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My Cajun fried rice takes your taste buds on a flavor-popping fusion ride you'll want to get back on all the time, y'all!! Browned veggies and sausage, a scrumptious 3-ingredient sauce, and a mix of frozen and canned veggies stirred in the skillet. Then, enhanced at the end with seasoned shrimp that release their spiced juices into each bite of this everything-but-the-kitchen-sink food showcase spectacular. Yep and yay...
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It's a Food Fusion Marriage Made to Last...
Cajun fried rice marries traditional south Louisiana food ingredients and methods with the classic Chinese fried rice recipe.
My unique version of this dish features two types of meat, 10 different types of vegetables, sauce, and rice. So, it's a stand-alone meal that you can eat by itself and still feel satisfied. Feeding six straight out of the skillet, this dish is just as perfect for a family dinner as it is for bringing to a potluck get-together. Indeed.
Cajun Fried Rice Ingredient Essentials & Substitutions
- Shrimp and sausage are the leading factors that make this Cajun fried rice a true fusion recipe. I buy 31/35-count, peeled, and deveined shrimp that I freeze by the pound, and then thaw as needed. I also use beef sausage, but you can use andouille sausage, if desired.
- The chopped onion, bell pepper, and celery form the Cajun trinity, the backbone of south Louisiana cooking. Their presence means everything in this dish. So, include them in the recipe if you want to achieve the most desirable results.
- I use minced garlic straight out of the jar, y'all. I used to buy fresh garlic. But, over time I realized that the jarred stuff is just as good and saves me a TON of prep time every day in the kitchen.
- It's better if the cooked rice is already cold for this recipe. However, you can use warm rice, just stir out all of the clumps in it and you should be fine.
- Bamboo shoots and mushrooms bring the Chinese fusion component of the veggies, while the frozen okra lends yet another Louisiana touch to the Cajun fried rice. The frozen veggie blend of corn, carrots, green beans, and peas round out the dish, making each bite jam-packed with so many incredible flavors and textures that you just can't wait for your next forkful. Honest.
- The dried ginger, parsley, and paprika are really easy to acquire in-person or online. You can also order the soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, and fresh or dried green onions from Amazon easily.
- Eggs (not pictured) are optional. However, I decided to include them at the last minute because they're usually in Chinese fried rice takeout and I wanted to respect that aspect of this fusion recipe.
Storage
This Cajun fried rice keeps wonderfully in the fridge, y'all. I tested it each day for three days. And, I can tell you from the full eating experience that it tasted just as good on the third day as it did straight out of the pot!
That said, I don't eat leftovers after the third day so I don't recommend that you do, either. And, I don't recommend freezing this with the rice. So, if you want to, freeze the rest of the ingredients. Then, thaw them out and add the rice when the mixture has been reheated and is piping hot.
Top Recipe Tip
Chop the veggies and slice the sausage for this Cajun fried rice the night before. You can also season the shrimp and have them ready to go in the fridge, as well. Finally, you can make the rice, let it cool, and get that covered in the refrigerator, too.
Any one of these steps will make the recipe go by faster. However, if you can get all three pre-recipe steps accomplished the day before, you'll only have a few minutes of hands-on time at the stove.
How to Make Cajun Fried Rice
To begin the recipe, make sure that you have cooked rice on hand. Then, season the shrimp with the dried spices. Set them aside.
Then, pour all of the sauce ingredients into a bowl and stir until combined. Set aside.
Now, crack three eggs into a Pyrex measuring cup or a tall glass. Use a spoon to beat the eggs lightly. Set aside.
Pour the oil or butter and the Cajun trinity veggies into a greased cast iron skillet on the stove.
Cook the veggies until about halfway browned, then add the sausage to the pot.
Continue cooking until the sausage and veggies are browned, then add the minced garlic and cook for one more minute.
Now, turn down the heat, and stir the sauce into the sausage and vegetable mixture.
Next, add the veggies to the pot and stir until all of the ingredients are well incorporated.
Push the mixture over onto one side of the skillet. Pour the beaten eggs onto the other side of the pan. Cover the skillet partially, until the eggs are scrambled.
Then, stir the cooked eggs into the rest of the Cajun fried rice mixture.
Stir the seasoned shrimp into the skillet. Stir to combine, cover partially, and cook until the shrimp turns opaque.
Finally, stir the cooked rice into the mixture in batches, and let cook for a few minutes until the rice 'fries' in the pan.
And that's it, y'all!!
The browned sausage and chopped onion, celery, and bell pepper form a deep, rich base that balances perfectly with the Asian sauce flavors. The okra, bamboo shoots, mushrooms, and mixed veggie medley round out each bite, yielding immensely beautiful color as well as flavor and texture variety.
The seasoned shrimp are superb here, y'all, with each one adding a gourmet-quality essence to this truly impressive dish. For sure.
Share this Cajun fried rice with those who fill your life with faith, friendship, and freshness. Much food love, and see y'all on the yum side...
More Shrimp & Sausage Comfort Food Recipes
If you love this Cajun fried rice, then you'll want to put these other feel-good recipes into your menu rotation plans as soon as possible.
Check out my ebook at this link for volume one of some of the best gluten free Creole and Cajun recipes on my blog.
Cajun Fried Rice
Ingredients
For the Seasoned Shrimp
- 1 pound raw shrimp, peeled and deveined I used 31/35 count
- 2 teaspoons dried parsley flakes
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon dried ginger
- salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper to taste
For the Sauce
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce I use Kikkoman gluten free
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon chopped green onions Use fresh or dried
For the Cajun Fried Rice
- 3 eggs
- 4 tablespoons oil or butter
- 1 medium-sized yellow onion, chopped
- 1 green bell pepper, chopped
- 2 celery ribs, trimmed and chopped
- 12 ounces sausage, sliced
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 cup frozen okra
- 1 cup frozen mixed vegetables corn, green beans, carrots, and peas
- 1 4-ounce can sliced mushrooms, drained
- 1 5-ounce can bamboo shoots, drained
- 2 cups cooked rice preferably cold
Instructions
- Season the shrimp and set aside.
- Crack the eggs into a Pyrex measuring cup or tall glass.
- Beat the eggs lightly, then set aside.
- Stir the sauce ingredients together in a bowl. Set aside.
- Heat the oil in a 12-inch cast iron skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add the chopped onion, bell pepper, and celery to the pan.
- Cook the veggies, stirring often, until they are about halfway-browned.
- Stir the sausage into the mixture and continue cooking until browned.
- Add the garlic and cook for one additional minute.
- Reduce the heat to medium.
- Pour the sauce into the pan and stir until combined.
- Add the okra, mixed vegetables, mushrooms, and bamboo shoots into the skillet, and stir until incorporated.
- Push the veggies to the side of the pan, and pour the lightly beaten eggs into the empty side.
- Cover the skillet partially with a clear glass lid, and let the eggs cook until scrambled, about 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Stir the scrambled eggs into the rest of the mixture.
- Add the seasoned shrimp to the skillet, and stir until combined.
- Cover the pan partially again, and let the shrimp cook, stirring often, until a digital thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the flesh reads at least 145 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Add the cooked rice in batches to the skillet.
- When you've added all of the rice, let cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring often, until the mixture is combined thoroughly and the rice has 'fried' in the skillet.
Notes
The information shown is an estimate provided by a third-party, online computer-generated nutrition calculator, not a registered dietitian or certified nutritionist. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods and individual portion sizes, along with other factors.
See our full nutrition disclaimer here.
