If your day-to-day cooking has been missing real flavor lately, this is the fix. Keto Cajun salmon with shrimp and cream sauce brings big, bold flavor to tender seafood in one pan, minimal chopping required.
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This is on the table in about 25 minutes with just a handful of ingredients. Get good quality, wild-caught salmon if you can, and ask the fish counter to debone and skin it for you.
Ask for fillets from the head end of the fish, not the tail. The head end is fattier and more succulent than the narrower tail cuts.
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Chef Jenn’s Take on Cajun Salmon with Shrimp & Cream Sauce
Overcooked salmon is dry salmon, and it happens fast since this is a lean, quick-cooking fish. A couple extra minutes in a hot pan is the difference between tender and tough.
Ask the fish counter to debone, skin, and scale the salmon for you, and request fillets from the head end rather than the tail. Head-end cuts are fattier and more succulent, while tail-end pieces run narrower and leaner. Use a pan big enough to hold all the fillets without crowding them, and pull the salmon around 125 degrees if using a thermometer, since it keeps cooking a bit after it comes off the heat.
When the shallots go in after the salmon comes out, cook them just until soft and golden, not browned. Browning them pushes the flavor in a direction that does not work as well with the cream sauce.
Shrimp size is flexible. Big, plump shrimp make for a more decadent presentation, while small shrimp keep this more economical. Either way, devein and peel them first, and remove the tails so they are easy to eat once the sauce is ladled over everything.
What You’ll Love About Cajun Salmon with Shrimp & Cream Sauce
- Flexible with shrimp size, so it works for a special occasion or a budget-friendly weeknight.
- One pan, minimal chopping, and about 25 minutes from start to finish.
- The cream sauce alone is worth making this again, expect to want extra to mop it up with.
Ingredients
- Salmon fillets – Wild-caught if you can, deboned and skinned by the fish counter. Ask for cuts from the head end for a fattier, more succulent fillet.
- Butter and olive oil – Used together for cooking the fish and building the sauce.
- Shallot – Diced.
- Red bell pepper – Diced.
- Shrimp – Tiny or baby shrimp for economy, or big plump shrimp for a more decadent presentation. Deveined, peeled, and tails removed.
- Heavy cream – Full fat.
- Cajun seasoning – Standard blend, divided between the fish and the sauce. Add more if you like it spicier.
How to Make Cajun Salmon with Shrimp & Cream Sauce
Scroll down for the full recipe card with exact measurements and printable instructions.
Season the salmon fillets with Cajun seasoning on both sides.
Melt butter and olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Cook the salmon 2 to 3 minutes per side, until it reaches about 125°F.
Remove the salmon from the pan and add the shallots with more butter. Cook until soft and golden, not browned, then add the red bell pepper and cook another minute.
Add the heavy cream and bring to a slow simmer. Stir in the remaining Cajun seasoning, scraping up any browned bits from the pan. Season with salt and pepper.
Add the shrimp and bring back to a simmer. Spoon the shrimp and sauce over the salmon fillets and serve.
Make It A Meal
I serve this with Pan-Roasted Asparagus most often. If you want more seafood on the table, Oven Roasted Shrimp & Cauliflower Salad is a good pairing too.
For a more special-occasion spread, Brussels Sprouts with Prosciutto rounds out the table nicely.
Storage
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop over low heat or in the microwave in short bursts, to avoid overcooking the salmon and shrimp further. This is best fresh and not a great candidate for freezing.
Frequently Asked Questions
This recipe runs about 5 net carbs per serving. The number in the recipe card below will recalculate once this post is republished, so use it as an estimate until then.
Yes, big plump shrimp make for a more decadent presentation, while smaller shrimp keep this more budget-friendly. Either size works with the same method.
Use a meat thermometer if you’re not confident cooking fish, and pull it around 125°F. It continues cooking a bit after coming off the heat, so a little pink in the center is fine.
Ask to have the salmon deboned, skinned, and scaled, and request fillets from the head end rather than the tail. Head-end cuts are fattier and more succulent.
Add Preferred SourceCajun Salmon Fillets with Shrimp & Cream Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 pound salmon fillets cut into fillets
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/4 cup diced shallots
- 1/2 cup red bell pepper diced
- 1/2 pound shrimp tiny or baby shrimp
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 3 tablespoons cajun seasoning
Instructions
- Sprinkle the fish fillets with 1 tbsp of Cajun seasoning, both sides. Melt 1 tbsp of butter and 1 tbsp of olive oil over medium-high heat and cook the fish, on each side, for 2-3 minutes or until about 125-F inside.
- Remove the fish from the pan and add the chopped shallots and 1 tbsp of butter. Cook the shallots for a few minutes until soft and golden. Do not brown! Add the red pepper and cook another minute longer.
- Add the cream to the pan and bring to a slow simmer. Add 1 tbsp of Cajun seasoning to the cream sauce, stirring up any bits from the pan. Season with salt and pepper.
- Add the baby shrimp to the pan and bring back to a simmer. Serve spooned over the fish fillets and enjoy!
Video
Notes
Recipe Card Tips
- Ask for salmon fillets from the head end of the fish, not the tail. Head-end cuts run fattier and more succulent.
- Use a pan big enough to hold all the salmon fillets without crowding them.
- Cook the shallots until soft and golden, not browned. Browning changes the flavor direction in a way that doesn’t work as well with the cream sauce.
Nutrition
A Note on Nutritional Information
Nutritional information for this recipe is provided as a courtesy and is calculated based on available online ingredient information. It is only an approximate value. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site cannot be guaranteed. Erythritol carbs (sugar substitutes) are not included in the carbohydrate counts as they have been shown not to impact blood sugar, and they have zero calories and zero carbs. Net carbs are the total carbs minus fiber.
Like This? Also Try:
- Salmon with Lemon Dill Cream Sauce
- Shrimp Chowder with Chipotle
- Roasted Shrimp & Cauliflower Salad
- and be sure to check out my cookbook page!
I love cajun seasoning. It is perfect for so many dishes. I add your recipe to my must-have list for sure.
Cajun seasoning works well for so many dishes.. Love it!
Combining salmon with shrimp & cream sauce must give the most incredible flavor mix ever! Can’t wait to try it as soon as I get all the ingredients that I need!
I love using salmon in dishes and cajun is one of my favourite flavours – this sounds like such a tasty dish.
I may have issues figuring out what I love more – the sauce or the dish itself 🙂 They both sound unbelievable, not to say about combining them together. Must be a flavor explosion!
It truly is – big flavors in every bite, and get ready to mop up that sauce!
i just made this dish for my husband and I. We both loved it! My husband isn’t a crazy keto like me, but he does enjoy the keto recipes I make, and this one is no exception. Well done! 😊
I’m so glad you loved it, and thanks for coming by to comment! ~Jenn