Cajun Shrimp and Beans
All of the Cajun flavor with half of the cooking time.
Cajun food is something that feels super time-consuming, and for many recipes, that is the truth; those layers of flavor don’t happen in an instant. But with this recipe for Cajun Shrimp and Beans, you can have those rich, complex, and blackened flavors in under an hour.
Here, this dish comes together in one pot. Each step builds on the previous cooking, creating a dish that’s multidimensional.
First, the seasoned shrimp are sautéed until fully cooked and blackened. Next, the bacon is rendered in the same pan, pulling off the residual spices that have stuck to the pan from searing the shrimp. The aromatic vegetables make their way into the pan and cook down until they just begin to soften.
A savory bit of stock and a sweet touch of raisins are the base for the vegetables and beans to simmer away. After twenty minutes or so; the mixture should cook down into a thick and luscious stew-like consistency.
The base of beans gets topped with shrimp as well as parsley and lemon wedges.
Cajun Shrimp and Beans tastes like a dish that’s been simmering away all day. The spices left in the pan from the shrimp work with the bacon and mirepoix to create tons of flavor for the beans to absorb.
The shrimp have a great char to them, giving them the Cajun touch of blackened goodness.
Fresh parsley and a squeeze of fresh lemon wake up the taste buds, creating a contrast to the rich, cooked quality of the beans and shrimp. With this recipe for Cajun Shrimp and Beans, you’re sure to impress yourself and anyone who eats it!
Cajun Shrimp and Beans
Allergens: Shellfish
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon Calabrian chili paste
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 pound colossal shrimp (16/20), peeled, devined, and tails removed
- 4 slices bacon, cut into small pieces
- 2 stalks celery, diced
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 1 large carrot, peeled and sliced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 cups low-sodium chicken stock
- 1/4 cup golden raisins
- 1 29-ounce (1 pound 13 ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
- 1 lemon, sliced into wedges, for garnish
- Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
Preparation
- In a bowl whisk together chili powder, garlic powder, paprika, and Calabrian chili paste. Whisk in olive oil and add shrimp, tossing to combine.
- Heat up a large cast iron skillet and cook the seasoned shrimp until cooked and a little blackened on the outside about 4 to 5 minutes. Remove shrimp from the skillet.
- Add bacon into the same pan, rendering the bacon until the fat is drawn out. Add in celery, onion, and carrot, cook until slightly softened, about 9 to 10 minutes.
- Add in garlic cooking until fragrant, about 30-seconds.
- Add in chicken stock, raisins, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil and then add the beans, cooking until the vegetables are soft, about 20 to 25 minutes, the broth should have evaporated to make a thick stew-like consistency. Season again with salt and pepper as needed.
- Lay the shrimp on top alongside freshly parsley and lemon. Serve warm and enjoy!