Back in the 80’s, Cajun cooking and spicy, blackened fish were all the rage. Spices burn easily, and as the craze matured, blackened came to mean burnt and bitter. Not a good thing to eat, as charred meats contain carcinogens. There are no worries with this Cajun-Style Spiced Shrimp recipe, though. With a hot grill or sauté pan, the quick cooking shrimp will be done in a jiffy. Although the spices from the marinade may blacken, if you keep your eye on them, the shrimp themselves won’t get burned at all. All you’ll get are the flavors of the spices and the shrimp. Delicious!

2 servings

10 ingredients

15 min prep

Ingredients
  • 1 tablespoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon cayenne
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 2 teaspoons black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • ½ cup olive oil
  • 1 pound shrimp, peeled, deveined
  • Lemon wedges for garnish

Directions
  1. Light grill or broiler to high or heat a large sauté pan over high heat. Soak wooden skewers in water.
  2. In a medium mixing bowl, combine paprika, cayenne, onion powder, garlic powder, black pepper, thyme, and oregano. Whisking, drizzle in olive oil until spices are well combined with oil.
  3. Toss the shrimp in the marinade. Skewer shrimp, about 4 or five per skewer.
  4. Place shrimp on the grill, cook until they have a dark crust of spicy marinade and have turned opaque and pinkish, with slight grill marks, about 60-90 seconds. Turn and cook an additional 60 seconds.
  5. Remove from heat and serve immediately with the lemon wedges.
Chef Tips

For a meal with a real Cajun groove, serve these with our yummy Vegetable Dirty Fried Rice.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

Calories: 265; Fat: 8g; Saturated Fat: 1g; Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g; Monounsaturated Fat: 6g; Carbohydrates: 43g; Sugar: 4g; Fiber: 4g; Protein: 5g; Sodium: 25mg

Registered Dietitian Approved

Your recipes, articles, videos, and more content are reviewed by our Registered Dietitian Kate Ueland, MS, RD, CSO, a board-certified specialist in oncology nutrition, to ensure that each is backed with scientific evidence and follows the guidelines set by the Oncology Nutrition for Clinical Practice, 2nd Ed., published by the Oncology Nutrition Dietetic Practice Group, a professional interest group of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, and the American Institute for Cancer Researchand the American Cancer Society.

This recipe was originally published on Cook for Your Life. It is used by permission.

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