Jamaican Pepper Shrimp

Name: Jamaican Pepper Shrimp
Prep time: 9 min
Cook time: 18 min
Total time: 27 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Jamaican
Ingredients: 1 lb Shrimp; 2 chopped Scotch Bonnet; 1 tablespoon All-purpose Seasoning; 2 tsp Ground Annatto; 2 tsp Allspice; 3/4 cup Shrimp Stock; 1/4 cup Onion; 2 cloves minced Garlic; 2 tablespoons White Vinegar; 3 sprigs Thyme; To taste Salt

By The Spice & Simmer Kitchen · Published May 3, 2026

A one-pot Seafood recipe with Jamaican flavors, built for busy weeknights when you want real food without a sink full of dishes. Comes together in roughly 44 minutes, serves about 4, and uses ingredients you can find at any normal grocery store. The technique is simple: build a base in your pot, layer in the main ingredients, simmer until everything has had time to talk to each other, and serve straight from the pan. If you're cooking for picky eaters, this one tends to land — the flavors are recognizable, the texture is comforting, and there's nothing weird hiding in the ingredient list. Perfect for the kind of evening where you want dinner on the table by 7pm and the kitchen empty by 7:30.

Ingredients

Makes 4 servings · 27 min total

1 lb Shrimp
2 chopped Scotch Bonnet
1 tablespoon All-purpose Seasoning
2 tsp Ground Annatto
2 tsp Allspice
3/4 cup Shrimp Stock
1/4 cup Onion
2 cloves minced Garlic
2 tablespoons White Vinegar
3 sprigs Thyme
To taste Salt

Step-by-step instructions

In a medium bowl, combine shrimp with minced Scotch Bonnet peppers, all-purpose seasoning, ground annatto, and grounf allspice. Toss well to coat evenly and let marinate for 10 minutes.
Heat a large pan over medium heat. Add the shrimp stock and bring to a gentle simmer. Stir in the diced onion and garlic, cooking until softened and fragrant, about 2 minutes.
Add the seasoned shrimp and thyme sprigs, spreading the shrimp in the pan. Cover and cook for about 5–7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the shrimp turn bright orange and are cooked through.
Add the white vinegar, stir, and cook for another minute. Taste; add salt to taste. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the shrimp to a plate. Serve hot with some cooking liquid drizzled on top.

Why this works on a weeknight

Jamaican Pepper Shrimp genuinely fits a 30-minute weeknight window, which is why it earned a spot in our Skillet & One-Pan collection. The technique is forgiving, the ingredient list is grocery-store standard, and the active cooking time is short enough that you can answer a text message in the middle without ruining dinner.

Cleanup notes

This is a single-pan recipe, so the cleanup is exactly one pan, one cutting board, and one knife. While the dish rests, fill the pan with hot soapy water — by the time you are done eating, the residue lifts off with a single pass of a sponge. Skip the steel wool on cast iron; a stiff brush and warm water are all you need to keep the seasoning intact.

Make-ahead and leftovers

Leftovers keep covered in the fridge for up to three days. Reheat in a dry pan over medium-low with a splash of water or stock to loosen the sauce. Jamaican Pepper Shrimp actually improves overnight as the flavors keep talking to each other, so doubling the recipe and packing tomorrow's lunch is a high-leverage weeknight move.

Filed under 🥘 Skillet & One-Pan Seafood Jamaican ⚡ 30-Min Dinner