The first time I tried Red Lobster’s Cajun Shrimp during their unlimited shrimp feast, I knew I had to recreate this buttery, spicy perfection at home. These succulent shrimp are coated in a bold blend of Cajun spices and bathed in melted butter, creating a dish that’s both indulgent and irresistibly flavorful. Perfect as an appetizer or main course, this copycat recipe brings the restaurant experience to your kitchen without waiting for the next “Endless Shrimp” promotion to satisfy your cravings.
Table of Contents
Red Lobster Shrimp
The magic of this dish lies in its balance of heat and flavor. Multiple layers of spices create a complex Cajun profile that enhances rather than overpowers the natural sweetness of the shrimp. Baking the shrimp in butter allows them to absorb the seasonings while keeping them tender and juicy. The result is restaurant-quality shrimp that cook perfectly every time.
Ingredients
- Medium raw shrimp (26/30 count) – Provides the ideal size for even cooking and presentation
- Butter – Creates the rich, flavorful sauce base that carries the spices
- Cayenne pepper – Delivers the signature heat that defines Cajun cuisine
- Salt – Balances the spices and enhances the natural shrimp flavor
- Black pepper – Adds a different dimension of heat and depth
- Paprika – Contributes vibrant color and mild sweet pepper flavor
- Cumin – Provides earthy, warm notes that ground the spice blend
- Dry mustard – Offers subtle tang and complexity
- Dried thyme – Brings aromatic herbal notes typical in Cajun cooking
- Dried oregano – Adds complementary herbal flavor that balances the heat
- Onion powder – Creates savory base notes without texture of fresh onions
- Garlic powder – Delivers essential garlic flavor without burning in the oven
How to Make Red Lobster Cajun Shrimp
- Heat oven to 400 degrees.
- Peel and devein shrimp.
- Mix together all the spices.
- Place margarine in a baking dish. Put the baking dish in the oven until butter has melted.
- Add shrimp to the baking dish.
- Sprinkle the spice mix over shrimp and toss to coat shrimp in butter and spices.
- Bake for approximately 15 minutes or until shrimp is done.
- Serve with lemon wedges and enjoy!
You can also serve Red Lobster Cajun Shrimp with rice or plenty of bread so you can mop up the extra sauce.
Red Lobster Cajun Shrimp Copycat Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound shrimp , use at least medium size
- 1/2 cup margarine or butter
- 4 teaspoons cayenne pepper
- 3 teaspoons salt
- 2 teaspoons black pepper
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 2 1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
- Place the margarine in a 13 x 9 baking pan, and then place the pan in the oven. While the pan is in the oven wash and peel shrimp. Devein the shrimp. By the time you have finished prepping the shrimp, the margarine should be melted in the pan.
- In a small bowl mix together the spices and blend well. Place shrimp into the pan, and then sprinkle on the seasonings you have just blended together on the shrimp. Mix the shrimp, margarine, and spices until the shrimp is coated well with margarine and shrimp. Bake for approximately 15 minutes, remove shrimp and check for doneness.
- The shrimp should be pink when done. So, our recipe uses margarine, as most restaurants use margarine because it is less expensive than butter. If you really want to try to ramp up this recipe use butter instead of margarine. Be sure to serve the shrimp with fresh lemon wedges.
Notes
Nutrition
Choosing and Preparing Shrimp
Selecting the Right Shrimp
Red Lobster uses 26/30 count shrimp for this dish, meaning there are 26-30 shrimp per pound. This medium size allows for quick cooking while remaining substantial enough to hold up to the bold flavors. While any size will work, this specific count will give you the most authentic restaurant experience.
Peeling and Deveining
Fresh shrimp that require peeling and deveining are often more flavorful than pre-prepared options. Here’s how to prepare them:
- To peel: Hold the shrimp in one hand and use your thumb and index finger to pinch the shell where the legs connect. Pull the shell away while keeping the tail intact if desired.
- To devein: Using a sharp paring knife, make a shallow cut along the back of the shrimp to expose the dark intestinal tract. Gently remove it with the tip of your knife and rinse the shrimp under cold water.
- Pat dry before cooking to ensure proper browning.
Tips for Making and Serving Cajun Style Shrimp
- Don’t be fooled. The Cajun shrimp seasoning is spicy. Feel free to reduce the level of cayenne pepper in the Cajun shrimp seasoning if you like spicy food.
- Use a skewer to keep the shrimp from curling. Prevent shrimp from curling too tightly while baking by threading them on a bamboo skewer. Soak a bamboo skewer for thirty minutes in water to keep them from scorching in the oven. After coating a shrimp with the butter mixture, poke it with a skewer from the bottom to the top. Adjust the curl to your liking.
- Serve with cheesy grits. Up your Cajun shrimp game by serving them on top of a big bowl of cheesy grits.
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Cajun Shrimp’s spicy sauce is simply margarine or butter combined with a homemade cajun spice mix. The deep flavor comes from a variety of seasonings commonly found in Cajun cuisine.
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It was a good recipe, but a little too hot. I like hot, but will cut the cayenne down to 2 teaspoons next time.
16 Tablespoons to a Cup. I calculated 7 Tbsp. Yes I agree. I’m a fanatic when it comes to heat but this was way overboard in the burning that I had to take Zantac.
I reduced the cayenne spice to 2 tsp., reduced the salt to 1 1/2 tsp., Raised the Paprika up to 1 1/2 Tbsp., dropped the mustard to 1 1/2 tsp. and added 1 1/2 Tbsp. of packed brown sugar. This made the perfect harmony to the spice blend. Sweet and Spicy. Was a great hit.
This was a completely spicy dish when served at the Red Lobster. I typically try to duplicate recipes, not to re-work them. I will have to try your spiced shrimp. I love the combination of sweet and spice.
Holy Blazes Batman! This was H*O*T !!! Wowza !!! YOW !!!! That said – I loved it! Thank goodness I had a salad to put out the heat between bites. I used all butter and added that 1/2 cup of white wine. Served over Giada De Laurentiis Organic Bucatini pasta (found at Target). My husband was literally sweating profusely. Wouldn’t serve it for company – LOL. Oh, and btw, just because you eat it cold the next day – it’s just as HOT!
You know I thought this dish was very HOT when I tried it. In fact I was really surprised that they would serve something that was so spicy.
I made this last night and ended up throwing it out. We thought it was TERRIBLE. I cut the cayenne to 1 tsp. instead of 4 and halved the other spices. It burned all the way down. (And we love New Orleans food).
I agree with Jen. This was really good but WAY too much cayenne. I will make again but tweek the spices.
I agree with Jen. This was really good but WAY too much cayenne. I will make again but tweek the spices.
For an extra special treat, you can add 1/2 cup white wine to the recipe when adding the seasonings. It cooks down and gives the shrimp a tasty sauce.
This was really delicious! Even my husband who doesn’t like shrimp that much really enjoyed this dish! It was easy to prepare and utilized spices I had on hand HOWEVER it was reeeeeeally spicy! I cut out some of the cayenne but will do a smidge less than half what is called for next time just so we can talk in between putting bites in our mouths. 🙂
Does anyone know how many servings this makes?
This makes 4 to 6 servings.
OMG, it’s a trans fat feast!
Do you think it would work with canola oil?
Actually I think the butter would just make it a saturated fat feast. Canola oil would work, I think you would lose some of the flavor that butter gives.