This Southern style spicy shrimp is simmered in a zesty tomato sauce and served over fluffy rice, easy to make and loaded with comforting flavor. Also try my blackened shrimp recipe. So good!
Southern-Style Spicy Shrimp & Rice
It's time for some shrimp, my friends. Spicy shrimp, that is. I'm always up for shrimp because it's so much lighter in the calorie department than other proteins, but that doesn't mean they're boring when it comes to flavor.
Today we're talking Southern-Style Spicy Shrimp, and I know you're going to love this recipe.
I'm cooking these shrimp up in a nice and spicy tomato sauce that is simmered with the Cajun Holy Trinity of celery, bell peppers (though I'm using jalapenos here for extra heat), and onions, along with a good portion of Cajun Seasonings and a few other ingredients that REALLY bring the FLAVOR.
It's great as either a dinner or to serve as a party appetizer.
Let's talk about how to make spicy shrimp and rice, shall we?
Spicy Shrimp & Rice Ingredients
- Olive Oil. 2 tablespoons.
- Jalapeno Peppers. 2, chopped (use bell peppers for a milder version).
- Onion. 1 medium, chopped.
- Celery Stalk. 1 chopped.
- Garlic Cloves. 4, chopped.
- Butter. 2 tablespoons.
- Tomato Sauce. 15 ounces.
- Cajun Seasoning Blend. 2 tablespoons, see recipe notes.
- Worcestershire Sauce. 2 tablespoons.
- Red Wine Vinegar. 2 tablespoons.
- Hot Sauce. To taste, Crystal preferably, or similar, about 2-3 tablespoons is good
- Sweet Chili Sauce. 1 tablespoons, sriracha is good here.
- Salt and Pepper. To taste.
- Shrimp. 1-1/2 pounds, peeled and deveined.
- Lemon Juice. From 1 lemon.
For Garnish
- Chopped fresh parsley, sliced jalapenos or serrano peppers, sliced cherry tomatoes, spicy chili flakes, extra hot sauce
For Serving
- Crusty Bread.
How to Make Spicy Shrimp & Rice - the Recipe Method
First, heat one tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat and cook down the peppers, onion and celery until softened, about 5 minutes.
Next, add the garlic and cook another minute, until you can smell that gorgeous garlic.
Stir in the butter, tomato sauce, Cajun seasonings, Worcestershire, vinegar, hot sauce and sweet chili sauce. Adjust with salt and pepper.
Bring to a quick boil, then reduce heat and simmer for at least 15 minutes. You can simmer longer to develop more flavor.
Add the shrimp and tuck them into the sauce. Simmer about 5 minutes to cook the shrimp, stirring here and there, or until the shrimp turn pink and are cooked through.
Remove from heat and stir in the lemon juice.
Garnish and serve.
BOOM! DONE! Easy Cajun cooking, right? I love easy. And spicy.
Recipe Notes & Tips
- The Heat Factor. I used jalapeno peppers here for a nice, easy level of spice and heat. You can dial down the heat factor by either coring out the jalapeno peppers or using bell peppers instead. Amp up the heat factor by incorporating more jalapenos or spicier peppers, such as the serrano pepper, or even a habanero pepper. Or, bring in more hot sauce or an extra blast of Cajun seasonings. Cayenne pepper is also a nice addition when seasoning.
- The Sauce. If you enjoy the Cajun tomato sauce for this recipe, it is very similar to my Creole Sauce Recipe, which you can use for other dishes, like Cajun pasta, Cajun chicken and so much more. So full of flavor. A favorite.
- Other Seasonings. If you don't have a good Cajun blend on hand, use Creole seasoning, or use a blend of cayenne, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder and salt.
- Serving. I like to serve my Cajun Shrimp with crusty bread with garlic butter to sop up all that wonderful spicy sauce and extra red pepper flakes. It works great as an easy dinner or party appetizer this way. I love Cajun shrimp and rice. It’s also delicious served over cheesy grits. Or, toss it with noodles for an easy and delicious Cajun Shrimp Pasta! The recipe works nicely served on tortillas, taco style, or over crusty French bread po’ boy style.
Storage & Leftovers
Storing your Spicy Shrimp in an airtight container in the fridge may allow you to store the leftovers for up to 3-4 days. To maximize the storage life, make sure to refrigerate it promptly.
Check Out Some of My Other Popular Cajun and Creole Recipes
If you try this recipe, please let us know! Leave a comment, rate it and tag a photo #ChiliPepperMadness on Instagram so we can take a look. I always love to see all of your spicy inspirations. Thanks! -- Mike H.
Southern-Style Spicy Shrimp and Rice Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 jalapeno peppers chopped (use bell peppers for a milder version)
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 1 stalk celery chopped
- 4 cloves garlic chopped
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 15 ounces tomato sauce
- 2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning blend see recipe notes
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- Hot sauce to taste Crystal preferably, or similar, about 2-3 tablespoons is good
- 1 tablespoons sweet chili sauce Sriracha is good here
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1-1/2 pounds shrimp peeled and deveined
- Juice from 1 lemon
- FOR GARNISH: Chopped fresh parsley, sliced jalapenos or serrano peppers, sliced cherry tomatoes, spicy chili flakes, extra hot sauce
- FOR SERVING: Crusty bread
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large pan to medium heat and cook down the peppers, onion and celery until softened, about 5 minutes.
- Add the garlic and cook another minute, until you can smell that gorgeous garlic.
- Stir in the butter, tomato sauce, Cajun seasonings, Worcestershire, vinegar, hot sauce and sweet chili sauce. Adjust with salt and pepper.
- Bring to a quick boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. You can simmer longer to develop more flavor.
- Add the shrimp and cover them with the sauce. Simmer about 5 minutes, stirring here and there, or until the shrimp are cooked through.
- Remove from heat and stir in the lemon juice.
- Garnish and serve.
Video
Notes
Nutrition Information
NOTE: This recipe was updated on 3/26/21 to include new information, photos and video. It was originally published on 2/11/19.
Leave a Reply