This One Pot Spicy Cajun Shrimp and Rice Pilaf is an incredibly flavorful dish that comes together in under 45 minutes (including marinating time!). It's an impressive dinner recipe with a kick of heat that keeps you digging in.
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Ingredients
This spicy cajun shrimp and rice dish uses mostly ingredients you likely have in your pantry:
- Shrimp: fresh or frozen work! You want peeled and deveined.
- Cajun seasoning: you can make your own or buy store-bought. I used store bought because it's easier.
- Red pepper flakes: cajun seasoning has a little kick but this is SPICY cajun shrimp so we need a bit more and that's where red pepper flakes come in!
- Fresh garlic: there's garlic powder in the cajun seasoning but fresh garlic adds more great flavor.
- Rice & orzo: these make up the rice pilaf mixture. long grain white rice is best.
- Onion powder & garlic powder: to season the rice pilaf.
- Chicken broth: cooking the rice and orzo in chicken broth adds so much flavor. If you don't have chicken broth you can use vegetable broth or just water.
- Fresh parsley: fresh parsley brings a fresh element to the dish
Full list in the recipe card below
Step by step instructions
Just a few quick steps before you have this delicious spicy cajun shrimp and rice pilaf dish on the table!
Overview
- Marinate the shrimp
- Cook the shrimp and set it aside
- Toast the orzo in butter
- Add the rice, spices, and chicken broth and cook until rice is done
- Stir in parsley and serve with shrimp on top
Detailed instructions
1. Marinate the shrimp. Add the shrimp, cajun seasoning, red pepper flakes, chopped garlic, and olive oil to a bowl. Marinate in the fridge for at least 15 minutes or up to 2 hours.
2. Cook the shrimp. Heat the butter over medium heat in a large skillet. When the butter is melted and starting to sizzle, add the shrimp (ideally in one layer) and cook 2-3 minutes on both sides. The shrimp is done cooking when it's no longer translucent. Using a slotted spoon remove the shrimp and set it aside. Don't wipe the skillet clean.
3. Toast the orzo. To the same skillet melt the remaining butter and toast the orzo for about 3 minutes until lightly golden.
4. Add the rice and spices. To the orzo add the rice, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, pepper. Mix to combine.
5. Add the broth and cook. Add the broth, bring to a simmer and cook for about 20 minutes until the rice is cooked through. If the broth evaporates too quickly lower the heat a bit and add more broth (or water) ¼ cup at a time.
6. Finish with parsley. To the finished rice, stir in the fresh chopped parsley.
Tips and tricks
- The best shrimp to use: wild caught, fresh never frozen, shelled and deveined shrimp are best. You can also use frozen shrimp. Obviously you aren't always going to get all of these variables, so really just get what you're used to and what is available to you.
- How to defrost frozen shrimp: put the shrimp in a sealed bag then submerge in a bowl of cold water for about 10-20 minutes. Make sure the shrimp stay submerged so put a plate over or use a cup to weigh them down.
- Make it less or more spicy: if you want to make it less spicy lessen the amount of red pepper flakes or omit entirely. If you want to go the other way and make it spicier, add more red pepper flakes.
- Add meat: you can easily add some sausage to this, would be delicious. Brown it in the skillet after you cook the shrimp and before you toast the orzo.
- Leave the tails on your shrimp: it's ideal to leave the tails on your shrimp as you cook them because it adds a ton of flavor. If your shrimp don't have the tails it's no big deal.
- Rinse your rice! It's really important to rinse your rice before cooking it to remove the starches. This will help make sure it's nice and fluffy and doesn't stick together.
- What to do if your broth is absorbed or evaporates before your rice is cooked: do not worry!! if you have the heat up a smidge to high it's likely for this to happen. Just add more broth about ¼ cup at a time. Water is also fine if you've run out of broth.
What to serve with this dish
Since this cajun shrimp is on the spicy side, you want to serve it with something to cool it off. Some dishes that would be great:
- A nice big salad (Caesar salad is always a winner)
- Garlic bread
- Roasted veggies with a yogurt sauce
- Herby potato salad
FAQs
Most cajun seasonings are a mixture of paprika, cayenne powder, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, thyme, oregano, and salt.
It originated with Acadian immigrants who had initially lived in Canada but fled to the South in the 18th century. More details here.
You can start marinating the shrimp up to 2 hours in advance. Everything else is best served fresh.
Air tight container in the fridge for up to 4 days!
In the microwave for a few minutes until warmed through.
Once thawed, shrimp can stay in the fridge for up to 2 days.
To peel: holding the tail of the shrimp, bend it enough to gently crack the shell then pull the shell off the shrimp. It's ok if the tail comes off but there's extra flavor in there so try to leave it on if you can.
To devein: using a pairing knife, cut a little slit in the back (top) of the shrimp. Take your knife and run it across the top inside the slit to pull out the vein.
No, it is completely fine to eat the shrimp with the vein still there. It's just personal preference.
More shrimp recipes
Recipe
Spicy Cajun Shrimp and Rice Pilaf Skillet
INGREDIENTS
Cajun shrimp:
- 1 lb fresh shrimp
- 1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 4 cloves garlic chopped
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoon butter
Rice Pilaf:
- 2 tablespoon butter
- ½ cup orzo
- ½ cup long grain white rice rinsed and drained
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 2 tablespoon fresh parsley chopped
INSTRUCTIONS
- Add the shrimp, cajun seasoning, red pepper flakes, chopped garlic, and olive oil to a bowl. Marinate in the fridge for at least 15 minutes or up to 2 hours.
- Heat the butter over medium heat in a large skillet. When the butter is melted and starting to sizzle, add the shrimp (ideally in one layer) and cook 2-3 minutes on both sides. The shrimp is done cooking when it's no longer translucent. Using a slotted spoon remove the shrimp and set it aside. Don't wipe the skillet clean.
- To the same skillet melt the remaining butter and toast the orzo for about 3 minutes until lightly golden.
- To the orzo add the rice, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, pepper. Mix to combine.
- Add the broth, bring to a simmer and cook for about 20 minutes until the rice is cooked through. If the broth evaporates too quickly lower the heat a bit and add more broth (or water) ¼ cup at a time.
- To the finished rice, stir in the fresh chopped parsley.
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