Jamaican Peppered Shrimp is a savory spicy shrimp dish cooked in 2 ways with peeled headless shrimp or unpeeled head-on shrimp in sauce or dry sauce.

Depending on how you choose to cook it, it is scrumptious.

Once in a while, I like to try different recipes from other cuisine especially when it comes to seafood. We enjoy a variety of food than a weekly routine of the same food. I get tired of that.

With the internet, it is so easy to check what sounds good and you can always tweak the recipe with the ingredients you have.

Avoid running an errand just to get 2 ingredients that you don’t have. Check your pantry and see what would be the closest substitute you can use. Again, the internet can help, google it.

But if you are determined to make the exact recipe, there’s nothing wrong getting the extra ingredients as long as you have long-term use for it. Herbs doesn’t go bad quickly if stored properly.

I’ve been making this Jamaican Peppered Shrimp for a few years now, so I would like to feature it. I enjoy food with a kick, if you do, Jamaican food is one to try.

A former co-worker who vacationed in Jamaica knew how much I love spicy food and she gifted me a Jamaican jerk that paired well with seafood and meat.

This recipe is not just for people who loves spicy food. If you are not a big fan of anything spicy or you have kids, you can spice it mildly or eliminate the ingredient.

I make this delicious Jamaican Peppered Shrimp in 3 different ways. Choose which suits your family.

(1) Peeled shrimp (headless) – some people prefer to sit and eat their food without putting any labor or getting messy. They just want to enjoy and devour their food.

(2) Unpeeled head-on shrimp – some don’t mind peeling the shrimp and find it more tastier unpeeled with the head attached.

If you haven’t tried it, sucking the head of shrimp yields a rich flavor that is very tasty, flavorsome and a delicacy to some. It is finger licking good!

In my case, when I pull apart the head from the shrimp body, I like to suck the juice out from the body and head. There’ s so much flavor there before peeling.

(3) With or without sauce (dried) – It’s up to your preference if you like it with sauce. Either way, they are both delicious.

If you have kids, they will prefer it with sauce and peeled. You know how kids love to slather their food with sauce, so take that into consideration.

Other tips

Don’t overcook shrimp, it will get rubbery. As soon as it turns pink and cooked through , don’t cook it longer. Shrimp is great crisp when you bite into it.

Tweak the spiciness to your liking especially if you have kids. You don’t want them staring at you because they cannot eat it.

Use any spicy ingredient you have. This is a versatile recipe, so substitution is an option. Be creative.

Leftover can be stored in the fridge for up to 2 days.

Substitutions I made to Recipe

Instead of using habanero, I use cayenne pepper powder.
Sliced fresh lemon instead of lemon juice.

Try Other Delicious Shrimp Recipes

Recipe

Jamaican Peppered Shrimp

Jamaican Peppered Shrimp is a savory spicy shrimp dish cooked in 2 ways with peeled headless shrimp or unpeeled head-on shrimp in sauce or dry sauce.

Print Pin Rate

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Jamaican

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 20

Total Time: 30

Servings:

Calories: 310kcal

Ingredients

1 pound large head-on shrimp (or headless peeled & devined)
1 small onion chopped
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
5 cloves garlic minced
1 teaspoon fresh thyme
1 teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon black ground pepper
1 lemon sliced thinly
½ cup water or broth
15 parsley leaves
2 – 3 tablespoons green onion chopped for garnish
Salt to taste

Instructions

In a pan over medium heat, melt butter then add olive oil.
Saute onion until soft.
Add garlic. Cook until golden.
Stir-in thyme, paprika, cayenne pepper, garlic powder and ground pepper.
Add shrimp. Cook for 1 minute.
Add water or broth, lemon slices or juice and parsley.
Simmer on medium – high heat until sauce is reduced and shrimp is cooked through.
Season with salt and add green onions for garnish.

Video

Notes

Original recipe calls for 1 scotch bonnet pepper habanero diced instead of cayenne pepper. If you don’t like it too spicy then add a whole habanero or whole jalapeno (not diced).

If you like sauce, cook in medium heat and simmer until shrimp is cooked through or you can also add another ¼ cup water or broth.

Nutrition

Adapted: ImaculateBites

Thank you for sharing!