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Cajun Blackened Grilled Shrimp Skewers

Cajun Blackened Grilled Shrimp Skewers reads umami 6.8, citrus 6.6 and sourness 5.9 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Cajun/Creole · Cajun main, about 11 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

• Umami & Savory — 7.6 / 10
• Sweet & Fruity — 5.7 / 10
• Sour & Bright — 8.3 / 10
• Bitter & Earthy — 4.5 / 10
• Rich & Fat — 4.7 / 10
• Aromatic & Spice — 4.6 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Umami 6.8 · Citrus 6.6 · Sourness 5.9 · Fruity 5.3 · Richness 4.6 · Salinity 4.3 · Smoke 4.1 · Allium 3.9 · Marine & Briny 3.9 · Heat 3.2 · Warm Spice 2.6 · Herbaceous 1.9 · Sweetness 1.5 · Earthy 1.3 · Floral 1.3 · Bitterness 1.2 · Nutty 0.5

What's in it (11)

• shrimp — 680 g
• unsalted butter — 41 g
• smoked paprika — 15 g
• garlic — 10 g
• onion powder — 10 g
• dried leaf oregano — 1 g
• thyme — 1 g
• cayenne pepper — 3 g
• freshly ground black pepper — 3 g
• salt — 5 g
• lemon — 65 g

Time & effort: about 11 min · effort: medium

Dietary: Contains meat · Contains seafood — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (9 steps)

1. Pat the shrimp dry with paper towels. If using wooden skewers, soak them in water for 30 minutes so they don't scorch on the grill.
2. In a large bowl, toss the shrimp with the melted butter until evenly coated.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together the smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, thyme, cayenne, black pepper, and salt.
4. Sprinkle the spice mix over the buttered shrimp and toss until every piece is coated in a thick, even crust.
5. Thread 5-6 shrimp onto each skewer, piercing through both the thick end and the tail so they lie flat and won't spin when you flip them.
6. Heat a gas or charcoal grill to high, 450-500F, and scrape and oil the grates well.
7. Lay the skewers directly over the heat and grill undisturbed until deeply charred and blackened in spots on the first side, 2-3 minutes.
8. Flip and grill the second side until the shrimp are opaque and firm and reach 145F, 2-3 minutes more.
9. Transfer the skewers to a platter, squeeze a lemon wedge over the top, and serve immediately with the remaining lemon wedges.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

• Kedgeree (Smoked Fish and Rice, the Colonial Descendant of Khichuri) — Indian · Anglo-Indian
• Grilled Shrimp and Andouille Skewers — Cajun/Creole · Cajun
• Grilled Blackened Catfish — Cajun/Creole · Cajun
• Cajun Shrimp and Sausage Foil Packets — Cajun/Creole · Cajun
• Shrimp and Grits with Andouille Sausage — Southern

Keep reading: what umami, citrus, sourness mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.