This quick and easy spicy shrimp recipe takes 5 minutes to cook and is perfect for a simple appetizer or for topping pasta or salad for dinner.
My kids and I love shrimp recipes and they always come in handy every Friday during Lent in the spring.
This spicy shrimp recipe uses both lime and cilantro--one of my favorite flavor pairings! The seasonings add heat but aren't so overpowering and you can adjust them as needed for your own family.
Simply sprinkle on the homemade shrimp seasoning blend and saute the shrimp in butter. The whole dish takes 5 minutes to cook!
You can use it as an appetizer or turn it into a full blown dinner in just minutes. Be sure to check out my menu ideas below!
Ingredients
The shopping list for this recipe is super easy. You probably already have most of it in your pantry right now, just add the fresh or frozen shrimp!
- 1 ¼ pound large raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
- Fresh cilantro
- Fresh lime wedges for serving
- butter
- paprika
- cumin
- cayenne pepper
- cinnamon
Can I Use Frozen Shrimp?
I love to buy frozen shrimp when it is on sale and then use it for dinner on my own timetable. It is one of my favorite dinner shortcuts.
You can absolutely use frozen shrimp for this recipe, but you'll want to be sure to follow these instructions for how to thaw shrimp before you start to cook. Don't throw still-frozen shrimp into the pan or it won't cook properly.
Serving Suggestions
This spicy shrimp would make an amazing appetizer served with cilantro lime ranch sauce for dipping.
But, if you want to make it a full dinner, all you need to add is a few simple side dishes. Try baking a batch of our favorite homemade garlic bread and then top the sautéed shrimp on a simple Caesar salad.
Or, you could simply toss the cooked shrimp on top of this easy fresh tomato pasta.
This simple Mexican rice recipe has similar flavors and would make the perfect rice bowl topped with this pineapple salsa and the spicy shrimp, too.
📖 Recipe
5-Minute Spicy Shrimp
Ingredients
- ¾ teaspoon coarse salt
- ¾ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 ¼ pound large shrimp peeled and deveined
- 1 tablespoon butter
- chopped cilantro lime wedges for serving
Instructions
- Combine seasonings. Sprinkle over shrimp and toss to combine.
- In a large skillet, melt butter over medium-high. Add shrimp and cook, stirring occasionally until opaque throughout, 3 to 5 minutes.
- Serve shrimp with cilantro and lime wedges.
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Sabrina Wong
Great photos Tiffany! You must have been so busy with the move, hope everything went well. I really like the photo with the pale raw shrimp, beautiful boards with nicely arranged limes (whole and cut) and coriander, but they're all tasty looking 🙂
Stacey S
Beautiful job Tiffany! Ditto about the teal plate - the shrimp really pops perfectly. Sounds yummy too!
Valeria
What a great set of photos. Love the choice of color of your plates, made the food look so gorgeous.
Tammy Bilodeau
Tiffany I love this. Your choice of turquoise for the plate colour was perfect I think. It makes those shrimp jump right off of the page. And the random limes laying around with a bit of cilantro on top really ties it all together. You did a fab job. 🙂
Kay Pickens
Beautiful!! Love, love that teal plate. I'm so often drawn to teal for my food photography plates. Great job! Love the store shot too. Good idea!
cayce
great photos Tiffany! I love the blues you worked into the shot with the plate. I totally should have taken my camera to the grocery store to shoot my raw...doh!
Kat
Beautiful job Tiffany! I love your choice of the blue plate it really adds a great color to your perfectly prepared shrimp.
Kim - Liv Life
Shrimp are a fairly new addition to my family's dinner rotation, but they are becoming more popular. These beauties make you want to pop one into your mouth. Well done on the fly! That first photo is positively perfect!