilantro fresh, chopped
- lime wedges
Instructions
- Combine the chili powder, paprika, cumin, oregano, garlic powder, brown sugar, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Dump the mixture over the shrimp and mix well. Set aside to marinate for 30 minutes.
- Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium-high. Arrange the shrimp in a single layer and cook for 2 minutes. Flip and cook for another 2 minutes.
- Add the garlic, stir, and cook for 30 seconds. Garnish with cilantro and lime wedges to serve.
Jim says
May 9, 2019 at 11:21 amI am planning these for tonight. Any ideas on the pasta type/cheese, etc
Joanna Cismaru says
May 10, 2019 at 1:57 pmThese would be nice over some spaghetti, spaetzle or even gnocchi! I’d probably go with some parm.
Bridgid says
April 19, 2019 at 8:13 pmOh my goodness this recipe was PERFECT! Decided to switch up my normal shrimp/pasta combo with shrimp/zoodles and was worried the shrimp seasoning wouldn’t work with the zoodles… but it was DELICIOUS! Haven’t loved the results from a recipe this much in such a long time. Thank you!
Joanna Cismaru says
April 20, 2019 at 1:40 pmLove this!
Scynthea Ratliff says
March 31, 2019 at 2:30 pmMy goodness 😉 this was awesome. I am on a keto so I subbed the sugar for erythritol and it was delicious. My new seasoning going forward especially on shrimp.
Thank you for the wonderful recipe.
Randy says
March 12, 2019 at 1:38 pmExcellent and easy recipe. They made the best shrimp taco’s we have ever tasted. Just added some Pineapple salsa (Pico de Gallo and Pineapple Tidbits) and dry Coleslaw Salad Mix.
Heather says
February 12, 2019 at 9:29 pmCould you substitute the Chile powder with something else?
Nicole Beaulieu says
February 13, 2019 at 10:07 amIf you’re worried about spice, you can find mild chili powder for this recipe. Other than that, you can add extra oregano, paprika, garlic powder, and cumin to make up for it.
Nancy McCoy says
February 9, 2019 at 9:36 amWe made this last night. Easy! And SO yummy!!
Joanna Cismaru says
February 9, 2019 at 12:49 pmSo glad you enjoyed it, Nancy!
Linda says
January 31, 2019 at 2:36 pmJust finished making these shrimp and they are so good. The brown sugar gives the shrimp just the right amount of sweetness. Thank you for sharing your recipe and I definitely will be making these again
John says
January 26, 2019 at 6:03 pmWhat is the serving size for the nutritional value?
Nicole Beaulieu says
January 28, 2019 at 10:23 amEach serving would be about 3/8 of a lb of shrimp, so approximately 8 regular sized shrimps.
Sara says
January 16, 2019 at 11:09 amHi Jo,
We made this recipe for the Blackened Shrimp and again, you hit this recipe out of the ballpark. Talk about fast! I almost couldn’t turn all the shrimp over in the pan fast enough for 2 minutes! My family loved this recipe, and I thank you for an easy dinner. The spices were lovely too.
Nicole Beaulieu says
January 17, 2019 at 9:58 amSara, we’re so happy you and your family loved these shrimp! They really are so good 🙂
Marie says
January 11, 2019 at 4:37 pmWhat size shrimp do you use in the recipe?
Nicole Beaulieu says
January 12, 2019 at 10:05 amJust regular sized shrimp! About 2″ in length.
Pam says
January 9, 2019 at 7:54 pmYou can use fresh shrimp too, right?
Nicole Beaulieu says
January 10, 2019 at 9:49 amYes of course!
Sandra D says
January 9, 2019 at 5:52 pmReading the ingredients I don’t understand why the sodium level is so high – is shrimp that high in sodium?
Nicole Beaulieu says
January 10, 2019 at 9:55 amYes shrimp actually has quite a high sodium level!
Ellen Taylor says
January 9, 2019 at 11:57 amHi Joanna,
This looks so yummy and delicious. Will try the taste soon.
Thanks for sharing 🙂
Janet says
January 9, 2019 at 11:01 amJo, these look great but what are the other ingredients in your tacos?
Nicole Beaulieu says
January 9, 2019 at 11:48 amWe used a simple cabbage slaw on the bottom, and a pineapple salsa on top. It was a hit, so we will be putting the salsa up on the blog in the near future 🙂
Janet says
January 9, 2019 at 12:27 pmThank you. Sounds great! Will be looking forward to the recipe!!