Moroccan Sweet and Spicy Shrimp (DF, GF)

Name: Moroccan Sweet and Spicy Shrimp
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 15 min
Cuisine: Moroccan
Ingredients: 2 teaspoons paprika; 1 teaspoon coarse salt; 1 teaspoon garlic powder; 1 teaspoon ground cumin; 1/2 teaspoon chili powder; 1/2 teaspoon brown sugar; 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander; 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger; 1/4 teaspoon ground tumeric; 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon; 1/8 – 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper; 1/8 teaspoon black pepper; 1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom (optional); 1 1/2 pounds of shrimp, peeled and deveined; 2 tablespoons olive oil

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Why I love this spicy shrimp recipes

Sometimes I just don’t want to cook, because I’m sick of cooking or I don’t want to do dishes. But, usually its because I’m lazy. So when I’m looking for something quick and easy but still yummy, I usually make something like this.

These spicy shrimp is made with a homemade Moroccan seasoning and only take about 15 minutes. If you serve it will fresh vegetables and some Moroccan couscous you’ll have a healthy and delicious meal. It doesn’t get much easier.

Here’s what you’ll need to make it

Measuring spoons
Mixing bowl
Large skillet
Kitchen tongs

Ingredient notes: I like to use raw peeled, deveined shrimp for this recipe. If you can’t find any, you can always peel or devein them yourself.

How to cook shrimp on the stove

Mix the seasoning. In a small bowl, stir the homemade Moroccan seasoning ingredients together. If you want to leave out the sugar, you can, and if you want to make the shrimp even spicier, you can do that too.

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That’s the beauty of homemade seasoning blends. If you don’t feel like making your own, you can easily use store bought Moroccan seasoning (Cajun would work well, too)

sweet and spicy shrimp in a cast iron skillet

Sauté the shrimp. Pat the shrimp dry with paper towels and toss them with the seasoning, until they’re evenly coated.

Heat a large skillet to medium-high heat. Add some olive oil and let it get nice and hot before adding your shrimp.

Cook the shrimp for about 3 minutes, turning as needed to evenly cook both sides of each shrimp – I like to use a kitchen tongs for this.

When the shrimp is fully opaque and pink, remove from heat. Don’t forget to scrape up all the juicy bits from the bottom of the pan before you serve the shrimp.

closeup of sweet spicy shrimp next to moroccan couscous

FAQS and tips for making sweet and spicy shrimp

What seasonings go well with shrimp?

We love Moroccan seasoning on shrimp because my homemade blend is spicy and just a little sweet, but it’s also great with Italian seasoning or traditional seafood seasoning like Old Bay.

Can you cook frozen shrimp?

Absolutely! Since shrimp is relatively small in size, it won’t make a huge difference in the cooking time if you’re cooking your shrimp straight from the freezer. It will, however, probably put off a bit of water, so you might want to compensate for that.

How long do you fry shrimp for?

If your shrimp are thawed, they should take about 3 minutes to cook in a frying pan. You may need to adjust for the size of the shrimp, but once they’re completely pink and opaque, they’re done.

How do you keep shrimp tender?

Make sure you thaw your shrimp before cooking, and cook them quickly at a high temperature. It only takes about a minute for shrimp to go from tender to rubbery, so keep a close eye on them while they’re cooking.

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