Why I love this spicy shrimp recipe
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.
Ingredient note: 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.
The following is a detailed overview of the recipe steps with added tips and tricks for recipe success. For a simplified and printable version, including ingredient amounts and more formal instructions, see the recipe card below.
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.
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)
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.
More shrimp recipes: peel and eat shrimp / Chinese shrimp and broccoli / shrimp scampi pasta / Shrimp po boys
Frequently asked questions
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.
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.
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.
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.
More dairy free seafood recipes:
Moroccan Sweet and Spicy Shrimp
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
Instructions
- Mix seasonings together in a small bowl.
- Toss the mixture with the shrimp until evenly coated.
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add the shrimp to the pan and fry until thoroughly cooked – turning occasionally (shrimp should be completely pink).
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this? Leave a comment below!
Moroccan seasoning inspired by Once Upon a Chef.
This looks so good Melissa. Do you think I could do it with Chicken instead of shrimp? I have a shellfish allergy 🙁
You can definitely use it on chicken! I’m sure it would be delicious 🙂
I made this last night with my girlfriends and it was a total success!!! thank you for sharing this delicious recipe =)
I tried this recipe yesterday its great very delicious, I added some lime juice and one clove of garlic.
Thanks Melissa
I tried this delicious recipe with skinless, boneless chicken thighs. Wonderful!
Sweet and Spicy Moroccan Shrimp – really good. Served on top of Pinch of Yum’s Moroccan Salad. Will make again.
Made this for dinner last night. So delicious! I didn’t have coriander or brown sugar, used regular sugar instead. I wasn’t sure if cinnamon was going to stand out too much (usually not a huge fan of cinnamon in savory) but it was so subtle. Enjoyed it very much!
Could I bake instead of frying?
Yes! I haven’t tested the recipe that way, but I’m almost certain it will turn out great. Let me know if you do. I’d love to hear how it turns out!
There is no indication of how much flower to use!
So in the recipe instructions you say mix seasoning and flour together. But no where in the recipe do you have flour listed or an amount. So what is it for the correct recipe
Sorry about that. I actually updated the recipe to make it easier and gluten free! After testing it a few more times, I realized that the flour isn’t really necessary to get the same results, so I removed it, but I missed it when updating the instructions. Thanks for pointing that out. I’m going to update it now!
What would you recommend in order to bake the shrimp instead of Sautee?
Served it with your Moroccan Couscous and we couldn’t get enough. So, so good!