Made with homemade Cajun-style blackened seasoning and ready in under 15 minutes, this blackened shrimp recipe is perfect for a quick weeknight dinner! Plus, it stores well in the fridge so it works well as meal prep for easy lunches.
What is Blackened Shrimp?
Blackening, or “blackened”, is a cooking method associated with Cajun cuisine that is done by darkening a food with a spice mixture in a hot pan or cast-iron skillet. The specific spice blend used to blacken a food may vary from one recipe to the next, but it typically includes paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, dried oregano, cayenne pepper, and salt. Some blackened seasoning also includes brown sugar; however, this is optional.
Although commonly used on fish and poultry, like these blackened fish tacos and blackened salmon, any form of animal protein can be blackened with the spice mixture.
How to Make Blackening Seasoning
Once you’ve got the basics of the blackened seasoning down, you can easily mix and match the spice mixture to create the exact flavor combination that you enjoy. My version of blackened shrimp calls for paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper, oregano, and salt, but a pinch of chili powder and brown sugar would mix in very nicely too.
