This Cajun fried rice recipe is a delicious one-pot dinner that your whole family will love! With tender, flavorful Cajun shrimp and spicy andouille sausage, this fried rice is the perfect easy weeknight meal. The bold Cajun spices bring a unique twist to the classic shrimp fried rice, making it a standout dish that will satisfy everyone's taste buds.
Fried rice is my favorite copycat takeout food because it's so simple and quick to make. I also love homemade fried rice because you can customize it exactly how you like it. Sometimes we use brown rice, sometimes white rice—whatever you have leftover will work great. You can throw just about any vegetable and protein you have on hand into the skillet with some scrambled eggs and gluten free soy sauce, and it's bound to be delicious.
If you're looking for more quick and easy gluten free dinner ideas, check out my sausage sheet pan meal, this simple shrimp and chicken fried rice or our favorite Mexican beef and rice skillet.
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Ingredient Notes
- Olive Oil - Although fried rice is typically made with sesame oil, I've opted for extra light virgin olive oil here so the sesame flavor doesn't compete with the Cajun seasoning.
- Andouille Sausage - North Country Smokehouse is my favorite brand of gluten free sausage. If your store doesn't carry that brand, make sure to check labels or contact the manufacturer to check the gluten free status since many sausages are not gluten free.
- Shrimp - I used raw shrimp in this recipe. You can substitute thawed cooked shrimp if that's what you have on hand. Just make sure to reduce the cooking time of the shrimp to only a minute or two. Shrimp cooks very quickly, and overcooking the shrimp can make it rubbery. With pre-cooked shrimp, you just want to heat it through.
- Onion, Garlic & Bell Peppers - These three provide the base flavor for this Cajun fried rice. You can use a mix of red and green bell peppers like I have or use your favorite variety.
- Eggs - Use 2 or 3 large eggs, depending on how much egg you like in your fried rice.
- Rice - Leftover rice is the secret to great fried rice. When rice is cooked and chilled it transforms the starches. If you try to use freshly cooked rice, the fried rice will clump together. You can use either white or brown rice for this recipe.
- Cajun seasoning - A combination of spices with heat coming from red peppers, not to be confused with Creole seasoning which also contains herbs. You can use storebought or homemade Cajun seasoning. If you opt for storebought, look for a gluten free brand like Badia.
- Gluten Free Soy Sauce - If you're following a gluten free diet, make sure to opt for gluten free soy sauce. I typically use Kikkoman gluten free soy sauce or San-J Tamari soy sauce.
See recipe card for full ingredient list and quantities.
Substitutions & Variations
- No Andouille Sausage - If you can't find gluten free andouille, kielbasa would make a suitable replacement.
- No raw shrimp - If you want to use cooked shrimp, reduce the cooking time on the shrimp to just about 2 minutes, just long enough to heat them through.
- No leftover rice - If you don't have leftover rice, prepare a batch and spread it on a baking sheet to cool. Place it in the refrigerator for a couple of hours prior to making the fried rice.
- Add celery - celery, onion and bell pepper make up the "holy trinity" in Cajun food. I am personally intolerant to celery, so I didn't include it. Feel free to add a little to saute along with the other vegetables if you like.
How to Make Cajun Fried Rice
This easy weeknight dinner recipe is made all on one pan in about 30 minutes. I use a large 12" frying pan to make sure there is enough room for everything to cook.
- STEP 1: Cook the sausage and shrimp in a large nonstick skillet. Remove them from the pan.
- STEP 2: Add the oil and saute the onion and bell peppers for about 5 minutes. Then add the garlic and cook for one minute more.
- STEP 3: Scoot the vegetables to the side and crack the eggs directly into the skillet. Scramble the eggs until they are just set. Add the rice and meat back into the skillet. Top with soy sauce.
- STEP 4: Stir and cook for about 5 minutes until the rice is warmed through.
Top Tip
I like to set the cooked sausage and shrimp aside in a bowl, rather than on a plate, so that all the juices are easily caught and can be stirred back into the fried rice in the end. That is all flavor that you don't want to lose!
Storage
Allow leftovers to cool to room temperature before storing. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days. To reheat, add a little sprinkle of water over the rice before microwaving, to prevent the rice from drying out.
Other gluten free dinner recipes to consider:
If you try this recipe, please leave a 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 star rating and let me know how you liked it in the comments below.
Recipe
Cajun Fried Rice
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil plus more as needed
- ½ pound Raw Shrimp peeled, deveined and tails removed
- 6 ounces Andouille Sausage about 3 links
- 1 teaspoon Cajun Seasoning
- ½ Cup White Onion diced
- ½ Cup Red Bell Pepper seeded and diced
- ½ Cup Green Bell Pepper seeded and diced
- 2 cloves Garlic minced
- 3 Large Eggs beaten
- 3 Cups Cooked Rice
- 2 Tablespoons Gluten Free Soy Sauce or Tamari
- Salt & Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Warm the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the diced andouille sausage and cook for 3-4 minutes, until the edges start to get golden brown. Add the shrimp and Cajun seasoning, and cook for 4-5 more minutes until the shrimp turn pink and opaque, and curl into a C shape. Remove the sausage and shrimp to a small bowl, leaving as much oil and seasoning in the skillet as possible.2 Tablespoons Olive Oil, ½ pound Raw Shrimp, 6 ounces Andouille Sausage, 1 teaspoon Cajun Seasoning
- Add the diced onion and bell peppers to the hot pan (add a little bit more olive oil if needed). Cook for about 5 minutes until softened. Add the garlic and cook for one minute more, stirring constantly.½ Cup White Onion, ½ Cup Red Bell Pepper, ½ Cup Green Bell Pepper, 2 cloves Garlic
- Move the vegetables to one side of the pan and pour the eggs into the other half. Scramble them with your spatula until they are just set.3 Large Eggs
- Return the meat and all juices to the pan and add the cooked rice. Pour the soy sauce over the top of the rice. Stir well until the soy sauce evenly coats the rice, and all the ingredients are well combined.3 Cups Cooked Rice, 2 Tablespoons Gluten Free Soy Sauce
- Allow the fried rice to cook for 4-5 more minutes until the rice is heated through. Keep stirring occasionally so that the rice doesn't stick to the bottom of the skillet. When the rice is hot, taste and add additional Cajun seasoning, salt and black pepper if desired. Garnish with green onions and serve.Salt & Pepper
Notes
Tiffany is the recipe developer, stylist and food photographer behind Well Fed Baker. As a lifelong baker who had to go gluten free and dairy free in 2016, Tiffany strives to share allergen friendly recipes that never feel like they are free from anything.
Natalie says
Such a wonderful way to use leftover rice! So smart. And I love the traditional shrimp fried rice, but I can’t wait to try this version with spicy sausage. Thanks for sharing this recipe.