Succulent shrimp are cooked in a flavorful Cajun honey butter sauce made with the perfect balance of heat and sweetness. Serve these shrimp with creamy cheese grits for a delicious southern meal!
If you enjoy shrimp and are a fan of sweet and spicy flavor combinations, you've landed on THE recipe for you! In case you're new here, I'm a southern girl born and raised in Mississippi about 3 hours outside of New Orleans. I'm always adding a little Cajun flavor to my food and these shrimp are no exception!
This recipe is really easy to make and the Cajun honey butter sauce can be used in so many other recipes. Serve these shrimp over creamy cheese grits and you've got yourself a meal this Mississippi girl approves of!
Table of Contents
Ingredients You Need to Make This Recipe
- Large shrimp. This recipe calls for 1.5 pounds of peeled and deveined large shrimp. It is totally up to you whether or not you use tail-on or tail-off shrimp but make sure they are peeled and deveined. You can do this yourself at home or buy them already peeled and deveined. Here is a great step-by-step tutorial on how to peel and devein them at home if you are going that route!
- Salt, black pepper, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper. The shrimp are seasoned with these spices before being cooked with the cajun honey butter.
- Extra virgin olive oil. The shrimp are coated with oil to help the spices stick and are cooked in oil as well. You can also use vegetable or canola oil if you prefer.
Cajun Honey Butter
- 4 tablespoons of unsalted butter. The butter is the base of our sauce and adds delicious flavor and richness.
- ¼ cup honey. I recommend using good quality honey such as Nature Nate's Raw and Unfiltered Honey.
- Salt, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, oregano, thyme, and cayenne pepper. These spices and herbs are used to flavor the honey butter sauce.
- Hot sauce. A small amount of hot sauce adds another element of heat but is not overpowering. My favorite is Frank's RedHot.
How to Make This Recipe
- Place the shrimp in a medium mixing bowl and coat with one tablespoon of olive oil, salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and cayenne pepper. Use a wooden spoon to toss the shrimp to coat evenly with the oil and spices and set aside.
- Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the honey, salt, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, oregano, thyme, cayenne pepper, and hot sauce and mix with a wooden spoon to combine the ingredients. Remove the cajun honey butter from the heat.
- Heat the other tablespoon of olive oil in a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp and cook for 2-3 minutes until they begin to turn opaque. Pour the cajun honey butter over the shrimp and continue to cook for an additional 3-5 minutes until the shrimp are pink and opaque.
- Transfer the shrimp to a serving plate and drizzle the sauce from the skillet over the shrimp. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley if desired. Enjoy!
Variations and Substitutions
Feel free to use medium or jumbo shrimp instead of large if you prefer. Just ensure you adjust cooking times as needed.
This cajun honey butter sauce is super versatile and can be used on vegetables, scallops, chicken, fish, pork, or beef!
What to Serve With These Shrimp
My number recommendation to serve these delicious shrimp with is these Creamy Cheesy Southern Cheese Grits! If you've never had shrimp and grits I'm about to put you on something major, honey!
You can also serve these shrimp with of these reader favorites:
- Cajun Herb Butter Sweet Potato Fries
- Honey Lemon Butter Roasted Asparagus
- Southern Coleslaw
- Southern Baked Macaroni and Cheese
- Southern Sweet Onion Hushpuppies
Make-Ahead and Storing Instructions
The cajun honey butter can be prepared a day or two in advance and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Leftover cajun honey butter shrimp can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Recommended Tools for This Recipe
More Cajun-Inspired Recipes You Will Love!
- Cajun Dirty Rice with Smoked Sausage
- Cajun Honey Butter Roasted Carrots
- Authentic Chicken and Sausage Gumbo
- Cheesy Cajun Chicken and Sausage Dip
- Homemade Blackening Seasoning
📖 Recipe
Cajun Honey Butter Shrimp
Ingredients
- 1.5 pounds large shrimp peeled and deveined, tail-on or tail-off
- 2 tablespoons olive oil extra virgin
- 1 teaspoon paprika smoked or regular
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Cajun Honey Butter
- 4 tablespoons butter unsalted
- ¼ cup honey
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon parika smoked or regular
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ½-1 teaspoon hot sauce such as Frank's RedHot
Instructions
- Place the shrimp in a medium mixing bowl and coat with one tablespoon of olive oil, salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and cayenne pepper. Use a wooden spoon to toss the shrimp to coat evenly with the oil and spices and set aside.
- Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the honey, salt, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, oregano, thyme, cayenne pepper, and hot sauce and mix with a wooden spoon to combine the ingredients. Remove the cajun honey butter from the heat.
- Heat the other tablespoon of olive oil in a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp and cook for 2-3 minutes until they begin to turn pink. Pour the cajun honey butter over the shrimp and continue to cook for an additional 3-5 minutes until the shrimp are pink and opaque.
- Transfer the shrimp to a serving plate and drizzle the sauce from the skillet over the shrimp. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley if desired. Enjoy!
Notes
- Feel free to use medium or jumbo shrimp instead of large if you prefer. Make sure your shrimp are peeled and deveined and adjust cooking times as needed.
- Leftover cajun honey butter shrimp can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
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