This Voodoo shrimp recipe is savory, spicy, and genuinely herbaceous, making a wholesome seafood feast. Our recipe features cooked shrimp infused with black pepper, garlic, paprika, cayenne, and herbs.
The ingredients are simmered in a tomato-based sauce and served with a bowl of creamy mashed potatoes. It comes together in minutes and takes no time to clean up.
What Is VooDoo Shrimp?
Voodoo shrimp originates in New Orleans, the city of jazz and diverse food culture. A classic voodoo dish calls for fresh shrimp, vegetables, spices, and herbs simmered in a thick tomatoey sauce.
With its magical and irresistible taste, you’ll fall under its spell and keep coming back for more. If you haven’t tried voodoo shrimp before, now is a perfect time.
Is Voodoo Shrimp Healthy?
The answer is yes. Our recipe is not only tasty but also healthy.
Shrimp is a low-calorie ingredient that offers an abundance of high-quality protein, at 20.1 g per 3.5 oz. Moreover, a decent amount of omega 3s, 6s, and 9s extracted from this seafood has also been proven to benefit human physical and mental health.
Potatoes, tomatoes, onion, herbs, and spices not only add flavor and texture but also tons of nutrients. Lycopene found in tomatoes helps improve bone health and lower the risk of cancer.
Our chefs also portion the meal to make sure the amount of sodium, cholesterol, and saturated fat are kept within healthy limits, at 576.4 mg, 311.5 mg, and 9.3 g, respectively.
Ingredients for Voodoo Shrimp
1. For Voodoo shrimp
- Shrimp: Size matters when you’re cooking shrimp. Our chefs opt for medium to large-sized peeled shrimp, as bigger shrimp are more satisfying to bite into. However, seafood can turn rubbery easily due to overcooking. So, be mindful of the cooking time – no more than 3 minutes.
- Tomatoes: Fresh diced tomatoes are the key ingredient in today’s recipe. They offer a subtle sweetness with a tangy taste to the sauce that’s palatable.
- Onion and garlic: Sautéed onion and garlic give off a strong aroma and possess flavorful caramelized undertones. To prevent them from burning, you should stir frequently until the onion is translucent and the garlic is fragrant.
- Flour: We add a teaspoon of all-purpose flour to thicken up the sauce. However, if you have some cornstarch or pastry flour on hand, feel free to use them as alternatives.
- Worcestershire sauce: This fermented condiment is our all-time favorite ingredient. It gets the sourness from vinegar and tamarind, and the sweetness from molasses and sugar.
- Herbs: Nothing symbolizes New Orleans culinary arts more than the plentiful mixture of bay leaves, thyme, oregano, basil, and parsley.
- Spices: You can adjust the amount of paprika, black pepper, and cayenne pepper to tone down the heat.
2. For the mashed potatoes
- Potatoes: We love the buttery taste and firmness of Yukon Gold potatoes for mashing and blending with dairies. This recipe, however, calls for regular potatoes that are easy to find and rather inexpensive. However, if you fancy a softer and fluffier texture, you can go for baby potatoes instead. Plus, you can check out our healthy mashed potatoes recipe.
- Dairies: If you are lactose-intolerant, you can substitute whole milk and heavy cream with plant-based options. The flavor and texture may slightly differ but the mashed potatoes will taste equally delicious.
How to Store Leftovers
- To store Voodoo shrimp
In case you want to make this recipe ahead of time, we suggest freezing the raw shrimp and the sauce separately in airtight containers – for up to 3 months. When it’s time to serve, just give them a quick toss over a heated saucepan. However, bear in mind that the thawed shrimp will have less firmness.
To store leftovers, we recommend placing them in an airtight container and they will last for 3 to 4 days in the fridge.
- To store mashed potatoes
Make sure the mashed potatoes are completely cool before placing them in the container, as you don’t want the steam getting trapped and the bacteria developing. Leftovers will last for a week in the fridge and up to 2 months in a freezer.
How to Make Voodoo Shrimp
Ingredients
- 12 oz peeled shrimp from 24 oz whole shrimp
- 26 oz potato peeled, cubed
- 6 oz tomato diced
- 2 oz onion diced
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 tbsp garlic minced
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1/2 tsp oregano chopped
- 1 tsp thyme chopped
- 2 tbsp basil chopped
- 2 tbsp parsley chopped
- 1/2 tsp brown sugar
- 1 tsp all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup water
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp heavy cream
- 1 cup whole milk
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 tbsp Hunt’s tomato paste
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
Instructions
- In a microwave-safe bowl, add 26 oz cubed potatoes. Microwave for 10 minutes.
- On a medium heat, add 2 tbsp olive oil, 2 tbsp minced garlic, and 2 oz diced onion to a pan. Stir fry for 1 minute.
- Stir in 12 oz peeled shrimp. Cook for another 3 minutes.
- In the same pan, add 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp black pepper, 1/2 tsp brown sugar, 1/2 tsp paprika, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1 bay leaf, 1 tsp lemon juice, 1/2 tsp oregano, 1 tsp cayenne pepper, 1 tsp all-purpose flour, 1 tsp thyme, 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce, and 1 tbsp Hunt's tomato paste. Stir fry for 2 minutes.
- Next, pour in 1/3 cup of water and simmer for another 1 minute.
- Remove from heat. Garnish with parsley.
- Make the mashed potatoes by combining 26 oz cooked potatoes, 3 tbsp butter, 1 cup whole milk, and 2 tbsp heavy cream in a pot. Bring the mixture to a boil. Use a stick blender to blend the ingredients until silky smooth. Transfer to a serving bowl.
- Serve voodoo shrimp with mashed potatoes.
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