These Cajun Shrimp Crostini bites are an easy crowd-pleasing appetizer that comes together in less than 30 minutes. The toasted baguette is topped with guacamole, fresh salsa, and spicy cajun shrimp. These make delicious party finger food or a fun and fancy movie night snack all year round!
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Why This Recipe Works
The perfect flavor and texture combo - Thin slices of a baguette get toasted in the oven and topped with creamy avocado, spicy shrimp, and fresh salsa. All the flavors work really well together and they're great for any time of year.
Appetizer or lunch - These little toasts are meant to be an appetizer but they can also be turned into a lunch or a light dinner. Instead of a baguette, serve everything on a piece of toasted bread!
The perfect party snack - Finger food is great for any party because it's easy to serve and easy to eat. Try it at your next gathering or game day!
Easy and flavorful - All you need to flavor the shrimp is some cajun spice and the rest comes together really quickly. Toast your bread, add guacamole, pico de gallo, and the shrimp! You can have this crowd-pleasing appetizer ready in under 30 minutes!
Ingredients
- Baguette - A French baguette is preffered but you can use any baguette you prefer. Use gluten-free if needed.
- Shrimp - Look for raw peeled and deveined shrimp, 26-30 count. I prefer buying frozen shrimp and defrost them in the fridge overnight.
- Cajun seasoning - You can use store-bought or make your own. Note whether or not your spice mix contains salt and add more or less sea salt to the shrimp accordingly.
- Guacamole - You can make homemade guacamole (highly recommended!) or just mash up a couple of ripe avocados, whichever you prefer.
- Pico de Gallo - Tangy fresh salsa works really well with the creamy guacamole and spicy shrimp here. The recipe calls for classic pico de gallo but a Mango Pico de Gallo or Pineapple de Gallo would be a fun tropical twist!
Variations and Substitutions
- Bread - You can turn this into lunch or light dinner by putting everything on a slice of toasted bread instead of the baguette. Or you can slice your baguette horizontally into big slices instead of the little ones.
- Chicken or salmon - If you don't have shrimp, you can cut up salmon or chicken into bite-sized pieces and cook it as you would the shrimp. Cooking time may vary, be sure to cook your chicken until it reaches an internal temperature of 165F.
- Different spices - If you don't have cajun spice, a mix of herbs, sea salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and chili flakes would also be delicious!
- No avocado - If you don't have guacamole or avocado, you can use cream cheese or soft goat cheese instead!
- Lime - Finish the crostinis with some freshly squeezed lime juice or lemon juice.
- Fresh herbs - If you're adding pico de gallo with cilantro, this is not necessary but you can also add some finely chopped fresh herbs on top like cilantro, parsley, or chives!
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400F (200C).
- Slice the baguette and lay it out on a baking sheet. Set aside.
- Transfer the baking sheet with sliced baguette to the preheated oven and toast for 5-10 minutes when you're ready to cook the shrimp.
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- Wash and dry the shrimp. You can remove the tails too before cooking or leave them on for presentation.
- Add the shrimp to a medium bowl and drizzle with avocado oil. Toss to coat.
- Season with cajun spice and sea salt. Mix again to coat well.
- Cook the shrimp in a large skillet over medium-high heat for 1-2 minutes on each side until the shrimp are pink and opaque. Don’t overcook them.
- Spread guacamole or mashed avocado on the baguette slices, top with pico de gallo, and add 1-2 shrimp to each slice.
- Garnish with fresh herbs if desired and finish with a squeeze of lemon. These are best enjoyed right away while the baguette is still crunchy.
Serving and Storing
Once you put everything together, the crostini are best enjoyed right away. If you plan to store some of it for later. Keep all the ingredients separate. Keep everything in separate containers in the fridge for 1-2 days. Always cook the shrimp before storing but toast the bread right before serving.
You can also turn this appetizer into lunch by serving it on a big slice of toasted sourdough bread instead of small baguette slices. Add a generous amount of guacamole, pico de gallo, and a few shrimp, and enjoy!
FAQs
No, I don't recommend it. They're best eaten fresh.
Cajun seasoning has cayenne pepper so it's considered a spicy seasoning but it will depend on the brand and how much cayenne there is. I use Frontier co-op cajun spice and it's not very spicy.
Yes, you can use cream cheese, whipped goat cheese, or even hummus if you prefer.
Similar Recipes
If you're looking for other crostini, bruschetta, or similar small-bite recipes, check out the four below! The bruschetta with cheese is perfect for the summer when tomatoes are in season! See Appetizers to see all the latest ones!
- Bruschetta with Mozzarella
- Whipped Goat Cheese Crostini with Roasted Grapes
- Butternut Squash Crostini with Goat Cheese and Fig Glaze
- Sweet Potato Rounds with Hummus, Pesto, and Goat Cheese
📖 Recipe
Shrimp Crostini
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 15 mins
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 4-6 1x
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Low Lactose
Description
These Cajun Shrimp Crostini bites are an easy crowd-pleasing appetizer that comes together in less than 30 minutes. Serve it as finger food at parties, movie nights, or on toasted bread instead of baguette for lunch!
Ingredients
- 1 baguette
- 500g raw shrimp (26-30 count, peeled and deveined)
- 2 tbsp avocado oil (or other cooking oil)
- 1 ½ tbsp cajun spice
- ½ tsp sea salt (optional, skip if your cajun spice contains salt)
- 1 cup 4-Ingredient Guacamole (or 2 avocados, mashed)
- ½ cup pico de gallo
- ¼ cup finely chopped fresh parsley or chives (optional)
- ½ lime
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400F (200C).
- Slice the baguette and lay it out on a baking sheet. Set aside.
- Wash and dry the shrimp. You can remove the tails too before cooking or leave them on for presentation.
- Add the shrimp to a medium bowl and drizzle with avocado oil. Toss to coat.
- Season with cajun spice and sea salt. Mix again to coat well.
- Transfer the baking sheet with sliced baguette to the preheated oven and toast for 5-10 minutes while you cook the shrimp.
- Cook the shrimp in a large skillet over medium-high heat for 1-2 minutes on each side until the shrimp are pink and opaque. Don’t overcook.
- Spread guacamole or mashed avocado on the baguette slices, top with pico de gallo, and add 1-2 shrimp to each slice.
- Garnish with fresh herbs if desired and finish with a squeeze of lime. Best enjoyed right away.
Notes
Leaving the tail on the shrimp for cooking adds more flavors to the dish so I often leave them on but you can remove them so the crostini is easier to eat.
Keep any leftover cooked shrimp in an airtight container in the fridge for 1-2 days. I don’t recommend freezing them.
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Gloria says
What a great recipe for entertaining. The presentation is perfect. These will be hit at my next party.
Loreto and Nicoletta says
These are truly incredible for a dinner party. Love everything about them. I am imagining biting in and the shrimp ate so plump and juicy. Great work on this post! 😋 👍 ❤️
Enriqueta E Lemoine says
I searched for creative crostini recipe ideas, and your recipe popped up. I love the fusion of Italian, Mexican, and Cajun cuisines. You nailed it. Thanks for the inspiration!
Kathryn says
My mouth is watering just by looking at this crostini! Love everything about this and all the bold flavors!
Lori | The Kitchen Whisperer says
What a fun and delicious recipe! This is perfect for entertaining and summer cookouts! The bold flavors are incredible!
Carrie Robinson says
These look so delicious! :) These crostini would be perfect to make and serve when having guests over.
Jenny says
The shrimp crostini came out great! Your recipe is easy and fuss-free. Thanks so much; we will definitely make them again.
Hayley Dhanecha says
Perfect recipe for entertaining. Flavourful and easy to make. Sharing this link with my friend who is hosting a small get-together next weekend.
krysten says
Such a simple appetizer that makes you wish it was the full course meal, its that good! The presentation of this recipe is one of my favorites, all of the bright colors make it irresistible to try!