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    Home » Main Dishes » Fish/Shellfish

    Easy Cilantro-Lime Shrimp

    Published: Jul 14, 2020 · Modified: Jul 25, 2020 by Mamma C · This post may contain affiliate links

    Jump to Recipe
    pinnable image of shrimp in pan with lime, herbs

    This Cilantro-Lime Shrimp is ready in 15 minutes! You'll love this easy sautéed shrimp recipe made with butter, garlic and seasonings.

    pan of shrimp with limes, herbs

    Do you love seafood? Check.

    How about food with a Mexican flair? Check.

    How about quick and easy meals? Duh...check and check!

    Well then, we have a winner for dinner — Easy Cilantro-Lime Shrimp. Think buttery, tangy, garlicky goodness, ready in 15 minutes.

    Yes!

    Ingredients

    It's a pretty simple lineup, folks.

    raw shrimp, garlic, lime, butter, herbs, red spice

    Best shrimp to use

    I recommend buying large, frozen, raw, peeled, deveined shrimp with tails on. (If you buy the peeled ones with tails off, you'll get more than what I used to develop the recipe, so you'll just need to increase the butter and seasonings a bit.)

    Try to find shrimp that's been deveined nicely. The "vein," or thick black line along its back, is actually the digestive tract (eww). 

    I've learned the hard way that some packages sold as "deveined" still contain several veins.

    If that's the case with the ones you bought, you'll need to remove the veins before cooking. This tool (affiliate link) is helpful for that job.

    Can you use a substitute for cilantro?

    I know some people are genetically disposed to dislike cilantro. I find dried cilantro to be much milder than fresh, so that's an option I've used many times in this dish.

    You also could substitute with parsley, or even skip the herbs.

    What about salt?

    I recommend tasting this dish before adding salt. Sometimes, the shrimp you buy will be super salty, even after rinsing.

    Plus, we're using salted butter here. So, see what you think, and add salt if needed.

    Keep in mind, if you use Old Bay Seasoning, it already contains salt.

    Instructions

    garlic in pan, shrimp in pan, squeezing lime over shrimp

    It's quite simple, RAH-lee, as my geometry teacher used to say.

    1. Sauté pressed or minced garlic in melted butter.
    2. Add the raw shrimp in a single layer. Cook the first side for 2 ½ minutes, then flip over to cook the second side for 2 ½ minutes, or until done.
    3. Squeeze on lime juice, then add seasonings and cilantro.

    overhead view of shrimp in pan with lime, herbs

    What to serve with it

    I like to serve this with rice, accompanied by sautéed peppers and homemade guacamole. Of course, those sides take longer than 15 minutes, but this easily could be served over pasta with a salad on the side.

    You also could make shrimp tacos and serve them with corn. Or how about this seven-layer dip?

    Of course, I'll understand if you just want to stand at the stove and eat this right out of the pan. I've been known to do that before we eat, and shamefully, afterward too, when it's time for "cleanup."

    And, it's not unusual to see my kids eating the leftovers for a midnight snack, or even breakfast.

    Enjoy!

    (Recipe Source: Cooking with Mamma C. Originally published on August 6, 2014 and updated now with new photos and text.)

    overhead view of shrimp in pan with lime, herbs

    Easy Cilantro-Lime Shrimp

    This Cilantro-Lime Shrimp is ready in 15 minutes! You’ll love this easy sautéed shrimp recipe made with butter, garlic and seasonings.
    5 from 6 votes
    Print Pin Rate Save Go to Collections
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: Mexican, Tex-Mex
    Prep Time: 8 minutes
    Cook Time: 7 minutes
    Total Time: 15 minutes
    Servings: 6 -7
    Calories: 206kcal
    Author: Mamma C

    Ingredients

    • 3 tablespoons salted butter
    • 2 medium cloves garlic (pressed or minced)
    • 1 package (2 pounds) frozen, large raw shrimp, peeled, deveined, tail-on (see notes) (thawed according to package instructions)
    • 1 lime (divided use)
    • ½ tablespoon fresh cilantro or ½ teaspoon dried cilantro (chopped)
    • ⅛ teaspoon paprika (or Old Bay)
    • salt to taste
    US Customary - Metric
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    Instructions

    • Place thawed shrimp in a medium bowl and rinse well with cold water. See notes if you need to remove any veins. To remove the tails from each shrimp, hold the shrimp with one hand, and with the other hand, pinch the tail and pull it off. Discard tails. Give shrimp a good rinse again to remove any stray pieces of shell.
    • Melt butter in a large skillet (extra-large is best.) While butter is melting, press or mince garlic. When the butter is melted, add the garlic to the pan and cook for about 30 seconds, being careful not to burn it.
    • Add drained shrimp to the pan and spread it out in a single layer, if possible. Cook for 2 ½ minutes on the first side, then start to flip each shrimp over. Cook for another 2 ½ minutes on the second side, or until shrimp is no longer translucent. The cooked shrimp will be white, with reddish-orange accents
    • When the shrimp is cooked, add lime juice from half a lime, cilantro and paprika or Old Bay seasoning. Taste to see if you need to add salt. (It will depend on the shrimp you bought. Also, Old Bay contains salt.)
    • Serve the shrimp with the remaining lime half for anyone who wants extra lime juice. Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to three days.

    Video

    Notes

    Best shrimp to use
    I recommend buying large, frozen, raw, peeled, deveined shrimp with tails on. (If you buy two pounds of peeled shrimp without tails, you'll get more shrimp than what I used in the recipe and and will need to increase the butter and seasonings a bit.)
    Look for shrimp that are deveined nicely.
    A shrimp "vein," or thick black line along its back, is actually the digestive tract. I've learned the hard way that some brands of shrimp sold as "deveined" still contain several veins. 
    If that's the case with the ones you bought, you'll need to remove them before cooking. A shrimp tool (affiliate link) is helpful for that job. Note that the recipe prep time does not include deveining the shrimp.
    Can you use a substitute for cilantro?
    If you don't like fresh cilantro, dried cilantro is much milder. You also could substitute parsley, or even skip the herbs.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 206kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 396mg | Sodium: 1225mg | Potassium: 132mg | Vitamin A: 175IU | Vitamin C: 9.7mg | Calcium: 226mg | Iron: 3.3mg
    Tried this Recipe? Mention @cookingwithmammac or tag #CookingWithMammaC!

     

    More shrimp recipes try

    • The Best Fried Shrimp
    • Parmesan Shrimp
    • Shrimp Stew
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Angela

      July 15, 2020 at 12:19 pm

      5 stars
      The perfect shrimp recipe! I love all of the flavors, the lime and old bay are perfection. YUM!

      Reply
      • Mamma C

        July 15, 2020 at 12:22 pm

        Hi Angela - Thank you so much!

        Reply
    2. Jacque Hastert

      July 15, 2020 at 12:18 pm

      5 stars
      Shrimp dinners are a favorite of mine. I love how much flavor comes from this and how quickly it hits the table.

      Reply
      • Mamma C

        July 15, 2020 at 12:22 pm

        Hi Jacque - I agree! Thank you.

        Reply
    3. Dannii

      July 15, 2020 at 12:03 pm

      5 stars
      This looks like such a delicious way to enjoy shrimp. I can't wait to try it.

      Reply
      • Mamma C

        July 15, 2020 at 12:21 pm

        Hi Dannii - I hope you enjoy it!

        Reply
    4. Erika

      July 15, 2020 at 11:58 am

      5 stars
      Cilantro and lime are two of my favorite flavor combinations. Loving these flavors on shrimp, yum!

      Reply
      • Mamma C

        July 15, 2020 at 12:21 pm

        Hi Erika - Same here! Thank you.

        Reply
    5. Denise | Sweet Peas & Saffron

      August 08, 2014 at 11:38 am

      Looks fantastic 🙂 I bet the shrimp and the guacamole are amazing together!

      Reply
      • Mamma C

        August 08, 2014 at 11:52 am

        Thanks, Denise. I adore shrimp with guacamole!

        Reply

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