Ready in just 30 minutes, shrimp and sausage skillet is ideal for weeknight dinners. Serve it on top of cauliflower rice for a complete low carb meal.
This shrimp and sausage skillet is a very flavorful, bold-tasting dish that, as so often happens, was born out of the need to use up leftovers. In this case, I had an open package of andouille sausages that I wanted to use up.
Since I only had frozen shrimp, I decided to just add them frozen to the skillet. But if you have fresh or defrosted shrimp, that would work too. Simply reduce the cooking time to 5 minutes instead of 10.
This shrimp and sausage skillet dish is truly spicy! So if you don’t like your food very spicy, use just half the listed amount of crushed red peppers.
Ready in just 30 minutes, shrimp and sausage skillet is ideal for weeknight dinners. And if you serve it on top of cauliflower rice or spaghetti squash noodles, it’s a complete, healthy, low carb meal.
Is this a healthy recipe?
I think it is, with one caveat. Shrimp, especially wild caught shrimp, is healthy. So are tomatoes and olive oil. The sausage, however, is not ideal. Processed meats have been linked to disease. And while the actual risk is very small, and the research inconclusive, I don’t think we should ignore that research completely, even though some say we should. My own personal choice is to consume processed meats in moderation. So I make shrimp and sausage skillet on occasion, not every week.
How to serve shrimp and sausage skillet
This is a lovely saucy dish, best served with a spoon in addition to knife and fork. Or serve it atop cooked rice, cauliflower rice, or spaghetti squash to soak up the yummy sauce.
The tomato brand you use makes a difference
I recommend using Pomi tomatoes in this recipe (link provided below in the recipe card). Pomi is a brand of Italian tomatoes, available on Amazon, at Whole Foods, and in some supermarkets. These tomatoes are noticeably sweeter than local tomatoes. So if you use canned tomato puree, you might want to taste for acidity and add a tablespoon of honey or maple syrup to balance out the flavors.
What about leftovers?
If you have leftover shrimp and sausage, you can keep them in the fridge, in a sealed container, for up to 3 days. Make sure you reheat them very gently, so as not to overcook the shrimp. It’s best to reheat them in the microwave, covered, on 50% power.
Skillet Sausage and Shrimp
INGREDIENTS
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 4 large (3 oz each) sausage links, thinly sliced (I used cajun-style andouille sausages)
- 2 cups Pomi chopped tomatoes, or one 14-oz can pure tomato puree
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt or 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon coriander
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red peppers
- 16 oz raw shrimp, frozen, briefly rinsed in cold water to separate them
- Chopped parsley for garnish
INSTRUCTIONS
- Heat the olive oil over medium heat, about 3 minutes.
- Add the tomato paste, garlic, paprika and cumin. Cook for 30 seconds.
- Add the sausage slices and cook until browned, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in the tomatoes, salt, pepper, coriander and crushed red peppers. Increase heat to high and bring to a boil.
- Add the shrimp. Cover, reduce heat to medium and cook until opaque, about 10 minutes (5 minutes if shrimp are not frozen).
- To serve skillet sausage and shrimp, spoon it over rice, cauliflower rice or spaghetti squash.
