This wonderfully delicious spicy chorizo and shrimp recipe is ready in less than 30 minutes, so perfect for busy weeknights, too! Serve over polenta, rice or cauliflower rice, mashed potatoes or mashed parsnips.
This spicy chorizo and shrimp is a great weeknight meal, as it’s ready in just 30 minutes and it’s packed with flavour! I love that it’s versatile, as it can be served over rice, polenta or mashed potatoes. For a casual meal, serve tapas style with a crusty bread.
Ingredients and substitutions
Shrimp – you will need raw shrimp, peeled and deveined.
Chorizo – you will need fully cooked chorizo. This is the dried chorizo usually sold in the deli section. Go for the mild chorizo, as we are adding the spiciness during cooking. If you start with hot chorizo, it may be just too hot.
Paprika – Spanish or Hungarian style sweet paprika is recommended. I don’t recommend hot paprika, as there is already a lot of spiciness going on in this dish.
Step-by-step photos
- Heat some oil in a skillet (preferably cast iron). Add the spices and cook with the oil until it makes a paste. Add the chorizo slices.
- Cook the chorizo with the spices for 2-3 minutes, then remove to a bowl. Set aside.
- Add a splash more oil to the skillet, then add the garlic and cook briefly. Add the water or broth to deglaze the pan, scraping up the browned bits with a wooden spoon. Then add the shrimp.
- Cook the shrimp in the liquid for about 3 minutes, or until just cooked through, then return the chorizo to the pan.
- Mix together the cornstarch and water and drizzle into the skillet a bit at a time, until the sauce is thickened to desired level.
- Finish with fresh chopped cilantro.
Recipe Video
Recipe tips!
- This recipe comes together quickly, so it’s best to have all the ingredients prepped and ready to go before you start.
- To control the spiciness of this dish, simply use less of the spice mixture with the chorizo.
How to serve this chorizo and shrimp
- Spoon over cooked rice or cauliflower rice.
- Spoon over polenta.
- Spoon over mashed potatoes or mashed parsnips.
- Serve tapas-style from the skillet with crusty bread.
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Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika, Spanish or Hungarian paprika recommended
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 8 oz (300 g) mild Spanish style semi-cured chorizo sausage, cut on an angle into 1/2-inch slices *see Note 1 below
- 2-3 Tablespoons water
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/3 cup water or chicken broth, for deglazing pan
- 1 lb uncooked medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
- Chopped fresh cilantro or parsley, for garnish
To thicken:
- 2 Tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 Tablespoons cold water
Optional Polenta:
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup milk
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, a bit less if using fine salt and less if using salted butter
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 cup yellow cornmeal
- 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter
Instructions
- Heat the oil over medium heat in a skillet (cast iron skillet recommended, but any skillet will work). Add the paprika, coriander, cumin and salt. Stir to create a paste and allow to cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the chorizo and cook, stirring, until browned, about 2 minutes, adding 2-3 Tablespoons of water about half way through cooking to loosen the spices. Remove chorizo from the pan to a bowl.
- Deglaze the pan with the chicken stock (or water), scraping up the browned bits with a wooden spoon. Add the garlic and stir to combine. Allow the liquid in the pan to simmer for a few minutes to reduce slightly, then add the shrimp. Cook the shrimp for about 3 minutes or until the shrimp is pink and opaque.
- Meanwhile, in a small bowl, stir together the cornstarch and cold water. When the shrimp is cooked, drizzle the cornstarch mixture into the pan, a bit at a time, until the sauce thickens to the desired level (you may not need to use it all). Garnish with chopped cilantro.
- To serve, spoon over cooked rice, cauliflower rice, polenta or mashed potatoes. Also nice served tapas-style from the skillet, with crusty bread and butter.
- For the optional polenta: For the polenta: In a Dutch oven or large heavy-bottomed pan, bring the stock, water, milk, salt and pepper to a boil over high heat. Slowly whisk in the cornmeal and reduce heat to low. Simmer uncovered, stirring frequently, for 25-30 minutes.
Notes
Adapted from Jennifer Farley’s new cookbook The Gourmet Kitchen.
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Hi! I’m Jennifer, a home cook schooled by trial and error and almost 40 years of getting dinner on the table! I love to share my favourite recipes, both old and new, together with lots of tips and tricks to hopefully help make your home cooking enjoyable, stress free, rewarding and of course, delicious!
Great to find this in today’s email.
Quick question – can the polenta be made ahead and re-warmed?
Hi Jane and yes, you can make the polenta ahead. You may need to re-hydrate it with a bit of stock or water (just enough to loosen – 1/4-1/3 cup-ish), then reheat covered in the oven or microwave. Whisk before serving and you’re good to go :)
Is this made with Mexican chorizo or dry cured Spanish chorizo?
Hi Jennifer, The Spanish fully-cooked/semi-cured is best I think. It’s softer than the dry cured varied.
This looks super easy but also super flavorful, my family would love it!
Thanks Sara and while I call it “Spicy”, it’s not hot spicy, just flavourful spicy, so should be pretty kid friendly :)
Wow, this looks fantastic and the cookbook sound wonderful. This is company fare made easy!
Thanks Chris! It was such a lovely dish. We both enjoyed it, but my husband really enjoyed it. He loves the combination of spicy and meat :)