In this roundup, you’ll find 30 shrimp recipes to inspire your next dinner. So grab a bag of shrimp from the freezer and let’s get cooking!
Easy Shrimp Recipes
From bang bang shrimp to creamy alfredo, give dinner an upgrade with these tasty shrimp recipes.
1. Bang Bang Shrimp
As the name suggests, this recipe comes out with a bang! Between the mayonnaise, Sriracha, and sweet chili sauce, this dish is guaranteed to impress. It’s a delicious appetizer made with a creamy, spicy sauce. Just don’t be surprised when they disappear! This family-favorite is just the right blend of sweet and spicy.
2. Garlic Butter Shrimp
Garlic butter makes everything better, doesn’t it? From steak to chicken to bread, there’s not a single savory dish out there I wouldn’t drown in the stuff. As much as I love an elaborate sauce, it’s sometimes best to keep it simple. This fantastic combo of garlicky, buttery goodness cooks up in just 20 minutes.
3. Shrimp Alfredo
Much like garlic butter, there are few things alfredo sauce can’t fix. It’s rich, creamy, fragrant, and beautifully cheesy. It’s also a lot easier to make from scratch than people think. So, put that jar of sauce down and head to the kitchen. All you’ll need is butter, cream, Parmesan cheese, garlic, and salt and pepper. That’s it! The Parmesan does all the hard work, and it’s ready in just 20 minutes.
4. Roasted Shrimp Enchiladas With Jalapeño Cream Sauce
Chicken enchiladas are great and carnita enchiladas are delicious. But have you ever tried roasted shrimp enchiladas? Unlike other similar recipes, this doesn’t have a tomato sauce over the top. Instead, you’ll make a quick jalapeño cream using butter, flour, chicken stock, jalapeños, garlic powder, and sour cream. Since the shrimp are roasted, incorporated into the hot filling, and then baked in the oven in the tortillas, I suggest roasting and cooling them first. This way, they won’t overcook and turn rubbery.
5. Grilled Shrimp Skewers
Grilling your food automatically adds a ton of flavor. From the smoke to the high heat, it caramelizes juices and infuses everything with so much great taste. Shrimp is no exception, only since they’re so small, you’ll need to thread them onto skewers to stop them from falling into the inferno. Plus, it makes things much easier, as you can turn a whole bunch at once, ensuring everything cooks evenly.
6. Cajun Shrimp and Rice Skillet
We love this one-pot Cajun shrimp recipe! It’s spicy, savory, salty, smoky, and every bite packs a big punch. To ensure every morsel of this is yummy, you’ll start by toasting the cajun seasoning in butter and adding the uncooked rice, stirring until each grain is coated. The rice is then engulfed in chicken stock and left to cook until light and fluffy. You’ll add the butter and Cajun-coated shrimp to the pot for the last 15 minutes of the cooking time, nestling them on top to steam and turn bright pink.
7. Garlic Butter Shrimp Scampi
Get dinner on the table in just 10 minutes with this garlic butter shrimp scampi! Serve with your favorite pasta for a hearty and filling meal. Or keep it light and low-carb with zucchini noodles or riced cauliflower. It also makes an elegant appetizer. But no matter how you serve it, this shrimp recipe is one of our favorites!
8. Shrimp Fajitas
Loaded with onions, peppers, and shrimp, these sizzling fajitas are a terrific dinner that takes very little prep time. Just slice the veggies, coat in the seasoning, and roast or fry until tender. With the Mexican seasoning, it’s just as good as what you’d get at a restaurant. But, I say it’s even better because you can enjoy it in the comfort of your own home.
9. Spicy Shrimp Tacos with Garlic Cilantro Lime Slaw
As much as I love fajitas, I miss the cool crunch you get by adding slaw to tacos. Tacos have so much more going for them, in my opinion, and they’re so versatile. Keep it simple with shrimp and slaw, or add a fresh mango salsa and dollop of guacamole for something extra special. If slaw isn’t your thing, try these spicy pickled red onions instead.
10. Shrimp Stir-Fry
Looking for a quick and easy shrimp recipe that everyone loves? This is my go-to. Loaded with veggies, juicy shrimp, and a delicious stir-fry sauce, this meal is a family favorite around our house. It’s also a great way to use up any leftover veggies in the fridge. Serve this stir-fry over rice or your favorite noodles for easy takeout at home!
11. Shrimp Salad Recipe
As you can see from the picture, this isn’t a bowl of greens with roasted shrimp on top. Instead, it’s a creamy sandwich filling, full of mayo, celery, dill, and lemon juice. This is the perfect recipe to use pre-cooked shrimp. You can buy them in the freezer section. All you’ll need to do is thaw and pat them dry before adding them into the mix. I usually don’t buy pre-cooked shrimp if I’m cooking them again to prevent them from becoming rubbery. But in this case, they’re ideal.
12. Shrimp Lettuce Wraps with Peanut Sauce
Peanut sauce is one of my all-time favorites, and I probably make it once or twice a week. It works with everything from chicken and pork to shrimp and salmon. This version is a little lighter, using sesame ginger salad dressing and peanut butter. It’s not spicy, but there’s a lovely zing from the ginger. If you don’t want the fuss of wrapping everything in lettuce leaves, you can easily turn this into a salad bowl.
13. Creamy Garlic Butter Tuscan Shrimp
Have you ever had creamy garlic butter tuscan shrimp? It’s the perfect combination of garlic, butter, and shrimp all coated in a creamy, sun-dried tomato sauce. Your family will think you’ve turned into a gourmet chef. But this surprisingly simple recipe is ready in just 15 minutes. We’ll keep that one between us 🙂 If you’ve never made this dish before, I highly recommend giving it a try! In fact, make some extra so you can enjoy it for lunch the next day.
14. Cheesy Shrimp Garlic Bread
Garlic bread is already hard to resist. But when you throw in a layer of succulent shrimp, you might have a fight on your hands for the last piece. You’ll cook the shrimp in butter with salt and pepper, tomatoes, and garlic. Then roughly chop everything into smaller pieces. Let that cool before mixing a blend of mayo, lemon juice, mozzarella, and Parmesan. Spread this over your bread and top with extra cheese before baking.
15. Sheet Pan Shrimp Boil
Shrimp (or seafood) boils are a celebrated event in the South and typically contain some kind of seafood, sausage, corn, lemon wedges, and potatoes. Usually, everything gets boiled in a big pot with plenty of seasonings before being served up for everyone to share. This sheet pan recipe is a twist on the tradition, roasting everything to perfection while still keeping all that fantastic flavor.
16. Shrimp Dip
This thick and creamy dip needs just a handful of ingredients and about 15 minutes of your time. It’s super fresh and has an amazing texture, plus it’s a nice change from the usual buffalo chicken or guacamole dips you see at every party. Tiny shrimp from a can will make this so fast and flavorful, though you could use small frozen shrimp too. Just be sure they’re cooked. Of course, since you’ll chop up the shrimp anyway, you could always roast some larger pieces and dice them once they’ve cooled down.
17. Air Fryer Frozen Shrimp
Have you bought an air fryer yet? I know they’re an investment, and they take up a bit of counter space, but once you take a bite out of this incredible crunchy shrimp, you’ll wonder how you ever got on without it! Feel free to buy the pre-battered shrimp in the freezer section, or go ahead and make up a tasty flour mix with herbs and spices. Either way, just remember that you can’t overcrowd the basket. Too many shrimp at once, and they won’t crisp up.
18. Shrimp Lo Mein
I think my favorite thing about stir-fries is how colorful they are. You can pretty much add any vegetable you want, and the dish quickly becomes a vibrant bowl of textures and flavors. Noodles are a must, and this is best served with long, thick egg noodles. But you can use whatever kind you prefer. You just need to add brown sugar, beef boullion, and soy sauce to hot water. It’s super-rich and intensely flavorful.
19. Pesto Shrimp with Mushrooms
Pesto has the perfect balance of garlic, basil, buttery pine nuts, and just a hint of salty cheese. It’s pretty powerful, so you won’t need a lot, especially when serving it like this. You’ll add extra garlic along with red pepper flakes and chicken broth. But this sauce is also flavored with mushroom juices, giving it a savory, earthy note, too. I like to serve this alongside roasted potatoes, but pasta would always be welcome.
20. Tomato-Basil Shrimp Skewers
This recipe uses a fast marinade, which the shrimp needs to sit in for about 30 minutes in the fridge. Just whisk together olive oil, tomato sauce, basil, red wine vinegar, garlic, and cayenne pepper. Those Italian flavors make the shrimp super tasty, though you could always swap out the tomato sauce for sweet chili if you want it spicy.
21. Shrimp Stuffed Avocados
Ceviche consists of seafood that’s cured in fresh lemon or lime juices, though sometimes you’ll see orange juice used, too. The acidity of the citrus gets absorbed by the seafood, in this case, shrimp, infusing it with flavor as it cures. As a result, cured shrimp will become opaque and firm, just as it does when cooked with heat. Since there’s no heavy sauce, you can really taste the shrimp. This is the kind of light, bright, refreshing dish you should serve at the start of a meal.
22. Shrimp and Grits
Grits are usually made from cornmeal, giving it a pretty mild and sweet flavor. Despite the name, they should be soft and tender and not grainy at all. They’re naturally gluten-free, making them the perfect addition to your low-carb diet. Plus, they’re super filling and pretty cheap to make. This recipe incorporates bacon into the mix for a pleasant smoky taste, along with sharp cheese and plenty of butter.
23. Marinated Cocktail Shrimp
You know it’s going to be a good party when there’s a platter of icy shrimp and tangy cocktail sauce in the middle of the buffet table. But unlike that ready-made from the grocery store, this dish is bursting with flavor! You’ll start by thawing out and patting dry the cooked shrimp. Then mix together sherry, lime juice, salt, pepper, ancho powder, and a little bit of cocktail sauce. Let the shrimp sit for at least 10 minutes before serving.
24. Easy Shrimp & Sausage Gumbo
Gumbo is a stew that takes its inspiration from a bunch of different cuisines. There’s a big focus on West Africa, France, and Germany, but it all centers around one of the most classic soup bases: onions, celery, and bell peppers. Gumbo is also known for its dark roux, which just means you’ll need to cook the flour and butter for a lot longer until it deepens in color. Andouille sausage is a must, and if you want the most shrimp flavor possible, leave the tails and shells on.
25. Lemon Garlic Butter Shrimp with Asparagus
If you’re looking for a tasty and light dinner that can be ready in just 15 minutes, this one’s for you. However, I found I needed another element to keep me full, so I added potatoes, too. That’s optional, of course, and it’s up to you to decide how hungry you are! The shrimp is cooked in minced garlic, Italian seasoning, onion powder, and smoked paprika. Still, you’ll also add the asparagus into the same pan right after, so those flavors carry on into the vegetables.
26. Spicy Thai Shrimp Salad
Thai salads are always full of bright, fresh ingredients, tasty dressings, and fun extras to provide crunch. In this case, you’ll mix shredded red cabbage with greens and toss in corn, cucumber, carrots, basil, and cilantro. That ginger and peanut sauce from above would work so well in this, but the cashew dressing provided is definitely worth the extra time.
27. One-Pot Lemon Orzo Shrimp
This dish kind of looks like a simplified jambalaya, don’t you think? With the rice-like orzo, the tomato chunks, and bright pink shrimp dotted around, I half expected to take that first bite and taste Cajun seasonings. Instead, it has a lighter, more zesty flavor. The sauce includes garlic, onion, oregano, canned tomatoes, and chicken stock, so you could use pasta in this too. Of course, nothing is stopping you from adding red pepper flakes, too.
28. Shrimp Scampi Pizza
Shrimp on pizza? How have I not thought of this before? If you liked the shrimp and garlic bread from above, then you’ll go nuts for this cheesy gourmet pizza. Again, shrimp cooks super fast. So it’s best to pre-cook your pizza base, here. That way, when you add the toppings, it won’t need to cook for quite as long.
29. Grilled Pistachio-Lemon Pesto Shrimp
Did you know that pine nuts are the second most expensive nut in the world, just behind the macadamia nut? They cost around $20-25 per pound, versus pistachios at $2-3 per pound. That’s quite a jump! That’s why I love making pesto at home. It’s just as tasty with pistachio nuts and keeps the cost low. This recipe also swaps out the basil for arugula and parsley, though you could keep the basil in there if you like that better.
30. Fresh Linguine with Shrimp and Peas in a Pink Cream Sauce
Pink cream sauce sounds a little vague, I know. But it does look awfully pretty in that bowl, right? The pink in the sauce is a simple blend of tomato paste, white wine, some herbs, and heavy cream. I used coconut milk when I made this because it was all I had, and it turned out great. I think it gave a little sweetness to the mix, too. Click on a star to rate it!
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