Cajun shrimp and tilapia foil packets
Tilapia, shrimp, corn and zucchini sealed in foil with Cajun butter and baked, so dinner cooks in its own juices and cleanup is just crumpling the foil.
- 35 min total
- 15 min hands-on
- Anyone can make this
- Serves 4
- About $4.29 a serving
- 350 calories
- Gluten-free
Dolly says: Most of the time here is hands-off, so you can sit down while it cooks.
Ingredients
For 4 servings.
- ¼ cup butter, melted
- 1 tbsp Cajun seasoning
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 corn on the cob, cut into 2-inch rounds
- 1 zucchini, cut into half-moons
- 4 tilapia fillets, thawed if frozen
- 8 oz raw shrimp, peeled and deveined, thawed if frozen
- 1 lemon, thinly sliced
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped (optional)
Each serving has about 350 calories, 42 g protein, 14 g carbs and 15 g fat, and costs about $4.29 at typical US grocery prices. Both are estimates from what the recipe uses.
Missing something?
- No butter? Ghee works.
- No zucchini? Yellow squash works.
- No tilapia fillets? Cod fillets work.
- No raw shrimp? Frozen raw shrimp works.
- No lemons? Limes work.
- No fresh parsley? Cilantro works.
Steps
Tap an underlined word for a quick explanation.
the oven to 425°F and tear off 4 large sheets of heavy-duty foil, about 18 inches long.
Preheat. Preheating means turning the oven on before you start, so it’s fully hot when the food goes in. Food that starts in a cold oven cooks unevenly and doesn’t brown the same.
How you’ll know: The oven beeps or its light clicks off, usually 10 to 15 minutes after you turn it on.
the butter with the Cajun seasoning and garlic.
Stir. Stirring means moving food around with a spoon or spatula so it cooks evenly and doesn’t stick. Unless the recipe says constantly, every so often is plenty, and it gives food time to brown.
How you’ll know: When you drag the spoon across the bottom, nothing is sticking or scorching.
Melt. Melting means gently heating something solid, like butter or cheese, until it turns liquid. Low or medium heat keeps it from browning or burning.
How you’ll know: It’s smooth and liquid, and butter may foam a little but hasn’t turned brown.
Divide the corn and zucchini among the foil sheets, then lay a tilapia fillet and a quarter of the shrimp on top of each pile.
Spoon the Cajun butter over each pile and top with the lemon slices.
Fold the foil over and crimp the edges tightly to seal, leaving a little room inside. Set the packets on a .
Sheet pan. A sheet pan is a flat metal baking tray with a low rim all the way around. The rim catches juices, and the wide surface lets food spread out and brown.
How you’ll know: Everything fits in one layer with a little space between the pieces.
Dolly’s tip: Seal them tight. If steam escapes, the fish dries out instead of cooking in its own juices.for 15 to 18 minutes, until the fish flakes easily.
Bake. Baking means cooking in the oven with dry heat all around the food. It cooks evenly from every side, so you can mostly leave it alone.
How you’ll know: It’s golden on top and passes the recipe’s check, like a clean toothpick or the right temperature.
Timer: 16 min 30 sec
Food safety: Fish is done at 145°F, when the middle looks opaque and flakes apart easily with a fork.
Open one packet carefully, away from your face, and check that the shrimp are pink and opaque. Scatter the parsley over and serve in the foil.
Dolly’s tip: Open the far side first. The hot steam rushes out toward whatever is closest.Food safety: Shrimp are done when they turn pink and opaque all the way through and curl into a loose C. A tight O means overcooked, not unsafe.
Plan this in Dollop, and get the grocery list
Dollop puts this dinner on a night that suits your week, lists only what you still need to buy, and walks you through each step while you cook.
