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One of the things I love about shrimp is that it cooks up so quickly on the stovetop, perfect when you have hot weather and you don’t want to use the oven, or have the stove going too long.
Case in point, this cilantro lime shrimp.
If you have shrimp fresh and ready to go, it takes 10 or 15 minutes to cook, tops. If you are starting with frozen shrimp, maybe you have to add another 10 minutes to defrost it.
Cilantro and lime are one of those master combinations, which works well with steak, chicken, fish, and especially shrimp.
Start with few slices of serrano chiles and garlic in a little oil in a hot pan. Toss in the shrimp, stir a little, cook a little, and when the shrimp are pink, turn off the heat and add the cilantro and lime.
That’s it! Couldn’t be easier, and now you have a perfect little light meal. I like to wrap mine in a heated tortilla. So good!
Cilantro Lime Shrimp Recipe
If you are using frozen shrimp, defrost them by placing them in a bowl of ice water or cold water. Adding a little salt to the water will help the shrimp retain their briny flavor.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons peanut oil, canola oil, or rice bran oil
- 1 Serrano chile (more if you like it spicy, or just a fraction of one if you want less heat), sliced into thin rings
- 1-2 garlic cloves, sliced thinly
- 1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
- Salt
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
- 1-2 tablespoons lime juice
Method
1 Heat oil until shimmering hot: Place a large sauté pan or a wok over your strongest burner on high heat. Let the pan heat up for a minute and then add the oil. Let the oil heat until it's shimmering. If it starts to smoke, remove the pan from the heat for a moment.
2 Add the chiles to the pan and toss to coat with oil. Cook 30 seconds.
3 Add the shrimp and garlic to the pan and sprinkle with salt. Toss to coat with oil. Let the shrimp cook undisturbed for 1 minute before tossing again so they get a little bit of a sear. Stir-fry until cooked through, about 2-3 minutes.
4 Turn off the heat and mix in the cilantro, then the lime juice.
Serve hot or at room temperature. Serve alone, over rice, or in a folded heated flour or corn tortilla.
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Elise Bauer is the founder of Simply Recipes. Elise launched Simply Recipes in 2003 as a way to keep track of her family's recipes, and along the way grew it into one of the most popular cooking websites in the world. Elise is dedicated to helping home cooks be successful in the kitchen. Elise is a graduate of Stanford University, and lives in Sacramento, California.
Cilantro Lime Shrimp
Absolutely delicious. Light and fresh! My husband asked me to make this again.
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This recipe is FABULOUS! I made it last night for dinner and all 5 kids (ages 10 – 20) gave it a thumbs up. It is my new go-to easy, weekday recipe. So simple and fast. I served with orzo because that’s what I had in the pantry but it would be great with rice or linguini too. Thanks Elise!
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This shrimp dish was easy, quick, and so tasty! Myself and my husband love this dish! Thank you!
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Elise…your recipes NEVER fail me. I have subscribed for years, and I love your ‘taste’ in food! (and your mom and dad are FAB too).
I just used this recipe for the shrimp marinade, that I subsequently grilled. My hubs was so happy with his Father’s Day lunch! DELICIOUS Grilled Cilantro Lime Shrimp Tacos!
I grilled some corn and cut it from the cob, shredded some cabbage, diced a red onion, made a lime cilantro dressing, and put these babies in a grilled tortilla…so yummo!
(I also made your turkey burgers last night…with the basil and oregano?…OMGoodness!!! So wonderful).
Thanks again,
Leslie
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I forgot to mention the only thing I changed was the chili. I have a daughter that cannot take ‘heat’. I did add a bit of Sriracha to it as I could control that better.
This was tasty and quick (except for cleaning the shrimp–that took about 45 minutes, as this shrimp needed cleaning on both sides).
Notes:
1. The peppers started burning within about 15-20 seconds. Move quickly with the next step (putting in the shrimp).
2. Definitely put in 2 tbs of lime juice.
3. Don’t inhale the fumes during cooking–the serrano pepper burns.
4. I served it with herb linguini. If you’re doing something similar, I recommend adding some sautéed cherry tomatoes to give it some moisture. I will do that next time.