Easy One Pot Cajun Shrimp & Rice is ready to eat in just 30 minutes, perfect for weeknight family dinners and a simply delicious shrimp and rice recipe! It’s so satisfying, easy-to-make, only requires a few ingredients, and full of cajun flavour; making it one of the best one pot meals everyone will enjoy! Serve for dinner, and perfect for leftover lunch the next day!
Easy One Pot Cajun Shrimp & Rice
All hail one pot dinners, they are definitely my favourite kind of weeknight dish, full of flavour, of course delicious with minimal cleanup! This rice and shrimp recipe comes together in no time, about 30 minutes to be exact. Start by sautéing your shrimp and aromatics, then add rice, broth, season and voilà, you’re finished!
Here are some other reasons why I love this Cajun Shrimp & Rice dish:
- Family friendly, with flavours the entire family will enjoy
- Make enough for leftovers the next day; perfect dish to reheat
- Easy prep, one pot, meal-in-one with easy cleanup
Check Out These Other One Pot Dinner Recipes
- One Pot Creamy Cajun Shrimp Pasta with Sausage
- One Pot Italian Sausage, Spinach & Cheese Tortellini
- Healthy Hearty Italian Sausage Tortellini Soup
What is Cajun Seasoning?
Cajun seasoning is a delicious spicy flavourful blend of herbs and spices that usually consist of paprika, cayenne, garlic powder, onion powder, pepper and oregano. It perfect for adding good flavour to chicken, seafood, beef, pork and even veggies!
How to Make Homemade Cajun Seasoning
Make your own cajun seasoning by combining a mix of paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, thyme, chilli powder, and cayenne pepper to create the delicious blend.
What You Need to Make Easy One Pot Cajun Shrimp & Rice
Cajun Shrimp
Raw Shrimp
Cajun Seasoning
Onion Powder
Garlic Powder
Smoked Paprika
Salt
Freshly Cracked Black Pepper
Olive Oil
Cajun Rice
Parboiled Brown Rice
Butter
Onion
Garlic
Chicken Stock
Cajun Seasoning
Italian Seasoning
Green Onions
How to Make Easy One Pot Cajun Shrimp & Rice
- Preheat Oven – to 375°F (190°C).
- Season Shrimp – with cajun seasoning, onion powder, garlic powder, smoked paprika, salt and black pepper; set aside.
- Saute Shrimp – Heat olive oil in a 10 inch skillet or deep pan over medium high heat. Add shrimp and saute until cooked, about 2-5 minutes, flipping at the halfway point. Remove and transfer to a plate; set aside.
- Saute Aromatics – melt butter in skillet then add onions, sauté for 2-3 minutes then add garlic and continue to saute until fragrant and softened.
- Add Broth & Rice – stir in chicken broth and rice. Season with cajun seasoning, italian seasoning, salt and pepper to taste. Increase heat to high and bring mixture to a boil, stirring frequently for around 3 minutes, then reduce heat to medium low and cook until most of the liquid is absorbed.
- Cover and transfer to Oven – for about 12-15 minutes or until rice becomes tender to your liking. Remove from oven, allow to rest for 10 minutes, stir in shrimp, garnish with green onions and enjoy!
Easy One Pot Cajun Shrimp & Rice Recipe Tips
Saute Shrimp First – once done cooking shrimp, transfer to a plate and cover to keep warm until the end, then stir into rice aor place on top and serve
Use Parboiled Rice – it is highly recommended to use parboiled rice, as other rice grains may not yield the same results. Parboiling reduces the stickiness of rice (improves the texture) so it yields full and separate kernels once cooked. This is especially desirable in this dish.
Gather and Prepare all Ingredients – especially if you want to get dinner on the table quick, prep your ingredients before turning on the heat!
Use a Large Skillet/Pan – ensure you use a pan that is big enough to hold rice after it expands during the cooking process. If you use too small a pan and rice will not cook thoroughly and evenly.
Do Not Overcrowd the Skillet – when sauteing the shrimp, do not overcrowd the pan as this will create excess liquid and reduce the temperature of the oil, resulting in soggy shrimp. For the best results, saute the shrimp in batches if needed.
Adjust amount of Broth or Stock – The amount of stock required varies depending on the rice used. Add more stock if rice grains are not cooked through to your desired tenderness and all liquid has been absorbed from the skillet. Keep in mind, the rice will continue to steam for approx. 10 minutes once it’s removed from heat.
How to Store Easy One Pot Cajun Shrimp & Rice
To Store in Refrigerator – allow shrimp and rice to cool completely, then transfer to an airtight container and place in the refrigerator for up to three days.
To Freeze for Later – allow shrimp and rice cool completely and transfer to a freezer safe container, label and place in freezer for up to 3 months. When ready to eat, allow to thaw completely in the refrigerator overnight.
How to Reheat Easy One Pot Cajun Shrimp & Rice
This dish reheats well, so feel free to batch cook and make extra so you can enjoy leftovers for the next few days!
Reheat (Stovetop) – reheat over medium-low heat until warmed through to your liking. This is my recommended and favourite way to reheat.
Reheat (Microwave) – microwave for one minute, stir, then continue to heat in 30 second intervals until warmed through.
Easy One Pot Cajun Shrimp & Rice Meal Prep
This is a great recipe You can divide into small portions and do the meal prep as well.
What to Serve with Easy One Pot Cajun Shrimp & Rice
This is truly a one pot meal, meaning everything is prepared in one vessel whether a pot, wok, skillet, dutch oven etc. However if you are interested in adding a side to this recipe try these:
- Roasted or Steamed Veggies
- Veggie Foil Packets
- Garden Salad or Salad of your Choice
Easy One Pot Cajun Shrimp & Rice Recipe Variations
- Add Different Seafood – if you’re feeling like you want to add more seafood feel free to do so! Scallops, crayfish, prawns, mussels, clams work well in this dish.
- Include Veggies – add veggies that are more hearty and able to hold up during the cooking process i.e. carrots, zucchini, broccoli and cauliflower.
- Change the Protein – not a fan of seafood, none at home in the fridge/freezer? Swap the shrimp for chicken – breasts or thighs do well!
Easy One Pot Cajun Shrimp & Rice
Other Delicious One Pot Meals To Try
One Pot Italian Sausage, Spinach & Cheese Tortellini & One Pot Creamy Cajun Shrimp Pasta with Sausage
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Easy One Pot Cajun Shrimp & Rice
Equipment
- 10-inch Cast Iron Skillet
Ingredients
Cajun Shrimp
- 1 lb Raw Shrimp peeled and deveined
- 1 1/2 tbsp Cajun Seasoning
- 1/2 tsp Onion Powder
- 1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1/2 tsp Smoked Paprika
- 1/4 tsp Salt more or less to taste
- 1/4 tsp Black Pepper
- 1 tbsp Olive Oil
Cajun Rice
- 2 cups Brown Rice parboiled, thoroughly rinsed and drained
- 3 tbsp Salted Butter
- 1 Onion sliced
- 4 Cloves Garlic minced
- 2 3/4 cup Chicken Broth or stock
- 1 tbsp Cajun Seasoning
- 1 tsp Italian Seasoning
- 2 tbsp Green Onions thinly sliced for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Season shrimp with cajun seasoning, onion powder, garlic powder, smoked paprika, salt and black pepper; set aside for at least 15 minutes.
- Heat olive oil in a 10-inch skillet or deep pan over medium high heat. Add shrimp and sauté until cooked, about 2-5 minutes, flipping at the halfway point. Remove and transfer to a plate; set aside.
- Melt butter in skillet then add onions, sauté for 2-3 minutes then add garlic and continue to sauté until fragrant and softened. Stir in chicken broth (or stock) and rice. Season with cajun seasoning, italian seasoning, salt and pepper to taste. Increase heat to high and bring mixture to a boil, stirring frequently for around 3 minutes, then reduce heat to medium low and allow to simmer until most of the liquid has absorbed. Cover and transfer to preheated oven for about 12-15 minutes or until rice tender to your liking. Remove from oven, allow to rest for 10 minutes, stir in shrimp, garnish with green onions and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
15 Comments
Mila
June 23, 2021 at 4:34 pmHuge fan of one-pot meals! This was so easy and delicious. My husband took over at the stove for this one, and it came out marvelous. Great flavors and SUPER easy to make!
Marta
June 23, 2021 at 10:07 pmYou had me at “one pot” and kept me with the flavor. Deep flavors, perfectly seasoned shrimp. Awesome meal.
Lilly
June 27, 2021 at 10:16 pmI’ve made this twice now just this week! It’s so quick, easy, and flavorful! I’ll probably make it again tomorrow! 🙂
Chef Mireille
June 27, 2021 at 11:45 pmWho doesn’t love a delicious looking one pot dish to try! As soon as I saw it, I knew I had to try it as I’m a huge seafood fan. OMG I am so happy I did. As I eat shrimp every week, thanks for such a delicious recipe!
Jessica
June 28, 2021 at 1:20 pmI couldn’t believe that I was able to whip this up in just 30 minutes. So full of flavor and delicious. I think this will become part of our weekly lineup!
Chenée Lewis
June 30, 2021 at 12:29 amThis was the PERFECT weeknight dinner tonight! So easy to make and full of flavor. Thank you!
Kaluhi
June 30, 2021 at 7:45 amMost glorious one pot dinner i just made! Thank you for sharing this recipe! We loved it so so much and we’ll make it again!
Tamara
June 30, 2021 at 8:07 amI made this shrimp last weekend for the family, and it is definitely one of our most favorite dishes now! So much flavor, so simple to make, and everybody just fell in love. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Jen
June 30, 2021 at 11:16 amYesss to everything about this dish! The flavour were on point, the shrimp was seasoned to perfect and it was so filling. I’m adding this to my favorites!
Shanna
June 30, 2021 at 8:51 pmIf you’re looking for a flavorful one-pot meal — this is it! I loved everything about this recipe. The shrimp were tender, and the rice was equally great. 5 stars!
Britney
July 1, 2021 at 10:06 amThis dish was so good! Quick, easy, and super flavorful! We had this for dinner twice this week and loved it each time!
Jazz
July 7, 2021 at 10:52 amThis didn’t last long in my house. It’s a flavor bomb and really only took 30 minutes to make! Will be in our rotation going forward.
Meesh
July 14, 2021 at 8:34 pmThis was absolutely delicious! Came together so quickly
Taneisha Morris
August 6, 2021 at 11:27 amYes!! I love that about this recipe, so quick and easy!! Glad you enjoyed!!
Maryanna
November 26, 2021 at 4:55 pmThis recipe was everything! I make it constantly for the family – thanks so much for sharing!