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.
Video
Notes
- If you use pre-cooked shrimp, cook only for 30 seconds on each side as to not over-cook the shrimp.
- Allow frozen shrimp to thaw fully before cooking.
- Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on products used.
Nutrition
Excellent 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.
Could you substitute the Chile powder with something else?
If 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.
We made this last night. Easy! And SO yummy!!
So glad you enjoyed it, Nancy!
Just 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
What is the serving size for the nutritional value?
Each serving would be about 3/8 of a lb of shrimp, so approximately 8 regular sized shrimps.
Hi 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.
Sara, we’re so happy you and your family loved these shrimp! They really are so good 🙂
What size shrimp do you use in the recipe?
Just regular sized shrimp! About 2″ in length.
You can use fresh shrimp too, right?
Yes of course!
Reading the ingredients I don’t understand why the sodium level is so high – is shrimp that high in sodium?
Yes shrimp actually has quite a high sodium level!
Hi Joanna,
This looks so yummy and delicious. Will try the taste soon.
Thanks for sharing 🙂
Jo, these look great but what are the other ingredients in your tacos?
We 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 🙂
Thank you. Sounds great! Will be looking forward to the recipe!!