Creamy Cajun Shrimp with Sausage – Incredibly easy shrimp recipe packed with such amazing cajun flavor! This shrimp and sausage skillet is a healthy and delicious meal that is also great for meal prep! Shrimp and sausage are seasoned, grilled, then smothered in a creamy sauce made of red bell pepper, garlic, onion, and Parmesan. Low-carb and Keto-friendly, you’ll love this shrimp and sausage recipe. Enjoy!
Ingredients list for the Cajun Shrimp and Sausage recipe
- 1 pound (450g) large shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 14-ounce pork or chicken sausage, sliced
- 2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 3 cloves garlic, finely diced
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 2 red bell peppers, chopped into chunks
- 1/3 cup (80ml) low-sodium vegetable broth
- 1 teaspoon salt and pepper
- 1 3/4 cups heavy cream (or less)
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan, optional
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
Here, we serve the shrimp and sausage with white rice, but this recipe is an excellent base for shrimp and grits – you’ll love the Southern flavors!
Directions
1. To make the Cajun Shrimp and Sausage in Creamy Pepper Sauce: In a large bowl, combine shrimp and sausage. Add olive oil and cajun seasoning and toss until coated.
2. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook shrimp and sausage for 5 minutes, until cooked through, stirring regularly. Remove from the pan and transfer to a plate.
3. In the same pan, melt butter in the remaining cooking juices. Add onion and stir fry until translucent. Add the bell peppers and fry for 2-3 minutes so they release their flavors. Then add garlic and cook until fragrant (about one minute). Finally, pour in the vegetable broth, and allow the sauce to reduce down slightly.
4. Reduce heat to low, add the heavy cream, and bring to a gentle simmer, while stirring occasionally. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, to taste. Add in the parmesan cheese. Allow the pepper cream sauce to simmer for a further minute until cheese melts through.
5. Add the grilled shrimp and sausage back into the skillet; sprinkle with the chopped parsley, and spoon the sauce over shrimp and sausage. Serve the Creamy Cajun shrimp with sausage over steamed vegetables or cauliflower rice for Keto dieters, or rice or pasta for non-Keto. Enjoy!
Tips on how to make creamy Cajun shrimp
- You can use shrimp with tails on or off. We like keeping them because they look nicer, and some people like to suck the sauce out of the shrimp before gobbling them!
- Buy shrimp (or prawns) already deveined, shelled, and cleaned, and your meal preparation will be much faster (ok, we prefer shell-on shrimp because they tend to stay juicier – but we know peeling shrimp is pretty time-consuming…).
- Frozen shrimp is okay for this recipe, but fresh, wild-caught shrimp tend to have better flavor.
How long do I cook shrimp in the skillet?
Cook the shrimp, stirring frequently, until the shrimp is nice and pink and opaque. This will usually take 4-5 minutes.
What sides should I serve with the creamy cajun shrimp?
Serve this shrimp and sausage recipe over rice, broccoli rice, quinoa, cauliflower rice, mashed potato, or your favorite side.
Make your own Cajun spices
To make your homemade cajun spices: combine garlic powder, paprika, salt, cracked black pepper, dried oregano (or other Italian herbs), onion powder, cayenne, and crushed red pepper flakes in the measurement increments listed in the recipe. Double or triple the amount to fill a whole spice jar. We use this mix in many recipes, like these Cajun shrimp in foil packets or our Cajun chicken bites. Happy seasoning!
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Reviews
See what readers thought — or share how it turned out for you.
How did it turn out?
I love the recipe but the ads killed me. I wasn’t even touching the screen and it went blank and there was the ad. The ads covered the recipe. I realize ads are a necessity but my Lord. Just a bad experience.
Amazing! So much flavor! I added in some spinach after the peppers and a little extra Parmesan cheese!
Can you just add already cooked shrimp?
Very tasty! To color the sauce, I used some smoked paprika. Thickened it with Xanthan gum to keep it low-carb.
Very good; I added dill to the parsley, white pepper powder, garlic, onion, chopped red potatoes (skin on), green bell peppers instead of red, and served it on cumin seed spiked jasmine rice. Hubby loved! The potatoes helped “fill out” the dish and made it more substantial.
