This cajun shrimp fried rice is a spicy, flavorful, and delicious dish that is great as an easy weeknight meal, or for a fun dinner party with the family and friends.
I LOVE this cajun shrimp fried rice because of the flavors in this dish! Its spicy with heat from the cajun seasoning, and the shrimp is lightly battered in breadcrumbs resulting in crispy, flavorful shrimp! This dish is very similar to jambalaya, but instead of cooking the rice; I’m using day old rice. When it comes to cooking fried rice you want to use day old rice because the rice is drier and most of the water has been absorbed.
Normally we see cajun seasoning used on chicken and lean meats, but it’s just as good with seafood. I use cajun seasoning A LOT and have used it in recipes like my Cajun Lobster Tails, Creamy Cajun Pork Chops, Cajun Red Beans and Rice, Creamy Cajun Shrimp and Grits, Cajun Shrimp Pasta, and Cajun Fried Chicken and Waffles. It brings such a party of flavors to any recipe, and I absolutely love to cook with it. This dish goes right to my Southern roots and upbringing, and whenever I’m craving southern food I whip it up.
To make this cajun shrimp fried rice; here’s what you’ll need:
- shrimp; shell removed, cleaned, and deveined
- day old rice (in this recipe I used a combination of white jasmine rice and yellow rice)
- green onions
- mini sweet bell peppers
- onions
- garlic
- frozen peas and carrots
- cajun seasoning
I have made this dish countless times, but this was my first time using yellow rice in this recipe and it took it to the next level! I leave it up to you to decide on whether or not you want to use yellow rice in this recipe, but I highly recommend it! If you don’t have any day old yellow rice; try cooking the rice a few hours before you make the fried rice and then popping it straight into the freezer for about 15-2o minutes. Move it to the fridge after this and let it chill in the fridge 1 to 2 hours before cooking it. You can also do this with white rice if y0u also don’t have day old rice.
Want to know where I got this beautiful green pan?
This is the Always Pan from Our Place, a mission-driven, direct-to-consumer cookware brand, known for its premium quality, safe materials, and beautiful design!
THE ALWAYS PAN REPLACES YOUR
fry pan, saute pan, steamer, skillet, saucier, saucepan, non-stick pan, spatula, and spoon rest.
WITH THE ALWAYS PAN, YOU CAN
braise, sear, steam, strain, saute, fry, boil, serve, store –– you get the picture.
I LOVE this pan and have been using it to cook pretty much everything! Clean up on this pan couldn’t be any easier, and it’s amazing how versatile it is.
Serve this as a weeknight meal or at any dinner party! Check out the recipe below.
Cajun Shrimp Fried Rice
This cajun shrimp fried rice is a spicy, flavorful, and delicious dish that is great as an easy weeknight meal, or for a fun dinner party with family and friends.Â
Ingredients
- 3 cups COOKED day-old rice (white or yellow)
- 1 lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1 1/2 tbsp cajun seasoning (reserve 1/2 tbsp)
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp paprika
- salt and black pepper
- 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
- 2 eggs, beaten
- vegetable oil for frying
- 2 cloves garlic, diced
- 1/2 medium onion, chopped
- 5 medium scallions, chopped
- 1 cup frozen peas and carrots
- 4 sweet mini bell peppers, chopped
- 1 tbsp olive oil
Instructions
- In a bowl, combine 1 tbsp cajun seasoning, garlic powder, paprika, and breadcrumbs.
- Season shrimp lightly with salt and black pepper. If you are using store bought cajun seasoning eliminate using salt as most cajun seasonings have a HIGH salt content.
- Dip the shrimp in the egg wash, then coat in the bread crumb and seasoning mixture. Ensure that each shrimp is well coated with the mixture.
- Heat a large pan with vegetable oil (enough oil to shallow fry the shrimp) over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot add the shrimp and fry until crispy and golden brown (about 3-4 minutes). Place on a paper towel lined plate and set aside.
- Drain the oil from the pan, wipe clean, and add 1 tbsp olive oil. Heat over medium-high heat.
- Add the onion, frozen peas and carrots, and bell peppers and saute for 3-5 minutes. Once the peppers have softened add the garlic, rice, and remaining 1/2 tbsp of cajun seasoning. Stir and mix well frying for about 2-3 minutes.
- Add the scallions and shrimp to the rice, turn off the heat and serve!
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 489Total Fat: 13gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 332mgSodium: 2613mgCarbohydrates: 56gFiber: 4gSugar: 5gProtein: 37g
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