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Kicking things up today with my Cajun (lemon) Pepper Shrimp with Creamed Corn Orzo! Peppery, spicy, garlicky, and buttery shrimp, pan-seared with bell peppers and served over creamy, corny, and herby orzo pasta. A complete dinner that’s so simple, and mouth-wateringly delicious. Major bonus? This shrimp dinner is made in just about 30 minutes, using simple summertime ingredients. Perfect summer dinner for any night of the week.
There are shrimp recipes, but then there is this shrimp recipe. It’s honest to goodness one of the better shrimp dishes I have created. And while it may not be the prettiest recipe I’ve made, it’s so easy, and so very good. It takes maybe 30-minutes from start to finish, uses fresh summer produce, and a good mix of pantry staple ingredients.
Trust me, it’s the best Monday recipe, and great for every other day of the week too.
The funniest thing about this cajun shrimp and orzo? It was created towards the end of a long and pretty exhausting day. As I was making it, I knew for sure that it was a dish I was never going to share with you all. I mean, cajun shrimp? That’s a little boring, and everyone knows how to make cajun shrimp, right?
It wasn’t even the least bit pretty either, so no way was I sharing…
These were my thoughts as I was making the dish. These are often my thoughts when I’m feeling uninspired in the kitchen…aka when my mind goes to negative places. I start talking down to not only myself, but the food too. Sounds weird, but yep, I do it.
Anyway, as I began cooking, something switched inside me, and I challenged myself to step outside the box. What would make the cajun shrimp different…better than all other cajun shrimp recipes? What would make it pleasing to the eye and colorful?
And then I figured it out. I pulled out what I had on hand, got creative, and added color. In turn, I created a shrimp recipe that I love!
And that sums up the way I develop recipes at least half of the time. Always challenging myself to step just slightly off the beaten path. And it almost always works.
On to the nitty-gritty details…
While this is not a 10 ingredient recipe, don’t let that scare you away. Promise it’s straight forward, quick and easy. Since the orzo takes the longest to cook, start with this. It’s all made in ONE pan and it’s my favorite part.
Why?
Orzo + butter + garlic + corn + all the fresh thyme…just a few of my favorite things.
The corn is first caramelized with a touch of garlic. Then add the orzo and then the liquids to fully cook the orzo. I used a combination of wine and water, but you can certainly use all water if you prefer not to cook with wine.
Once the orzo is al dente, stir in a touch of coconut cream and parmesan cheese. And done. Now you have creamed corn orzo, and yes, it is every bit as delicious as it sounds.
While the orzo is cooking away, make the shrimp.
It’s a simple mix of andouille sausage, plenty of bell peppers, and shrimp tossed with cajun seasoning. Minimal ingredients, but so much flavor. The sausage, while completely optional, adds a really nice authentic cajun taste (here’s another great recipe using andouille sausage). I think it’s why we loved this shrimp so much. It adds an additional layer of texture and flavor, which is what Cajun cooking is all about, spicy, smoky flavor!
The sweet, herby, and creamy orzo is the perfect balance to the spicy, smoky, and heavily seasoned shrimp. It all feels very southern, which I kind of love. Something about summertime always has me craving southern-inspired foods.
Anyone else?
Excited to keep making this throughout the summer. It will be a great way to use all the fresh herbs and bell peppers growing in the greenhouse, along with the sweet corn from the market. Fresh summer food at its best! Enjoy, and happiest Monday!
If you make this Cajun Pepper Shrimp with Creamed Corn Orzo, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Cajun Pepper Shrimp with Creamed Corn Orzo.
Servings: 6 4 people
Calories Per Serving: 890 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons salted butter
- 4 ears corn kernels, removed from the cob
- 3 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
- kosher salt and black pepper
- 1 cup dry orzo pasta
- 1/3 cup dry white wine such as Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc
- 1/2 cup canned coconut cream or heavy cream
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan or Asiago cheese
- 1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined, tail on or off (about 24 shrimp)
- 1 tablespoon cajun seasoning
- 1 uncooked Andouille sausage links, meat removed from casings
- 2 bell peppers, sliced
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced or grated
- juice from 1 lemon
- 1/4 cup fresh basil roughly chopped
Instructions
- 1. To make the orzo. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of the butter, the corn, 2 tablespoons thyme, and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Cook 5 minutes or until the corn is golden. Stir in the orzo and cook until toasted, about 2-3 minutes. Add the wine to the skillet and de-glaze the pan. Add the 2 cups water and bring to a boil over high heat. Simmer 8-10 minutes until the orzo is al dente. Stir in the milk and parmesan, cook another few minutes until warmed through. 2. Meanwhile, make the shrimp. In a medium bowl, toss together the shrimp, cajun seasoning, and a large pinch of pepper. 3. Heat a large skillet over high heat. Add the sausage and brown all over, about 5 minutes. Add the peppers and season with salt and pepper. Cook 5 minutes or until the peppers are soft and tender, remove the sausage and peppers from the skillet to a plate.4. Return the skillet to high heat and add the olive oil. Add the shrimp and sear on both sides until pink, about 2-3 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons butter, the garlic, and 1 tablespoon thyme, toss to coat and cook until the garlic is fragrant and caramelized, about 1-2 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the basil, lemon juice, and reserved sausage and peppers.5. To serve, spoon the orzo onto plates, top with shrimp and peppers. Enjoy!
Notes
Homemade Cajun Seasoning: mix 2 1/2 tablespoons smoked paprika, 2 tablespoons garlic powder, 1 tablespoon onion powder, 1 tablespoon dried oregano, 1 tablespoon dried thyme, 1 tablespoon chili powder, 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper, 1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt, and 1 tablespoon black pepper. Makes 3/4 cup.
This post was originally published on June 17, 2019
Tieghan!! This is seriously soooooo good! I was definitely intrigued by all the flavors in this, but was a little skeptical how they would all blend together. But WOW it was so good. I am typically not a huge fan of shrimp, but this was just too tasty. My boyfriend thinks it’s the best thing I have every made and I’ve been making dinners consistently for him for the last couple of years. This is going to be a go to for us! Thank you!!!
Thank you Shea!! I am so glad you loved this! xTieghan
Do you slice sausage? Crumble? After removing from casing?
Hi Amy, I crumble the sausage in the pan with a wooden spoon as it cooks. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
A new favorite! We went with two andouille and one pepper. We will make this regularly!
So happy to hear that! Thank you Hannah! xTieghan
Just wonderful Tieghan! I served this to our friends poolside for dinner tonight and they couldn’t get enough-literally! My friend asked me if this was another HBH meal, they are always our favs!
Awh wow that is too sweet! I am so glad you all loved this recipe and have loved others of mine! Thank you so much Mary! xTieghan
I made this last night, it was wonderful! just enough spice. I was curious about creamed corn orzo and am pleasantly surprised- delicious! The sweetness paired with the spice of the shrimp & sweet red pepper- mmmmmm. I will definitely make this again. Thank you Tiegan, I enjoy reading and trying your creations very much.
-Paula
SOOO GOOD!!! One of my favorite HBH recipes. Pretty much did the recipe to a T. Will make again!!!
I’m not sure i will find Andouille sausage where I live. Can I use an other type of sausage?
Hi there! I would just use your favorite spicy sausage that you love cooking with. Anything you enjoy will be great! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
Made this tonight. Another Tieghan night in our house. Wow, wow, wow is all I can say! My husband scarfed down all the corn pasta out of the skillet after supper and kept saying “what is in this ?”. All my 5* recipes on my Paprika app are inevitably a Tieghan creation. You are the Michelangelo of cooking.
Wow you are too kind! I am so glad you loved this recipe and others of mine Sue! And I hope you continue to!! Thank you so much! xTieghan
This is an HBH winner for sure. I make a lot of Tieghan’s recipes- this one (& my boyfriend agrees) is top 5 I’ve ever made. Super easy, simple ingredients, quick to whip up. I can’t wait to eat these leftoverssss
That is so great! Thank you for trying this, I am so glad it turned out amazing! Thank you Laura! xTieghan
Every time I take the time to follow one of your recipes step by step and include all of the ingredients, I’m so impressed with how well it comes out. This one came out great – the seafood/cheese combo weirded me out a little so I subbed in extra sausage and added arugula to thin it out and it came out so amazingly!
Thank you Rose! xTieghan
This dish was delectable! Made it as specified, except my corn was some I had cut off the cob last year and frozen, just defrosted and popped it straight in the pan. Oh! And I also accidentally bought pre-cooked shrimp, so next time will use uncooked and I bet it will be even better! The combination of the salty, spicy, Cajun shrimp and the sweet creamed corn orzo is just perfect. Had it for supper last night and it warmed up great in the microwave for lunch today. So scrumptious!!!! Thanks for pushing yourself in the kitchen, even when you aren’t feeling the best…so awesome when it produces great recipes like these.
So happy this turned out amazing for you, Alicia! Thank you so much for trying it! xTieghan
For this particular dish, Allie, she lists the shrimp as “peeled and deveined” in the recipe, so there would be no prep time for the shrimp if they were purchased as such. If they’re frozen, running them under lukewarm water in a sieve will thaw them in literally one minute or less. You can do that while prepping other things.
I made this last night after a long day at work, and wasn’t really rushing. My prep time was 18 minutes. Most of her prep times are pretty spot on, but everybody has their own style and methods, and that will make a difference. To save time you can always buy canned corn, pre-minced garlic or ground sausage for this recipe, etc…there are shortcuts, depending on how much or how little time you care to spend, but 15-20 minutes prep isn’t unrealistic for this dish, I would say, even with some slicing, dicing, and peeling. For many recipes, herbs, garlic, onions, peppers etc…can be thrown in a food processor and given a pulse or two, which saves you some knife work.
(It was delicious, BTW! Orzo is hard to find here, but Basmati rice did fine as a sub.)
Hi Aline!! I am so happy to hear that this recipe turned out amazing for you! Thank you so much for making it! xTieghan
I like your recipes a lot and love your creativity, but I really wish you would be more accurate with the prep/cook times. It takes 10 minutes to defrost and peel shrimp, let alone do the rest of the washing, chopping, and measuring. Listing 15 minutes as prep time for this recipe sets an expectation that isn’t achievable; this is the case for many of your recipes and it deters me because I’m wary of spending 2 hours on something advertised as “quick and easy”. (I realize that it takes longer to make recipes on the first go-around, but this timing is simply wishful.)
I’d rather have an accurate expectation set than wind up spending time I don’t have after work on a recipe that’s falsely marketed as a “30 minute meal”. In my opinion, it’s a dishonest way for you to get more page views, and I’m sure your readers would prefer accuracy–even if it takes longer. Please take this as constructive criticism, as I do really enjoy your page 🙂
Hi Allie! I am sorry that the times do not seem accurate for you and others! I will try my best to come up with a time that may be more suitable for others and not just myself. Thank you for letting me know and I hope you love the recipes on my site! xTieghan
Oh my gosh this looks insanely good!!! Have you ever made the creamed corn with corn on the cob that’s already been cooked? I have some leftover from last night that I had boiled and was looking for a way to use it up. And I love the addition of the white wine!!
Hey Nicole! I have not, but I am sure that would be just fine! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
oh yum, I really like this
Thank you Ruth! xTieghan