The Best Seasonings For Shrimp
Shrimp tastes so much better when you show a little more love to it and season it well with special blends of spices and herbs. These can be either store-bought or homemade seasoning blends and both are just as good.
What are the best seasonings for shrimp? These are our top picks – Old Bay Seasoning, Zatarain’s Extra Spicy Shrimp Boil Seasoning, Shrimp Magic Seasoning by Magic Seasoning Blends, and McCormick Perfect Pinch Cajun Seasoning.
Continue reading to learn why these are the best shrimp seasonings you can buy and how you can replicate some of them at home.
The 4 Best Seasonings for Shrimp
Shrimp has quite a mild flavor. But with the right amount and blend of spices, it can be taken to the next level of deliciousness.
| Rank | Product | Key Features |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Old Bay Seasoning | 18 herbs and spices, mild spiciness |
| 2. | Zatarain’s Extra Spicy Shrimp Boil Seasoning | Extra spicy and zesty |
| 3. | Shrimp Magic Seasoning (Magic Seasoning Blends) | All-in-one seasoning, no MSG |
| 4. | McCormick Perfect Pinch Cajun Seasoning | Moderate spiciness, balanced flavor |
Here are our 4 best picks as the best seasonings for shrimp. From extra spicy ones to Cajun seasoning, you will certainly find one to fit your taste.
1. Old Bay Seasoning
Old Bay Seasoning is a best seller and we will tell you why. It is a unique blend of 18 spices and herbs. The ingredients include ginger, cloves, basil, allspice, etc.
It is not surprising that the manufacturer doesn’t reveal the entire list of herbs and spices used in this seasonings mix.
However, if you are allergic or sensitive to a specific ingredient, you are free to contact them to learn if it is used in the mix.
The Old Bay seasoning blend, along with of blend of special spices, also contains celery salt and paprika, which will give the shrimps a unique yet familiar taste.
Here is why Old Bay is one of the best seasonings for shrimp:
- It doesn’t contain any sugar.
- Old Bay seasoning is not too spicy. This means that you can customize how hot you want the shrimp to be by adding your favorite spice that will bring more heat to the dish.
- It is versatile. Aside from being one of the best seasonings for seafood, including shrimp, Old Bay works well with chicken and vegetables. You can even use this seasoning on pizza.
- Old Bay seasoning is free of MSG (monosodium glutamate) which is a flavor enhancer used in many foods.
- If you don’t like spicy seasoning, do keep in mind that this seasoning mix contains red and black pepper.
Shrimps and garlic are a match made in heaven. A combination that many people enjoy. If you are one of them, take into consideration that this seasoning mix does not have garlic as one of its ingredients.
2. Zatarain’s Extra Spicy Shrimp Boil Seasoning
If you like spicy shrimp, then Zatarain’s Extra Spicy Boil Seasoning may become your next favorite.
Being on the market for more than a century, Zatarain’s knows how to take shrimp from bland and boring to extremely tasty with pleasant zesty flavor.
On the ingredient list of Zatarain’s shrimp seasoning, you will find all-natural herbs and spices.
It contains cayenne pepper which adds the spicy kick to the shrimp boil. Among the ingredients are black pepper, paprika, lemon juice, etc.
The mix also contains salt which means you won’t need to measure and add any other seasoning.
Zatarain’s Extra Spicy Seasoning is good for multiple reasons.
- It is complete. One of the most important things about such seasoning mixes is that they need to be complete for inexperienced home cooks to use easily. You don’t need to add any other seasoning to the boil.
- You can use this seasoning mix not only for shrimp but also for crawfish and crab. If you like shrimp, you most probably also like other seafood. Thus, purchasing this seasoning mix is a good choice for seafood lovers.
- It is very easy to use. For one pound of shrimp, you will need 1 ounce of seasoning.
If you feel like even the extra spicy seasoning that not give enough heat to the shrimp, add Zatarain’s Liquid Shrimp and Crab Boil. Doing this will enhance the zesty flavor of shrimp boil.
3. Shrimp Magic Seasoning (Magic Seasoning Blends)
If you are looking for an all-natural product to spice up your seafood dish, then the Shrimp Magic Seasoning is the one.
This seasoning mix is a complex blend of herbs and spices. Thus, having this shrimp seasoning blend at hand means you will never eat plain-tasting shrimp anymore.
There are many ways you can use this seasoning. You can sprinkle some of it on boiled shrimp if it seems too simple to you.
This way, you will take the shrimp to the next level in just a second.
You can incorporate this seasoning mix in your cocktail sauce to dip the shrimps in.
And last but not least, use this seasoning mix in the batter to deep fry shrimp for unmatched flavor and crunchy texture.
What makes the Shrimp Magic Seasoning one of the best options on the market?
- It is an all-in-one seasoning. If you are using this magic blend of spices and herbs, forget about adding additional salt and pepper. This one seasoning will substitute everything you were to season the shrimps with.
- Shrimp Magic seasoning is made of all-natural ingredients and contains no preservatives.
- It doesn’t contain MSG (a flavor-enhancing ingredient).
- It is gluten-free.
The Shrimp Magic Seasoning is also good for enhancing the flavor of any seafood dish. Not being restricted to use a seasoning blend for only one product is an important point.
4. McCormick Perfect Pinch Cajun Seasoning
Cajun seasoning is quite popular with shrimp. In fact, they can make an unbeatable duo in the kitchen if the seasoning is well-balanced and is used in the right amount.
While the ingredients of the Cajun seasoning blend are simple, there is something special about the flare it gives to the dish.
This seasoning contains red and black peppers, paprika, garlic, onion, celery, and thyme.
It also has salt in it. Thus, make sure you don’t add any if you are using this seasoning to spice up the shrimp.
McCormick Perfect Pinch Cajun seasoning is one of the best herbs and spice blend to cook shrimp with.
There are many reasons to try the McCormick seasoning mix for your next shrimp dish.
- It has the right amount of spiciness.
- No MSG added.
- The McCormick Cajun seasoning has a versatility of usage. You can use it not only on shrimp but also poultry, fish, and even rice.
If you want to make some very delicious shrimp with this seasoning, the proportions are quite easy to follow. You will need 2 to 3 teaspoons of the seasoning to spice up one pound of shrimp.
Homemade Shrimp Seasoning Blends
Making your own seasoning blends at home is not only fun but also quite beneficial. You get to control the amount of every spice and herb that goes into the seasoning blend.
If you don’t like a certain spice or herb, leave it out. Don’t like the intensity of the spiciness? Tone the cayenne pepper down.
Making your own seasoning blends at home is also good if you are following specific eating plans, such as no sugar or low-sodium diets. When making your own mixes, you can leave out sugar and salt.
Another reason why homemade seasonings are good is that you can add some fresh ingredients while cooking.
Lemon zest, for example, makes one of the best flavor combinations with shrimp. You can add your pre-made mixture of powder spices and herbs and add some fresh lemon zest for your desired result.
Here are two homemade shrimp seasoning ideas in case you want to try making your own mixes in the kitchen.
Homemade Substitute for Old Bay Seasoning
Old Bay seasoning is one of the best to use on shrimp. But what if we told you you can make it at home?
Here is what you will need:
- 2 tbsp. celery salt
- 1/4 tsp. paprika
- 1/8 cayenne pepper
- 1/8 tsp. black pepper
- 1/16 tsp. nutmeg (ground)
- 1/16 tsp. dry mustard
- 1/16 tsp. cinnamon
- 1/16 tsp. cardamom
- 1/16 tsp. cloves
- 1/16 tsp. allspice (ground)
- 1/16 tsp. ginger powder
Mix all of the ingredients together and store in an airtight container in a dry place.
Homemade Cajun Seasoning Blend for Shrimp
Cajun seasoning goes exceptionally well with shrimp. This is why making some of it at home is a good idea. You can control the heat by adding more cayenne pepper or the vice versa, make it milder by adding less.
Here is what you will need for your homemade Cajun seasoning for shrimp:
- 2 tsp. paprika
- 1 tsp. garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp. onion powder
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. dried thyme
- 1/4 tsp. dried oregano
- 1/4 tsp. black pepper
- 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
You can have this mixture of spices and herbs ready to be used any time you decide to make shrimps. You can add olive oil to this seasoning blend and marinate the shrimp in the mixture for hours before cooking.
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