Cajun shrimp with chorizo. An easy, impressive 20 minute dish made with simple ingredients. The garlicky butter sauce bursts with flavor and has a mild spicy touch. It’s a knock-out!
If you’re looking for more impressive shrimp dishes try my Shrimp in Sage Garlic Butter, Spanish Garlic Shrimp or Spicy Drunken Shrimp.
Why You’ll Love this Cajun Shrimp with Chorizo Recipe
This recipe is made with easy-to-find ingredients in just one pan, which means there’s hardly any cleaning up afterward! Seafood lovers will love this flavorful shrimp recipe.
Cooking shrimp with chorizo makes for a really special meal. A pan sauce made of butter, lots of garlic and spinach gives it a fancy touch. The chorizo adds amazing flavor that really elevates the dish. It’s a fantastic and tasty meal.
You can complete the meal with some crusty bread and a fresh salad. If you want to change things, you can try serving the shrimp with rice, baked potatoes, orzo or polenta. Give this quick and fancy dinner a try, and I bet it will become a favorite in your meal rotation.
Let me guide you through the recipe with this step-by-step VIDEO or follow along on YouTube.
This succulent shrimp recipe is perfect as an appetizer or as a full meal. It’s also extremely easy to make and ready in no time. Impressive enough to serve at a dinner party, yet super quick and easy to pull together any night of the week.
How to Make Cajun Shrimp
Elevate your dinner with this fast and flavorful shrimp dish. It’s a tasty mix of smoky chorizo and spinach that goes really well with Cajun-spiced shrimp.
First, we quickly cook the Cajun-seasoned shrimp. Once they’re done, we take them out of the pan and cook the chorizo until crispy. Then, we add garlic and shallots to let the flavors develop. After that, we mix in chicken broth, butter and spinach, and let it simmer for a few minutes to make a delicious sauce. To finish, we add lemon juice, toss the shrimp with the sauce, and dinner is served!
Cajun Shrimp with Chorizo Ingredients
- Shrimp: I typically use frozen (just be sure to thaw first), and prefer the larger size, 16-20 per pound.
- Chorizo: You can use spicy or mild Spanish chorizo. Alternatively, use Mexican chorizo, bacon lardons or pancetta and add 1 tsp smoked paprika.
- Garlic: A large amount of freshly grated garlic. This is the base to create flavor, so don’t use store-bought chopped garlic, the taste would never be the same.
- Shallot: Extra flavor to add to the sauce.
- Spinach: This leafy green adds a delicate touch to the sauce. Not a fan of spinach? Consider substituting it with kale, collard greens, asparagus or Swiss chard. Alternatively, skip the greens and pair the dish with roasted vegetables like broccoli.
- Olive Oil and Unsalted Butter: To sear the shrimp and create a delicious pan sauce.
- Seasoning: Salt, black pepper and Cajun seasoning.
- Chicken Broth: You can also use vegetable broth.
- Lemon Juice: To cut through the rich butter sauce.
Helpful Tips
- Serve alongside a simple leafy salad topped with a balsamic dressing for a fresh accompaniment, or with roasted vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower or carrots.
- For a complete meal: serve with crispy garlic butter potatoes, crispy baked potato wedges, fries, rice, polenta or pasta.
- For a light dinner: Serve with toasted bread and a big leafy side salad drizzled with yogurt dressing.
- You can serve it for dinner, as a starter or appetizer.
- Frozen or fresh shrimp? I generally prefer to use frozen shrimp. Buying frozen shrimp means that you can use them whenever you’re ready to cook.
Storage
- Fridge: Keep leftovers fresh by placing them in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Your shrimp will stay delicious for up to 2 days.
- Freezer: For optimal quality, use an airtight container and store it in the freezer for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to enjoy, simply thaw it in the fridge overnight and reheat on the stovetop or in a microwave.
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Cooking Video: How to Make Cajun Shrimp with Chorizo
Cajun Shrimp with Chorizo
Ingredients
- 1 pound shrimp - peeled and deveined
- 1 tbsp Cajun seasoning
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter
- 5 ounces spicy Spanish chorizo - chopped
- 6 garlic cloves - minced
- 2 shallots - thinly sliced
- ½ cup low sodium chicken broth
- 3.5 ounces spinach
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
Instructions
- Get your prep done before you start cooking: Combine shrimp with salt, pepper and Cajun seasoning. Set aside.
- Chop the chorizo, thinly slice the shallots and mince the garlic cloves.
- Heat oil and 1 tablespoon butter over medium high in a large nonstick skillet or pan. Place shrimp in a single layer and sear 1 minute per side. Remove from skillet.
- To the same skillet, add chorizo and cook for 2 minutes until it starts to become crispy. Reduce heat to medium low. Add shallots and garlic, cook for 2 minutes until soft and fragrant.
- Pour in chicken broth, simmer for 1 minute while scraping up the brown bits on the bottom of your skillet with a wooden spoon. Add the remaining butter and stir until melted.
- Add spinach and stir until wilted, about 1 minute. Sprinkle with lemon juice, lastly toss in shrimp and simmer for 1 minute. Enjoy!
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