15 Minute Cajun Shrimp and Rice (Plus Low Carb Option)

New Orleans style cajun shrimp and rice with a flavorful & rich sauce, served over spicy rice. This is a quick and easy 15-minute weeknight dinner recipe with just the right amount of kick! Keto and low carb dinner recipe if you use cauliflower rice.

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Because I am a single mom who works a full-time job and runs this blog in the evenings, we need quick and easy meals for weeknight dinners. 15 minutes or less is our goal, and the cajun shrimp scampi below fits the bill. It's actually done in less than 15 minutes - about 5 minutes for the cauliflower rice and about 5 for the shrimp and sauce if the shrimp is fresh or maybe 2-3 minutes longer if the shrimp is frozen. If you're making traditional rice, it will take a bit longer, but you can shortcut with instant rice and save a good bit of time.

Why this is the best Cajun Shrimp and Rice

This recipe is quick, and I mean quick. If you use cauliflower rice, it's easily under fifteen minutes, maybe even under ten. If you use Minute Rice, it's a bit longer but still well under thirty.

When you make your own Cajun Seasoning, you control how spicy (or not) it is. It's a great way to try Creole flavors without worrying about the meal being too hot.

This recipe is family-friendly. Even picky eaters love the Cajun seasoning and the spicy rice. Since you control the seasoning (above), you can make it as hot or as mild as your (and your kids') preferences allow.

This recipe is very easy with just a couple of simple steps.

This recipe is versatile. You can substitute chicken, andouille sausage, or another protein of your choice, and you choose whether you want to use traditional rice or cauliflower rice.

This recipe uses common ingredients that you probably already have on hand. If not, a quick trip to any grocery store will provide everything you need.

This recipe is allergy-friendly. As written, it is gluten-free, egg-free, dairy-free, and nut-free. If you use cauliflower rice, it is low carb and appropriate for keto diets. As always, please check the labels of your unique ingredients to ensure everything you add fits with your dietary needs.

What is Cajun seasoning?

Cajun seasoning is a flavorful blend of spices including smoked paprika, thyme, oregano, onion powder, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, crushed red pepper, and salt and black pepper. It is used in everything from Remoulade sauce to jambalaya.

How to make your own Cajun seasoning

Making Creole seasoning is very easy. Simply follow this Cajun seasoning recipe, and you'll be done in about three minutes.

What you'll need to make the best cajun shrimp and rice

EQUIPMENT

• Garlic press
• 10-inch stainless steel skillet
• Zester
• Citrus juicer

INGREDIENTS

See printable recipe card at the bottom of the page for measurements and nutritional information.

For the rice

• Plain cauliflower rice - You can substitute plain white rice, jasmine rice, or basmati rice if you prefer.
• Butter - You can use salted or unsalted butter. It doesn't matter. Salted butter has about one teaspoon of salt per pound which is negligible in most recipes.
• Diced onion - This gives the rice a delicious, sweet flavor.
• Fresh garlic - There is no substitute for the flavor of fresh garlic, but if you must, use garlic powder.
• Paprika - You can use smoked paprika or sweet (regular) paprika.
• Cayenne pepper - Use as much or as little as your taste prefers.
• Oregano - It might sound odd to use Italian herbs in Cajun rice, but trust me, it is necessary.
• Basil - Same as oregano.

For the shrimp

• Jumbo shrimp - Any size shrimp is fine. If you want the recipe to take 15 minutes or less, they should be thawed. If they started out frozen, throw them in the fridge in the morning, and they'll be thawed by dinner time. If you forgot to do that, put them in a colander and run them under tepid water until they're thawed.
• Cajun seasoning - Make your own. It takes less than 3 minutes, and it's so worth the extra step!
• Salt & black pepper
• Olive oil - This is to sauté the shrimp.
• Fresh garlic - Please buy a bulb of fresh garlic. They cost less than a dollar and each one contains 5-10 individual cloves. You only need a couple of cloves for this recipe, so you'll have some left over for another time.
• Butter - This is similar to a traditional shrimp scampi with a butter wine sauce. The sauce is delicious. Don't leave it out.
• Dry white wine - Cooking wine is generally bad, and your sauce will taste better if you buy a tiny bottle of drinking wine at the liquor store. I don't drink wine, but I buy some for recipes like this.
• Fresh lemon juice - Like garlic, fresh lemons are cheap and make a huge difference in the finished recipe. Lemon juice from a container doesn't taste anything like fresh lemon juice.
• Fresh lemon zest - Same as the lemon juice

How to Make 15 Minute Cajun Shrimp and Rice

1. Prepare the cauliflower rice. (See recipe card at the bottom of the page for instructions on preparing Minute Rice.) Heat a medium skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Melt the butter, then add the cauliflower rice, onion, and garlic. Sauté for 5 minutes, until onion is tender and rice is beginning to brown, then add paprika, cayenne pepper, oregano, and basil. Toss well.
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2. Prepare the shrimp. Rub the raw shrimp with Cajun seasoning (make it yourself with this recipe to control the flavors), salt, and pepper.
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3. Cook the shrimp. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the shrimp and cook 2-3 minutes until just seared but not cooked through. Remove shrimp from pan.
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4. Prepare the sauce. Add the garlic to the now shrimp-less skillet and sauté for 1 minute. You should notice the aroma of the garlic. Stir in the butter, white wine, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Simmer the butter-wine sauce mixture until slightly thickened but do not allow it boil as this could cause the sauce to "break" which means the butter and wine will separate instead of being a nice sauce.
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5. Add the shrimp back to the sauce. When the sauce has thickened slightly, turn the heat down to medium-low and add the shrimp back into the skillet. Simmer in the liquid until shrimp is opaque and no longer pink but not rubbery. Be careful not to overcook your shrimp.
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6. Serve. To serve the cajun shrimp, top a spoonful of the spiced cauliflower rice with 3-5 ounces of cajun shrimp, butter sauce, and a lemon wedge. Sprinkle with fresh parsley or green onions. If extra heat is desired, you can also sprinkle with red pepper flakes or cayenne.
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Cook's tips for the best cajun shrimp and rice

Gather and measure all ingredients before beginning. This recipe comes together very quickly, and if you have to stop and measure, it is likely that some part will be overcooked. If you're not already in the habit of pre-measuring your ingredients into small glass prep bowls, this would be a great time to start. Any time I cook, I measure all the spices into one prep bowl before I start cooking, then I whisk them together and add them as one into the recipe. It helps to distribute the flavors and make sure everything is well mixed. You can pre-measure diced onion, pre-press the garlic (keep it in two separate bowls because you use it at two separate times), and so on.

To avoid overcooking your shrimp, remove it from the heat as soon as it starts to get a nice crust on it. You don't want to cook it through during the sautéing step as it will overcook in the sauce.

If you're using Minute Rice, make sure you use a skillet or pot big enough for it to expand and soak up all that delicious chicken broth.

Don't crowd the shrimp. Make sure your skillet is big enough for each individual shrimp to sit on the bottom of the pan. If you have more shrimp than space, sauté the shrimp in batches. You want to sear it which means it has to be in contact with the hot pan.

Always rinse and drain your rice prior to cooking. This removes excess starch and debris and prevents it from becoming mushy or sticky.

If all the chicken broth boils away before the rice is tender, add a little more broth.

Variations & substitutions

You can use any seafood in this recipe. Scallops, prawns, crayfish, and clams all work well with Cajun rice.

No seafood on hand? You can substitute chicken breasts or thighs or even turkey.

Add some steamed veggies to the rice after it's cooked. Just stir them in. You could use carrots, broccoli, zucchini, bell pepper, or cauliflower florets.

How to know when Cajun rice is cooked

Taste it. If the grains are pleasantly soft and palatable, it's done. If they're crunchy, they need to cook longer and possibly with more liquid.

Can you serve cajun shrimp scampi over pasta?

Yes, of course. You can use any cooked pasta in place of the rice, but spaghetti, fettuccini, and angel hair are especially nice. You can also use zucchini noodles if you're carb conscious.

The best kind of shrimp to buy for Cajun shrimp and rice

The best shrimp for this recipe have 3 things in common:

• Wild-caught, as opposed to farm-raised - Wild-caught tastes better.
• Peeled & deveined but RAW - You do not want pre-cooked shrimp in this recipe because you want the shrimp to absorb all that Cajun goodness while it cooks. Pre-cooked shrimp robs you of that chance! But do get shrimp that's already peeled and deveined because those two things take forever and are a real pain in the backside.
• Thawed or frozen - This does not matter. Most of the "fresh" shrimp you buy in the grocery store was previously frozen and thawed. I buy frozen because it lasts longer, and I don't have to worry about cooking it within a day or two. Simply move it from the freezer to the fridge the night before or the morning of your meal, and it will be thawed when it's time to cook. If you forgot this step, you can also put it in a colander and run it under flowing tepid water until it's thawed, about 7-10 minutes, or fill a large bowl with cool water and soak it for 10-12 minutes. If it's still frozen after that, change the water and soak for another 10-12 minutes.

How long does fresh or thawed shrimp last in the refrigerator?

Not long at all. One to two days, max. If you can't use it up in that time, keep it frozen.

Should I cook shrimp with the tail on or off?

I generally remove the tails before cooking because I think it's easier to remove them before they're sauced up.

I have read that leaving the tails on adds flavor to the dish, but I have never experimented to see if there's a noticeable difference.

I'm going to keep doing it my way because it's less messy, but feel free to leave them on if you want to.

How do you know when Cajun shrimp is done?

In general, shrimp is done when it's changed color. Raw shrimp is gray and sort of translucent. Cooked shrimp is pink or whitish and opaque.

Shrimp also changes shape when it's cooked. Cooked shrimp has a C shape (rather than a longish shape) because the muscles contract and pull the end towards the top. If the shrimp is O-shaped, it's overcooked. Generally, you want to remove them from the heat as soon as they start to curl to prevent the O.

Storing leftovers

Store cajun shrimp and rice in the fridge for up to 3 days. I prefer to store the rice and shrimp separately, but you can also mix it together.

To reheat chilled shrimp and rice, pop it into the microwave for 30-60 seconds at a time until heated through.

I have never tried to freeze Cajun shrimp and rice. If you try it, come back and let us know how it was when you reheated after freezing.

Try these other shrimp recipes while you're here:

• Garlic Buffalo Shrimp
• Rich Buttered Old Bay Shrimp Recipe
• Traditional Old Bay Steamed Shrimp Recipe - Easy Peel & Eat Shrimp
• Cheesy Shrimp Pasta
• Cold Shrimp Avocado Cucumber Appetizer
• Cilantro Lime Shrimp Burrito Bowls
• 15 Minute Cajun Shrimp Scampi With Cauliflower Rice

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