About this recipe
Sometimes you want a big bowl of comfort food, but you don't want to feel weighed down afterward. This Cajun shrimp and zucchini noodle bowl is exactly the answer to that craving. The shrimp are heavily seasoned and sear up in literally two minutes. Toss them over barely-cooked, snappy zucchini noodles with a light Greek yogurt and lemon sauce, and you have a massive flavor payoff without the carb crash. Plus, it's a completely balanced dinner ready in exactly 27 minutes.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
It's a low-carb, high-protein meal ready in just 27 minutes.
Zucchini noodles keep things incredibly fresh and light.
The Greek yogurt sauce mimics a heavy cream sauce without the extra calories.
Ingredients
Cajun shrimp
- 1 1/4 lb large shrimp (peeled and deveined)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tsp Cajun seasoning
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
Zucchini noodle bowl
- 4 medium zucchini (spiralized into noodles)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes (halved)
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
Sauce and finish
- 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp water (or a little more as needed)
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley (chopped)
- 1 whole lemon (cut into wedges for serving)
Ingredient Notes
Shrimp
Buy large shrimp (21-25 count) for the best meat-to-noodle ratio in your bowl. Frozen is totally fine—just thaw and pat them very dry before seasoning.
Zucchini
Try to find medium-sized zucchinis. The giant ones hold way too much water and can ruin the texture of the dish.
Equipment
Large skillet
Mixing bowl
Spiralizer
Cutting board
Tongs
Instructions
Season the shrimp
Toss the peeled shrimp in a medium bowl with olive oil, Cajun seasoning, garlic powder, and black pepper. Make sure every single piece is completely coated so the spices can really bloom in the hot pan.
Cook the shrimp
Get a large skillet screaming hot over medium-high heat. Drop the shrimp in an even layer and leave them alone for a minute to get a good sear. Flip and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes just until they turn pink and completely opaque, then immediately pull them off onto a plate so they don't turn rubbery.
Cook the zucchini noodles
In that same skillet, add a splash more olive oil along with the minced garlic and halved tomatoes. Let them blister for about a minute, then toss in the zucchini noodles, salt, and black pepper. Cook for exactly 2 to 3 minutes—you want them barely tender, not a soggy mess.
Make the sauce
While the noodles cook, grab a small bowl and stir together the Greek yogurt, Parmesan, lemon juice, and water. If it feels too thick, add another splash of water until it reaches a nice, drizzle-friendly consistency.
Finish the bowls
Divide those warm zucchini noodles among your serving bowls and pile the Cajun shrimp right on top. Spoon the creamy lemon yogurt sauce over everything and hit it with a sprinkle of fresh parsley and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Soggy noodles
Do not overcook the zucchini. It only needs 2 to 3 minutes in the pan just to take the raw edge off.
Rubbery shrimp
Shrimp cook wildly fast. The second they turn pink and opaque, get them out of the hot pan.
Tips
- Pat your shrimp completely dry with paper towels before seasoning so they sear instead of steam.
- If your zucchini is extra watery, spiralize it ahead of time, toss with a pinch of salt, and let it drain in a colander for 10 minutes.
Variations
Extra spicy
Throw a heavy pinch of cayenne pepper into the shrimp seasoning and top the finished bowls with red pepper flakes.
Substitutions
- Swap the zucchini noodles for spaghetti squash or even regular pasta if you don't care about the carb count.
- Not a fan of shrimp? Thinly sliced chicken breast cooks up beautifully with the exact same Cajun seasoning.
What to Serve With It
Serve with a wedge of crusty sourdough bread to mop up that creamy lemon sauce at the bottom of the bowl.
Make Ahead
Prep the veggies
Spiralize the zucchini and mix the yogurt sauce up to 2 days in advance, but don't cook anything until you're ready to eat.
Storage
Store the cooked shrimp and zucchini noodles in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 3 days. Keep the yogurt sauce in its own separate container. When reheating, just microwave it briefly or toss it in a skillet over medium-low heat. Add the creamy sauce after it's warm so the yogurt doesn't split.
Recipe Notes
Because zucchini releases water as it sits, this dish is always best eaten immediately after cooking.
Nutrition
- Serving Size
- 1 bowl
- Calories
- 290
- Protein
- 32g
- Carbohydrates
- 11g
- Fat
- 13g
- Fiber
- 3g
- Sugar
- 6g
- Sodium
- 670mg
FAQ
Can I use frozen shrimp?
Yeah, absolutely. Just make sure to thaw them completely under cold running water and pat them aggressively dry with paper towels before seasoning.
How do I keep my zucchini noodles from turning to mush?
The trick is extremely high heat and very little time in the pan. Two minutes is usually all they need to soften slightly without dumping all their water.
Recipe Card
Cajun Shrimp Zucchini Noodle Bowl
A quick high-protein, low-carb bowl with Cajun shrimp, zucchini noodles, cherry tomatoes, and a light creamy sauce.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 12 min
- Total
- 27 min
- Servings
- 4
- Category
- Easy Dinner Recipes
- Cuisine
- American
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Cost
- Moderate
Ingredients
Cajun shrimp
- 1 1/4 lb large shrimp (peeled and deveined)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tsp Cajun seasoning
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
Zucchini noodle bowl
- 4 medium zucchini (spiralized into noodles)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes (halved)
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
Sauce and finish
- 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp water (or a little more as needed)
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley (chopped)
- 1 whole lemon (cut into wedges for serving)
Instructions
- Season the shrimp: Toss the peeled shrimp in a medium bowl with olive oil, Cajun seasoning, garlic powder, and black pepper. Make sure every single piece is completely coated so the spices can really bloom in the hot pan.
- Cook the shrimp: Get a large skillet screaming hot over medium-high heat. Drop the shrimp in an even layer and leave them alone for a minute to get a good sear. Flip and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes just until they turn pink and completely opaque, then immediately pull them off onto a plate so they don't turn rubbery.
- Cook the zucchini noodles: In that same skillet, add a splash more olive oil along with the minced garlic and halved tomatoes. Let them blister for about a minute, then toss in the zucchini noodles, salt, and black pepper. Cook for exactly 2 to 3 minutes—you want them barely tender, not a soggy mess.
- Make the sauce: While the noodles cook, grab a small bowl and stir together the Greek yogurt, Parmesan, lemon juice, and water. If it feels too thick, add another splash of water until it reaches a nice, drizzle-friendly consistency.
- Finish the bowls: Divide those warm zucchini noodles among your serving bowls and pile the Cajun shrimp right on top. Spoon the creamy lemon yogurt sauce over everything and hit it with a sprinkle of fresh parsley and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.
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