Blackened Shrimp with Butter Sauce is a one-pan dish, so easy to make, and I promise you'll be eating these right out of the pan. I use fresh wild-caught Key West shrimp, a homemade blackening seasoning blend, unsalted butter, and lemon, and saute in a cast-iron frying pan.
We eat a lot of shrimp in Florida. The shrimp are harvested right off the coast of Key West. They're wild-caught, sweet, and plump, and with very little effort, I make delicious meals like this in minutes.
Jump to:
- A Great Shrimp Dish Starts with Wild Shrimp
- What is Blackening Seasoning?
- Ingredients
- How To Peel and Devein The Shrimp
- How to Make Blackening Seasoning
- How to Blacken Shrimp
- How To Make The Butter Sauce
- WHAT GOES WITH BLACKENED SHRIMP?
- What to Do with Blackened Shrimp
- How to Store and Reheat Blackened Shrimp
- Summary
- FAQ
- "📖 Recipe"
A Great Shrimp Dish Starts with Wild Shrimp
Most shrimp sold commercially are from farms where an artificial environment is created. Key West shrimp are harvested right off the coast of the Florida Keys. The shrimp live at the bottom of the sea and dine on sea animals, algae, and other marine food. They're really fresh!
What is Blackening Seasoning?
Blackening is a cooking style that has its roots in Cajun cuisine. The spices used to coat the shrimp are bold and include cayenne pepper, chili powder, and sweet paprika. I use a small amount of onion powder for sweetness. Blackened shrimp is a popular dish at many southern restaurants.
Ingredients
- Shrimp, Large or XL
- Fresh Lemons
- Paprika (sweet or smoked)
- Garlic Powder
- Onion Powder
- Cayenne Pepper
- Thyme
- Oregano
- Salt
- Black Pepper
(see recipe card for quantities)
How To Peel and Devein The Shrimp
Before making blackened shrimp, decide whether you want to keep the tails on, or not. The shrimp look better on a dinner plate with their tails. However, if you're making shrimp tacos, remove them. If you have kids, pay close attention to getting all the shells off, including the tail, to avoid choking hazards.
Shrimp are easy to peel. You can do this with a paring knife or a pair of scissors.
- Rinse shrimp and pat dry
- Pull off the legs
- Peel back the shell
- If you want to keep the tail on, when you peel back the shell, hold on to the top of the tail to keep it intact.
- Cut a shallow incision in the back of each shrimp and lift out the dark vein with the tip of the knife. It is really easy once you get the hang of it.
The vein of the shrimp is the shrimp's digestive tract. Some shrimp have a dark vein and in others, it's hardly noticeable.
How to Make Blackening Seasoning
Blackened or blackening, is a cooking style that has its roots in Cajun cuisine. The spices used to coat the shrimp are bold and include cayenne pepper, chili powder, and sweet paprika. I use a small amount of onion powder for sweetness. Blackened shrimp is a popular dish at many southern restaurants.
- Paprika (sweet or smoked)
- Garlic Powder
- Onion Powder
- Cayenne Pepper, I put in ⅛ teaspoon of cayenne, which is very mild. Use a ¼ teaspoon and pass a bottle of hot sauce around the table for more heat.
- Thyme
- Oregano
- Salt and Black Pepper
This is a quick recipe for homemade blackening seasoning. Of course, you can buy it in a jar, but isn't it always better to make everything yourself?
As you measure the spices, break them up a little with your fingers and then pour them into a small screw-top jar or whisk in a small bowl and mix very well.
How to Blacken Shrimp
- Peel and devein the shrimp. Rinse under cold water; pat dry.
- Add shrimp to a mixing bowl. Add a tablespoon of olive oil and mix to coat all the shrimp.
- Add the blackening spices; toss.
- Heat a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat. Add a tablespoon of oil and two or three crushed garlic cloves to the oil for additional flavor.
- Add shrimp in a single layer. If they don't all fit, you can do two batches.
- Cook the shrimp on the first side until they are no longer opaque, about 2 minutes, depending on their size.
- Flip and cook another minute or two. Squeeze half a lemon over the shrimp; toss. Remove to a plate.
How To Make The Butter Sauce
- Add half a stick of unsalted butter to the hot pan after you remove the shrimp. Whisk it with the brown bits left on the pan from the shrimp.
- Season with a little salt and pepper. Add the shrimp back to the pan; toss it all together and serve.
- Pour the sauce over the shrimp. Serve hot.
WHAT GOES WITH BLACKENED SHRIMP?
Rice goes great with Blackened Shrimp, especially with all that butter sauce that you can pour right over the top.
- Try my Authentic Spanish Rice Recipe. It's a great side dish.
- Learn How to Make Cauliflower Rice! It has virtually no carbs and tastes like rice.
- You can also try my Jasmine Rice with Lemon Zest and Asparagus.
What to Do with Blackened Shrimp
Blackened shrimp is very versatile. Try the following lunch or dinner ideas:
- The shrimp can be wrapped in warm tortillas (I like Siete grain-free tortillas), with diced tomatoes, and shredded lettuce or cabbage for blackened shrimp tacos! Just remember to take off the tails if you're stuffing tacos.
- You can make a Blackened Shrimp Caesar Salad—my favorite! The salad has almost no carbs!
- Lettuce wraps. Trim large green lettuce leaves and add the shrimp with a little butter sauce, shredded red onions or scallions, jalapenos, shredded carrots, and a little lemon juice, or serve with lemon wedges.
How to Store and Reheat Blackened Shrimp
Blackened Shrimp with butter sauce can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
You can reheat the shrimp in a small cast-iron skillet or microwave on medium for a minute or so.
Summary
Indulge in the flavors of Blackened Shrimp with Butter Sauce—a delectable, low-carb, one-pan dish bursting with taste.
I used wild-caught shrimp from Key West for this Blackened Shrimp Recipe. Of course, you can use any variety of shrimp that you have.
If the shrimp are frozen, defrost them under cold running water or in the refrigerator for a few hours.
Mix the blackening spices together. The heat of the spices is controlled by the amount of cayenne pepper that's in it.
Toss the shrimp in a bowl with a little oil, then add the spice blend and mix again. In a large cast iron skillet, add a little oil and a few crushed garlic cloves. Add shrimp. Cook for 2-3 minutes in total. Whisk a half stick of butter in the pan, season, and throw the shrimp back in. That's it!
Serve hot over rice or potatoes and you have the best blackened shrimp in America!
This is a great low-carb meal for busy weeknights. It's so easy to make. You can make the spice blend ahead and keep it in your pantry for whenever you need it.
It can also be used on any kind of fish or chicken.
FAQ
I buy size large shrimp, which have 16-20 shrimp per pound. Shrimp are graded by their size. For blackened shrimp, a pound of shrimp would be two or three dinner servings.
Absolutely! Defrost the shrimp in a bowl of cold water for 15 to 30 minutes and then proceed. Make sure you are buying raw shrimp.
Yes, use Old Bay for all your seafood recipes. Old Bay Seasoning is a pantry staple in the USA. It comes in many flavors and it tastes good. I can easily season most seafood with a little Old Bay and cook it on the grill or in a pan with a little oil. They make blackening seasoning too!
Heat a tablespoon of oil in a skillet until hot, but now smoking. Add seasoned shrimp and cook for 1 minute. Flip the shrimp and cook an additional 1-2 minutes until no longer opaque.
"📖 Recipe"
Blackened Shrimp
Ingredients
FOR THE BLACKENING SEASONING
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper use more if you like spicy food
- ⅛ teaspoon ground thyme
- ⅛ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
FOR THE SHRIMP
- 1 pound large or XL shrimp thawed and deveined
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter Kerrygold grass-fed butter is very yellow and tastes great!
- 3 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 3 garlic cloves crushed with the side of a large knife
- 3 lemons or limes
Instructions
FOR THE BLACKENING SEASONING
- In a screw-top jar or mixing bowl, combine the paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne, thyme, oregano, salt, and pepper.
FOR THE SHRIMP
- Peel and devein the shrimp. Rinse under cold water; pat dry.
- Add shrimp to a mixing bowl. Add a tablespoon of olive oil and mix to coat all the shrimp.
- Add the blackening spices; toss.
- Heat a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of oil and two or three crushed garlic cloves to the oil for additional flavor.
- Add shrimp in a single layer.
- Cook the shrimp on the first side until they are no longer opaque, about 2 minutes, depending on their size.
- Flip and cook another minute or two. Squeeze half a lemon over the shrimp; toss. Remove to a plate.
FOR THE BUTTER SAUCE
- Add half a stick of Kerrygold (my favorite) unsalted butter to the hot pan after you remove the shrimp. Whisk it with the brown bits left on the pan from the shrimp. Season with a little salt and pepper. Add the shrimp back to the pan; toss it all together.
- Pour the sauce over the shrimp.
- Serve hot with lemon or lime wedges.
Notes
-
- Rinse shrimp and pat dry
- Pull off the legs
- Peel back the shell
- If you want to keep the tail on, when you peel back the shell, hold on to the top of the tail to keep it intact.
- Cut a shallow incision in the back of each shrimp and lift out the dark vein with the tip of the knife. It's really easy once you get the hang of it.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.