Skillet Cajun Shrimp are slightly spicy, cajun seasoned shrimp that cook hot and fast in a skillet. They make a great dinner when paired with a side dish, or an easy appetizer served with jicama sticks to cool down the spice!
In a bowl combine the shrimp, 2 tablespoon olive oil, 2 minced garlic cloves, 1 ½ teaspoon smoked paprika, 1 teaspoon oregano, ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes, ½ teaspoon lemon zest, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, ¼ teaspoon salt, and pinch of cayenne pepper. Stir the mixture to coat the shrimp evenly. Let the shrimp marinate for 30 minutes up to 6 hours.
In a large skillet over medium/high heat add 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter. Once the pan is hot add half the shrimp. Cook for 2 minutes on the first side, flip and cook for 2 minutes on the other side. Remove from the pan to a plate. Add the last half of the shrimp and repeat the cooking.
Off the heat add all the shrimp back to the pan. Squeeze two fresh lemon wedges over the shrimp and stir.
Serve the warm shrimp immediately. Great with Cajun Aioli
Frozen Shrimp: If you purchase frozen shrimp you may have a wider size category, mine are around 21/30 per pound. To thaw the shrimp place the frozen shrimp in a bowl and place it in the fridge overnight up to 24 hours. Drain any liquid in the bowl, rinse the shrimp well, and then pat dry before moving on with the recipe. If your shrimp is still frozen and you need it right away you can always do a quick thaw by placing the frozen shrimp in a bowl of warm water (NOT HOT, that will cook the shrimp), changing the water every few minutes until the shrimp are thawed completely. Pat dry before moving on with the recipe.CAJUN SHRIMP APPETIZER: If you are serving this as an appetizer it will serve about 10 people. I recommend serving it with jicama sticks to cool the spice (you could also use celery sticks).