Grilled Cajun-Spiced Shrimp Lettuce Wraps

meat & seafoodfish & seafoodlunchdinnereasy recipes

Aug 4

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Cajun-spiced shrimp that’s grilled to perfection, wrapped in iceberg lettuce and topped with salsa, sour cream, and guacamole. These shrimp lettuce wraps are a perfect option for Taco Tuesday without the tortilla!

I’m absolutely hooked on these Grilled Cajun-Spiced Shrimp Lettuce Wraps! I love the heat from the Cajun spice, and the lettuce wraps make for a different and unique way to enjoy tacos!

Lettuce wraps are lots of fun for me! Of course I love traditional tacos with a soft flour tortilla. What can I say, I’m a huge bread lover! I don’t think I’ve gone a day without eating some kind of bread, actually! Thought experiment for me now…

But back on topic! Lettuce wraps are just so nice and refreshing on a hot summer’s day. Plus, they’re messy too, and the mess is my favourite part of eating traditional tacos, so I don’t miss out! It’s just a different kind of mess, haha!

I was inspired to make lettuce wraps based on JOEY Restaurant’s Asian shrimp lettuce wraps. That’s one of my favourite appetizers! Those lettuce wraps are Asian-style, so I wanted to add a different flair to my shrimp lettuce wraps.

You guys know I love heat in my food. So I found Cajun spice was a simple yet effective way to season the shrimp!

I’m really excited to be sharing this recipe with you! These shrimp lettuce wraps are light and so easy to make, and you can easily prepare enough to easily feed a crowd! The most involved part of this recipe is honestly just preparing your toppings! The shrimp cook so fast, which is one of my favourite parts of this recipe!

Ingredients for Grilled Cajun Shrimp Lettuce Wraps

You may already have these ingredients in your kitchen, so this recipe is sure to be a breeze! Here’s what you’ll need:

Shrimp
Red and green bell peppers
Lemon juice
Garlic
Cajun seasoning
Olive oil
Iceberg lettuce

Want to make your own Cajun seasoning? Check out my recipe here!

How to Make Cajun-Spiced Shrimp Lettuce Wraps

For the marinade

If your shrimp are frozen, defrost you shrimp by adding them to a large bowl, and filling the bowl with cold water.

It will take about 15 minutes for the shrimp to defrost. Then, drain the water from the shrimp. If you need to peel and de-vein your shrimp, go ahead and do this.

As the shrimp defrosts, cut your peppers into strips.

In a mixing bowl, add the shrimp, followed by the red and green peppers.

Add 1-2 tsp olive oil, lemon juice, minced garlic, and season with Cajun seasoning, salt and pepper to taste.

Mix well. Then, let the shrimp and peppers marinate for at least 5-10 minutes.

To cook the shrimp and peppers

Heat a grill pan on medium to medium heat. Once the pan is hot, add the shrimp and the peppers. Cook the shrimp for about a 1 1/2 minutes on the first side get a slight char.

Cook the shrimp for about a minute to a minute and a half on one side to get a char.

Flip, and cook for another minute or so until the shrimp are fully cooked.

Flip, and cook other side for another minute or so until the shrimp are fully cooked. Set the shrimp and peppers aside in a bowl until ready to serve.

Serving Suggestions for Shrimp Lettuce Wraps

Now this is the fun part! Lettuce wraps are lots of fun to me because you get to build your own wrap at the dinner table! Prep your lettuce and toppings and get ready to serve yourself!

In this recipe, I’ll be using some iceberg lettuce for my lettuce wraps. In the video below, I actually used Boston leaf lettuce, so you can use pretty much any lettuce!

To get the lettuce into these taco shaped cups, slice a lettuce head in half. Remove the root of the lettuce and then cut each half of the head into two down the middle. The trick is to cut perpendicular to the layers. Do not cut in the same direction as the layers of the lettuce.

Here are the toppings I’m going to be serving with these lettuce wraps:

I recommend putting everything in ramekins and having your lettuce wraps on the side, as I show here!

That’s it! Feel free to get creative and experiment with other toppings! Serve hot and enjoy!

Some FAQs

What if I want to cook this on a barbecue?

I wish I had a barbecue, but my current residence does not allow it! That would be amazing! If you do have one and want to get outside and barbecue, then I recommend cutting your peppers into chunks instead of strips for obvious reasons. Also, for tips to cook the shrimp, I would refer to my friend Google.

Can I use another type of lettuce instead of iceberg lettuce?

I’ve done this with iceberg lettuce and Boston leaf lettuce. At the end of the day, we want to make lettuce cups, anything that looks like cups or can be cut into cups works. You could even use Romaine Lettuce to make these wraps.

Are grilled shrimp lettuce wraps healthy?

Oh yes they definitely are! These lettuce wraps are loaded with veggies from the red peppers, the corn, and the pico de gallo on top. We’ve got healthy fats from the avocados in our homemade guacamole. Everything is freshly made with the exception of the sour cream and the salsa, but you can find salsas that are minimally processed in the grocery stores. We’ve also got a great source of protein from the shrimp. This meal is very light, so you can really load up on the shrimp and veggies to keep you full!

What kind of shrimp is best for this recipe?

My personal favourite is Argentinian Shrimp, which are incredibly sweet and large. These shrimps are usually caught from their natural ocean habitats, giving them a natural sweet taste from the sea.

Watch How to Make Grilled Cajun-Spiced SHrimp Here:

Let me know what you think of this recipe in the comments! If you’ve tried this recipe, be sure to post it on social media and tag it with #cookingwithanadi and mention me @cookingwithanadi. Thank you!

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Mexican, healthy recipes, lettuce wraps

Mexican

Yield: 2

Author: Anadi

Grilled Cajun-Spiced Shrimp Lettuce Wraps

Cajun-spiced shrimp that’s grilled to perfection, wrapped in iceberg lettuce and topped with salsa, sour cream, and guacamole. These shrimp lettuce wraps are a perfect option for Taco Tuesday without the tortilla!

Prep time: 25 MCook time: 5 MTotal time: 30 M

Ingredients:

For the marinade

10-12 shrimp, peeled and de-veined
1/4 red pepper, cut in strips
1/4 green pepper, cut in strips
juice of 1/2 lemon
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tsp Amazing Homemade Cajun Seasoning
1-2 tsp olive oil

For the lettuce wraps

6 leaves of lettuce
2 Tbsp sour cream
4 Tbsp corn
4 Tbsp salsa
4 Tbsp I ncredible Easy Homemade Guacamole
4 Tbsp Authentic Pico de Gallo

Instructions:

For the marinade.

If your shrimps are frozen, defrost you shrimp by adding them to a large bowl, and filling the bowl with cold water. It will take about 15 minutes for the shrimp to defrost. Then, drain the water from the shrimp. If you need to peel and de-vein your shrimp, go ahead and do this.
In a mixing bowl, add the shrimp, followed by the red and green peppers. Add 1-2 tsp olive oil, lemon juice, minced garlic, and season with Cajun seasoning, salt and pepper to taste.
Mix well. Then, let the shrimp and peppers marinate for at least 5-10 minutes.

To prepare the lettuce wraps

To get the lettuce into these taco shaped cups, slice a lettuce head in half. Remove the root of the lettuce and then cut each half of the head into two down the middle. The trick is to cut perpendicular to the layers. Do not cut in the same direction as the layers of the lettuce.
Refrigerate the lettuce until ready to use. in the meanwhile, prepare the Quick Homemade Guacamole and Quick Homemade Pico de Gallo and portion out the rest of the toppings in bowls or ramekins.

To cook the shrimp

Heat a grill pan on medium to medium heat. Once the pan is hot, add the shrimp and the peppers. Cook the shrimp for about a 1 1/2 minutes on the first side get a slight char.
Flip, and cook other side for another minute or so until the shrimp are fully cooked. Set the shrimp and peppers aside in a bowl until ready to serve.