If you’re looking for new ways to make tasty meals that are healthy and packed with protein, then look no further. Applebee’s bourbon street chicken and shrimp recipe is so delicious, that it will probably become one of your weekly staples on the dinner menu!
This recipe is super easy to follow, so keep reading below how to make this totally delicious combination, and what to have with it!
Table of Contents
- What is Bourbon Street Chicken and Shrimp?
- What tools are needed for making Bourbon Street Chicken and Shrimp?
- Bourbon Street Chicken and Shrimp Recipe
- Tips for making the tastiest Bourbon Street Chicken and Shrimp recipe
- What should I serve with Bourbon Street Chicken and Shrimp?
- FAQs
- Bourbon Street Chicken and Shrimp Recipe – Easy and Delicious
What is Bourbon Street Chicken and Shrimp?
Bourbon street chicken and shrimp is a Cajun-style chicken paired with blackened shrimp. The meat and seafood combination pair really well together and both are cooked in a buttery garlic sauce.
This dish goes so well with a side of garlic mashed potatoes, with sauteed mushrooms, caramelized onions and garnished with parsley.
What tools are needed for making Bourbon Street Chicken and Shrimp?
In order to make this recipe, you’ll need a large frying pan or skillet to cook the bourbon chicken and prawns properly. If you are wanting to properly sear the chicken, then a cast iron skillet is ideal for this.
Cast iron skillets are great because they have excellent heat retention. Once the skillet has been heated up completely, it has amazing searing capabilities. It can give you a really nice brown finish to your chicken, which really adds to the flavor of your dish.
Cast iron skillets are super durable too, and if looked after properly can last a lifetime. If you’re trying to decide if a cast iron skillet is worth it over a cheaper nonstick, I have a separate blog post comparing it to your regular frying pan, so check it out!
Bourbon Street Chicken and Shrimp Recipe
Ingredients
For the Cajun seasoning
- 2 tsp brown sugar
- 1 ½ tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp chili powder
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp oregano
- Pinch of salt and pepper
For the bourbon street chicken and shrimp
- 1 lb chicken breast
- 1 lb tail-on shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 3 tsp oil with high smoking point (ex. canola or olive)
- ⅓ cup butter
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- ¾ cup low-sodium chicken stock/ bone broth
How to make Bourbon Street Chicken and Shrimp
Making the Cajun seasoning
- In a large bowl, combine all the seasoning ingredients together and mix together. If you’re slicing the chicken lengthways, do so now.
- Using a set of tongs, toss your chicken and shrimp in the Cajun seasoning. Next, drizzle some oil (approx. 1 tbsp), and rub the chicken breast and shrimp further with seasoning. You want to get as much of the seasoning on the food as possible.
- Use immediately, or if you are marinating, put them into a container and leave until ready to use.
Making bourbon street chicken
- In a large skillet or frying pan, heat 1 tbsp of oil with 1 tbsp of butter over medium-high heat.
- When the pan is hot, sear the chicken breasts until golden brown, checking that the interior of the chicken is cooked through, or using a meat thermometer, check the internal temperature has reached 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Remove your bourbon street chicken from the pan and set aside while cooking the shrimp.
Making bourbon street shrimp
- Next, using the same pan keep the pan at medium-high heat. If needing more oil and butter, add it at your discretion.
- Cook the shrimp for approximately 2 minutes a side, until you see the shrimp begin to curl.
- Remove the shrimp and set aside on a plate.
Making the garlic butter sauce
- Using the same pan or skillet, reduce to medium heat. Melt the remainder of the butter in the pan and add the garlic, sautéing for approximately 30-45 seconds, or until it becomes fragrant.
- Add in your chicken broth and let the mixture reduce for 3-5 minutes, occasionally scraping off any of the browned bits from the interior of the skillet. Let the mixture reduce until you’ve reached your desired sauce consistency.
- Remove your pan from the heat and drizzle the sauce over the chicken and shrimp on the serving plate.
- Chop some parsley and sprinkle on top, also serving with some lemon wedges.
Tips for making the tastiest Bourbon Street Chicken and Shrimp recipe
If you are preparing ahead of time, you could marinate both the chicken and shrimp in the Cajun seasoning for up to 24 hours before using, which will really enhance the flavor of your meal!
This recipe can be done really quickly, so you could always marinate your chicken and shrimp before preparing your side dishes, such as preparing mashed potatoes or sautéing mushrooms.
Once that has been completed then you could return to making the chicken and shrimp, allowing the seasoning to absorb into the food and enhancing the flavor!
Chicken
- When using chicken breasts that are quite large, It may be best to slice them lengthways, essentially making two breasts. This will make the surface area of the chicken larger, which means more area for rubbing seasoning.
- Don’t be afraid to really rub in that Cajun seasoning, as this will provide the best flavor.
Shrimp
- Shrimp are really easy to overcook. You’ll know you’ve overcooked your shrimp when they go into a rounded c shape, which causes them to taste quite chewy.
- In order to avoid this, be aware of whether you’re using cooked or raw shrimp.
- If you are using cooked shrimp, cook at a lower temperature and for a shorter period. Essentially, you’re wanting to heat the shrimp and cook the seasoning into the shrimp
- If you’re using raw shrimp, you can cook the shrimp for a longer period, also removing once the shrimp starts to curl.
- Once the individual shrimps start curling, you’ll know they are ready to come off the pan. It is sometimes easier taking them out one by one like this so you know they’re cooked through, but not overcooked.
What should I serve with Bourbon Street Chicken and Shrimp?
The best side dishes served with this recipe are sauteed mushrooms, caramelized onions, and garlic mashed potatoes.
FAQs
Can you freeze chicken and shrimp?
Yes, you can! If you know you’re going to freeze some, it is best to put it in a Tupperware and freeze once the food has cooled completely. This will keep the food fresh once you’ve thawed the food.
Never refreeze after thawing, and once the food has been thawed, make sure to only heat the food up once. It is dangerous to reheat food twice.
What is the best method for caramelizing onions?
Caramelized onions are a personal favorite of mine and below I have included the recipe for my favorite caramelized onions. This recipe pairs so perfectly with the bourbon street chicken and shrimp.
While some people say that the balsamic vinegar is an optional element in this recipe, I think that its essential to really get that flavor, as if a chef had made them!
Check out the recipe below.
Caramelized Onions Recipe
Ingredients
- Medium or large onions, yellow, white or red
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Balsamic vinegar
- Brown sugar
- Salt
Method
1. Slice the onion.
- To perfectly cut the onion, you’ll want to slice the onion in half, from top to bottom Next, slice the tip off the onion.
- Lay the onion on the chopping board with the cut side down and start chopping almost the full way to the end. The idea here is to get super thin slices without the onion falling apart or cutting your fingers.
- Once you’ve sliced the whole onion, you can not cut off the root, and you’ll have perfectly chopped onions.
2. Heat the pan and add onions
- Using your frying pan or cast iron skillet, coat the bottom of the pan in olive oil, or a mix of olive oil and butter, using approx. 1 tbsp per onion.
- Heat the pan on a medium-high heat and once hot, add the onions. Make sure the onions are completely coated in the oil or butter. Spread over the pan, allowing the onions to cook, but stirring occasionally to ensure the onions don’t burn. Adjust your stovetop heat accordingly to ensure that they don’t burn.
- Once the onions start to look cooked, after approximately 10 minutes of cooking, add a small sprinkle of sugar. The melted sugar will form the caramelization of the onions. If you have 5 onions, add 1 tsp, or adjust this ratio accordingly. You may need to add some water to the pan to prevent the onions from drying out or burning.
3. Let the onions cook
- Allow the onions to cook for between 30 mins to 1 hour. Here you should allow the onions to stick to the pan a little to allow the onions to brown, but stir before they reach the point of burning.
- If you keep stirring, the onions won’t be able to brown so here you need to find the balance between allowing them to brown but without burning. After 20-30 minutes, you may need to reduce the temperature of the pan and add in more oil as the onions will become more susceptible to burning.
- If you have a metal spatula, this will help to scrape the brown bits off the bottom of the pan, which will all add to the flavor.
- Continue to cook the onions until they have transformed into a rich brown color. At this point you’ll want to add the balsamic vinegar (or red wine). This will deglaze the the pan, and provide that rich flavor you get in restaurants.
Bourbon Street Chicken and Shrimp Recipe – Easy and Delicious
This recipe is super simple, packed with protein and healthy fats, and a great to end your day.
If you’ve had a look at the recipe, you’ll just how easy it is to make, so much so that the side dishes may take longer to make!
Have you tried it? Did you try it with some other side dishes that paired nicely? Let me know in the comments!
