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These spicy Cajun grilled shrimp are full of big flavor! Covered in a homemade spice blend, they’re fast and easy to grill.
Here’s a grilled dinner idea that’s quick, easy, and full of huge flavor: my Cajun grilled shrimp! If you love Cajun spices and a little heat, these smoky, tender shrimp take less than 5 minutes on the grill.
Serve it up with a side of grilled peppers and it’s a fantastic summer meal. If you can’t do spicy food, I’ve got a mild version for you too. I love my classic grilled shrimp, but my homemade spice blend takes it to the next level!
Choosing The Best Shrimp For Grilling
You’ll just need a few ingredients for Cajun grilled shrimp, and most of the ingredients are spices. But the most important of all is the shrimp, of course! Here are a few notes about the type of shrimp to look for:
- Medium to large shrimp: I used the 26-30 per pound size.
- Tail on or peeled: I find tail-on looks the prettiest, but you may want to do fully peeled for ease of use.
- Deveined: This is preferable to save a step of deveining.
- Fresh or frozen: You can use either! Frozen can be as high quality as fresh if it’s frozen as soon as it’s caught.
- Wild caught: Fish that is wild caught in your country is usually a sustainable choice. There are also quality options in well-regulated farms.
Cajun vs. Blackened Seasoning: Pick Your Heat
Besides the shrimp, the other main ingredient in this spicy Cajun grilled shrimp recipe is the seasoning! I recommend making the homemade seasoning blend to get just the right flavor, but you can use store-bought in a pinch.
Here are the two seasonings to try, depending on what spice level you’d like:
- Cajun seasoning (spicy): This homemade Cajun seasoning is spicy, featuring paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, thyme, fennel seed (optional), cumin, cayenne, and salt and pepper.
- Blackened seasoning (mild): This blackened seasoning has similar flavors but less heat. It features paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, oregano, celery seed, allspice, cloves, cayenne, and salt and pepper.
You can also head to my recipe for blackened shrimp if you prefer a milder version of this recipe.
How To Make Cajun Grilled Shrimp
Once you’ve got the ingredients in hand, it’s so simple to make this recipe. Shrimp cooks so quickly that it’s one of my favorite things to throw on the grill. Seriously, who needs to smoke things for hours when you can have this big of flavor in just a few minutes?
Here are the basic steps:
- Preheat a grill to medium-high. That’s 375 to 450 degrees, the grill temperature for most vegetables and seafood.
- Mix the shrimp with olive oil and seasoning. See the notes above about the seasoning blend to choose.
- Grill 1 to 2 minutes per side, until opaque and tender. That’s it!
How Long To Grill Shrimp
Shrimp cook fast—plan on just 1 to 2 minutes per side over medium-high heat, or 2 to 4 minutes total. You’ll know they’re done the moment they turn opaque and curl into a loose “C.” An overcooked shrimp curls into a tight “O” and turns rubbery, so pull them the second they’re pink through.
Adding grilled peppers
Here’s an easy side dish to add to Cajun spicy grilled shrimp: grilled peppers! Multi-colored peppers look beautiful, and they’re tender with a lightly sweet flavor. Here are a few options for grilling up some bell peppers:
What To Serve with Cajun Grilled Shrimp
There are lots more tasty grilled vegetables to make a meal out of this Cajun grilled shrimp. The only thing to keep in mind is the physical space on your grill. You may have to make them in batches! Here’s what I’d recommend to make it a meal:
- Grilled peppers: Here’s how to make grilled peppers, right on the grates or in a grill basket, or make these grilled peppers and onion.
- Grilled corn: Try my Perfect Grilled Corn or Corn in the Husk: grilled corn goes with pretty much anything and always hits the spot.
- Grilled potatoes: These Grilled Potatoes in Foil, Grilled Potatoes, or Grilled Sweet Potatoes pair well with shrimp.
- Other grilled vegetables: Round out the meal with Grilled Zucchini, Eggplant, Grilled Okra, or Grilled Squash.
For a heartier plate, I’ll spoon the shrimp over a bowl of rice, couscous, or farro with a handful of greens. It’s an easy way to stretch this shrimp into dinner for four. For more ideas, see my 20 easy side dishes for shrimp.
Love grilled seafood? Try my Grilled Scallops, Grilled Salmon, Grilled Tilapia, Grilled Cod, or Grilled Ahi Tuna.
Storage Information
Grilled shrimp are best fresh off the grates, but leftovers keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Gently warm them on the stovetop if you like, but be careful not to overcook. They’re also great cold or at room temperature.
Dietary Notes
This spicy Cajun grilled shrimp recipe is pescatarian, dairy-free, and gluten-free.
Cajun Grilled Shrimp
These spicy Cajun grilled shrimp are full of big flavor! Covered in a homemade spice blend, they’re fast and easy to grill.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Grilled
- Cuisine: Cajun
- Diet: Low Calorie
Ingredients
- 1 pound large shrimp, tail on and deveined (I used the 26–30 per pound size.)
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon homemade Cajun seasoning (or Blackened Seasoning for less spicy variation)
- 1 lemon
- Grilled peppers or peppers and onions for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Thaw the shrimp. Then pat the shrimp dry.
- Preheat a grill to medium-high heat (375 to 450 degrees Fahrenheit).
- Place the shrimp in a bowl and add the olive oil and Cajun seasoning. Mix with your hands to combine.
- Place directly on a grill and grill 1 to 2 minutes per side (2 to 4 minutes total), until bright pink and cooked through.
- Remove from the grill and squeeze on fresh lemon juice from several wedges of the lemon, to taste.
More Shrimp Recipes to Try
Shrimp is a great healthy meal choice if you eat seafood. Here are some of my favorite healthy shrimp recipes:
- Perfect Sauteed Shrimp or Honey Garlic Shrimp: These really are the best easy shrimp recipes, with the best seasoning.
- Shrimp Stir Fry or Classic Shrimp Fajitas: These classic dinners take 30 minutes or less.
- Shrimp Pesto Pasta: Cover the noodles in glistening green basil pesto for a meal that pleases everyone or try my Easy Pesto Shrimp.
- 3 Cheese Shrimp Pizza: It’s like shrimp alfredo…on pizza crust!
- Shrimp Cocktail: The zesty famous cocktail sauce will have everyone begging for the recipe.
