30-Minute Cajun Shrimp and Rice
Dinner doesn't get much easier or bolder than this Cajun shrimp and rice. Juicy shrimp cooked with bacon and a chunky tomato and vegetable sauce with Cajun spice. Served over rice and topped with crispy bacon bits all in about 30 minutes.
Quick Look: Cajun Shrimp and Rice
- 🕐 Prep time: 5 minutes
- 🍳 Cook time: 25 minutes
- ⏱ Total time: 30 minutes
- 🍽 Servings: 2 (easily doubled)
- 🔥 Calories: 258kcal per serving
- 🥘 Cook Method: One skillet, stovetop
- 😋 Flavor Profile: Smoky, spicy, and savory with a touch of sweetness from honey
- 📊 Difficulty: Easy
Why Is My Cajun Shrimp and Rice So Good!
- I build the sauce right in the bacon grease, so every bite of vegetable picks up that smoky flavor before the tomatoes even go in.
- Searing the shrimp first and setting it aside keeps it from turning rubbery while the sauce simmers.
- A spoonful of honey balances the heat from the cayenne without making the dish taste sweet.
- My Cajun blend leans on paprika, oregano, and thyme instead of just cayenne, so you get real depth, not just heat.
- Crispy bacon on top gives you a crunch you don’t get from most shrimp and rice recipes.
Ingredient Tips Before Shopping
- Shrimp – make sure to peel and devein the shrimp or get ones already cleaned! You can use frozen shrimp just make sure to thaw it first.
- Tomato sauce – don’t confuse it with tomato paste, they are different. Tomato paste is much thicker and more concentrated. Use tomato sauce.
- Honey – if honey is not available, you can use agave syrup or brown sugar.
- Cajun seasoning – if you don’t want to make your own, you can use store-bought Cajun seasoning mix, just check the salt on it. You may need to add salt to your dish.
- Rice – you can use white rice or to make it healthier, try brown rice, wild rice, quinoa, couscous, farro, or cauliflower rice.
How To Make This Cajun Shrimp Recipe
- Render the bacon first. Cook diced bacon low and slow until the fat fully renders out and the pieces turn deep golden brown. This grease becomes the flavor base for everything else in the pan, so don’t rush it.
- Sear the shrimp in the bacon grease, then pull it out. Spread the seasoned shrimp in a single layer so it sears instead of steams and make sure the pan is preheated first. It’s ready to flip once the bottom turns opaque and the edges start to curl. Take it out as soon as both sides are opaque so it doesn’t overcook while the sauce comes together.
- Soften the vegetables, then bloom the garlic in the center of the pan. Cook the onion and bell pepper until they turn translucent and start to smell sweet. Push everything to the sides and let the garlic cook alone in the middle for about 30 seconds. You’ll know it’s ready when the aroma turns sharp and fragrant.
- Build the sauce and let it simmer down. Once the tomatoes, tomato sauce, broth, honey, and remaining spice mix go in, give the sauce time to simmer and thicken slightly. It should coat the back of a spoon rather than run off it.
- Bring the shrimp back just long enough to reheat. A couple of minutes in the hot sauce is all it takes. Pull it off the heat the moment the shrimp turns fully opaque again.
- Serve over rice and finish with the crispy bits. Spoon the shrimp and sauce over rice, then top with the bacon and scallions right before serving so they stay crunchy.
Variations and Add-Ons To Try
There are a few things you can try like changing protein or adding more veggies:
- Protein – you can easily make this dish using chicken. Use chicken breast or chicken thigh meat, chop it into pieces, season, and cook same as shrimp. You can also use firm tofu to make this dish vegetarian.
- Vegetables – additional vegetables can include chopped celery, carrots, collard greens, mustard greens, chopped green beans, and corn.
- Make it creamy – this Cajun sauce would be great made creamy, similar to my creamy Cajun shrimp and grits. To make it creamy, simply add about 1/3-1/2 cup of heavy whipping cream during the last couple of minutes of cooking the sauce (before adding shrimp).
Ways to Serve Cajun Shrimp and Rice
This dish is filling enough on its own, but a Southern-style side rounds it out nicely:
- Jalapeño cheddar cornbread for something sweet and a little spicy alongside the sauce.
- Cheese grits if you want to swap the rice for something even creamier.
- Instant Pot black-eyed peas for extra protein and a classic Southern pairing.
- Fried cabbage for a quick, bacon-forward vegetable side that matches the smoky flavors already in the dish.
Cajun Shrimp and Rice Recipe FAQs
What is Cajun seasoning made of?
Most blends combine paprika, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, oregano, and thyme. Some also include salt, so check the label before seasoning your dish further.
Can I use frozen shrimp?
Yes. Thaw it fully in the refrigerator and pat it dry before seasoning. Wet shrimp won’t sear properly and will steam instead of brown.
How do I make this less spicy?
Cut the cayenne down to 1/8 teaspoon or leave it out entirely. The paprika, oregano, and thyme still carry plenty of Cajun flavor without the heat.
Can I use instant or leftover rice?
Absolutely. Leftover rice actually saves time here since the sauce and shrimp come together in one pan while the rice just needs reheating.
Why is my shrimp rubbery?
Overcooking is the most common cause. Shrimp only need 1.5 to 2 minutes per side to sear, and just a couple of minutes to reheat in the sauce at the end.
More Recipes To Try
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Cajun Shrimp and Rice Recipe
Dinner doesn't get much easier or bolder than this Cajun shrimp and rice. Juicy shrimp cooked with bacon and a chunky tomato and vegetable sauce with Cajun spice. Served over rice and topped with crispy bacon bits all in about 30 minutes.
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Servings: 2
Calories: 570kcal
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp vegetable oil
- 1/4 lb bacon
- 1 lb shrimp peeled and deveined
Cajun Seasoning:
- 2 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp thyme
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/4-1/2 tsp cayenne pepper to taste
Cajun Sauce:
- 1/2 yellow onion
- 2 tomatoes
- 1 bell pepper
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1/4 cup chopped scallions
- 1/4 cup tomato sauce
- 1 cup vegetable or chicken broth
- 1 Tbsp honey
To Serve:
- 2 cups cooked rice
Instructions
- Tip: dice the bacon while it's still cold, it's much easier to cut when it's cold.Prep all the ingredients first: measure the seasoning and mix it. Set rice to cook in a salted water or half water and half broth (for more flavor). Cut bacon into small pieces, dice the vegetables, smash and mince the garlic, and measure the tomato sauce and broth.
- In a small bowl, add the shrimp and sprinkle about half the seasoning. Mix shrimp with seasoning to coat it well.
- Preheat a large cooking pan over medium heat and add a little oil. Add bacon pieces and let them cook, stirring from time to time, until all the fat is rendered. Once bacon bits are nicely browned, take them out but leave the bacon grease. Set bacon bit aside to top off the cooked dish at the end.
- Add the seasoned shrimp to the pan, spread them so they are not overlapping. Let them sear until they turn opaque and flip. Let them sear until opaque on the other side as well. (Shrimp take 1.5 – 2 minutes per side to cook, depending on size.) Take them out and set aside.
- Add diced onion and bell peppers. Let them cook for a few minutes until softened. Make a well in the center of the pan and add minced garlic. Let it cook until fragrant and mix it with the veggies.
- Add diced tomatoes and turn down the heat a little. Let the vegetables cook for a couple more minutes.
- Add tomato sauce, broth, honey and remaining spice mix, stir everything together and bring to simmer. Simmer, stirring often for about 5 minutes.
- Add back the shrimp and let it stew for just a couple of minutes. Take off heat.
- When serving, add rice to a bowl, top off with shrimp and vegetables, and add some bacon bits and scallions of top.
Notes
- Storing: store leftovers in the refrigerator, in an air-tight food storage container with a lid. It should be good for 2-3 days.
- Reheating: I don’t usually recommend reheating seafood (especially shellfish) in the microwave because it’s too easy to overheat and turn rubbery. It’s best to reheat it in the pan, over medium to medium-low heat. Reheat it just until warmed through and if you wish, you can add a splash of broth to the sauce to thin it out a bit.
Nutrition
Calories: 570kcal | Carbohydrates: 76g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 37mg | Sodium: 2172mg | Potassium: 890mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 18g | Vitamin A: 4576IU | Vitamin C: 104mg | Calcium: 101mg | Iron: 3mg
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Categories:
30 Minute Meals, Dinner Recipes, Rice Dinner Recipes, Seafood Dinner Recipes, Shrimp Dinner Recipes,All images and text ©Lyubov Brooke for ©Will Cook For Smiles. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If using my posts in collections and features, please link back to this post for the recipe.
Disclaimer: Nutrition information shown is not guaranteed to be 100% accurate as most ingredients and brands have variations.
Lyuba, I’ve been following you for a long time now and always use your recipes. I’m a mother of two reading your recipes has literally made my life much easier 🙂
Thank you,
Sarah
Awe, thank you so much! Your comment made my day and my daughter loves the name you chose :D!
Really delicious ! I made it for my mom 🙂 the sauce was a bit wet for me but I didn’t measure the amount of tomatoes and added mushrooms to the mix. Still came out great!
I’m SO glad to heat it, Mike! Thank you 🙂
All lovely recipes. Thanks so much and have a great weekend.
Thank you so much, Liz!
This looks delicious!! Can’t wait to make it!
I hope you will and let me know how you like it! Thank you, Anele!