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 Key West shrimp, a homemade blackening seasoning blend, some lemons, unsalted butter, and 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, plump, and with very little effort, I make delicious meals like this in minutes.
Table of Contents
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.
What You Need
- Shrimp, Large or XL
- Fresh Lemons
- Paprika (sweet or smoked)
- Garlic Powder
- Onion Powder
- Cayenne Pepper
- Thyme
- Oregano
- Salt
- 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 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
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
- Thyme
- Oregano
- Salt
- 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?
Measure these ingredients into a small screw-top jar or whisk in a small bowl and mix very well.
How to Make Spicy Blackened Shrimp
Increase the cayenne pepper! I put in ⅛ teaspoon cayenne, which is very mild. Use a ¼ teaspoon and pass a bottle of hot sauce around the table for more heat.
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.
- Wipe out the pan with a paper towel. Add another tablespoon of oil. Repeat with second batch.
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?
- You can make a Keto Blackened Shrimp Caesar Salad—my favorite! Use this shrimp recipe with a homemade Caesar Salad.
- Try my Authentic Spanish Rice Recipe. It's a great side dish.
- The shrimp can be served with warm tortillas (I like Siete grain-free tortillas), diced tomatoes, and shredded lettuce or cabbage for blackened shrimp tacos! Just remember to take off the tails if you're stuffing tacos.
- Learn How to Make Cauliflower Rice! It has virtually no carbs and tastes like rice.
- One more, a big scoop of fresh mashed potatoes would be a wonderful cradle for the shrimp and butter.
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.
No, please get raw shrimp so you can season them as they cook.
Old Bay Seasoning is a pantry staple in the USA. It comes in many flavors and it tastes good. I can easily season most fish with a little Old Bay and cook it on the grill or in a pan with a little oil. They make blackening seasoning too! It's good!
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!
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves crushed with the side of a large knife
- 3 lemons or limes
Instructions
FOR THE BLACKENING SEASONING
- Mix the paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, 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 a tablespoon 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.
- Wipe out the pan with a paper towel. Add another tablespoon of oil. Repeat with second batch.
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 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 really easy once you get the hang of it.
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