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    Home » Blog » Seafood

    35 Easy Shrimp Recipes for Busy Nights

    Published: Aug 12, 2022 by Tiffany Dahle · This post may contain affiliate links.

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    Easy shrimp dinner ideas in a photo collage include shrimp tacos, shrimp po'boy sandwich, and a shrimp rice bowl.

    These easy shrimp recipes are perfect for getting dinner done quickly on a busy night. Learn how to cook shrimp in just minutes and then use it in dozens of easy shrimp dinner ideas you can whip together in no time.

    A photo collage shows some of the easy shrimp recipes for dinner including a shrimp po'boy, shrimp rice bowl, and shrimp tacos.

    Whether you're trying to incorporate more seafood and less meat, stick to a budget-friendly dinner, or you need a meatless dinner for Lent, these easy shrimp recipes are perfect for keeping in your back pocket for a busy night.

    In this post I'm going to teach you how to cook frozen shrimp properly so that you can mix and match the seasonings and turn it into one of the dozen dinner ideas I've outlined below.

    If you have a little more time or interest, I'm also sharing a handful of shrimp recipes that use fresh, raw shrimp for a dinner that is so delicious you will be proud to serve it to your family or for guests when you're entertaining.

    Jump to:
    • Why Shrimp is So Easy
    • How Do I Make Frozen Shrimp Better?
    • The Best Shrimp Seasoning
    • What Goes Best with Shrimp?
    • Easy Ideas for Using Cooked Shrimp
    • 1. Shrimp Pasta Recipes
    • 2. Shrimp Tacos or Fajitas
    • 3. Shrimp Rice Bowls
    • 4. Shrimp Cocktail
    • 5. Shrimp Fried Rice
    • 6. Shrimp Soup Recipes
    • 7. Shrimp Salad Recipes
    • 8. Shrimp Po'Boy Sandwich
    • 9. More Shrimp Recipes
    • Garlic Butter Shrimp Skillet
    • Baked Shrimp Scampi with Breadcrumbs
    • Mediterranean Shrimp and Rice
    • Seasoned Boiled Shrimp
    • 5-minute Spicy Shrimp
    • Spicy Shrimp Stew
    • Sheet Pan Shrimp and Vegetables
    • Lemony Orzo Pasta Salad
    • 💬 Comments

    Why Shrimp is So Easy

    When you need a fast and easy dinner, shrimp is the perfect protein to use for your entree because it cooks in practically no time at all!

    If you cook shrimp in a skillet on the stove top, it will be done in just 3 minutes or so.

    Roast it in the oven, and you only need 7 - 10 minutes depending on the size of the shrimp.

    With a tender sweet flavor, shrimp takes on any seasoning you pair with it and is the perfect mild seafood to add to dozens of pasta, rice, and salad dinner ideas.

    Learn how to cook frozen shrimp well and you almost don't even need a shrimp recipe. You can just prep the shrimp and add it to any dish you love.

    How Do I Make Frozen Shrimp Better?

    Frozen shrimp is the busy parent's shortcut to a super easy dinner.

    The only trick is making sure you thaw frozen shrimp properly or it can get water logged and rubbery.

    You can thaw the shrimp in the morning before you head to work, when you get home it will be ready for cooking in minutes.

    • A clear mixing bowl is filled with frozen raw shrimp.
      How to Thaw Frozen Shrimp

    Once it is thawed, the trick to making frozen shrimp taste as fresh as possible is to not overcook it and to season it well.

    Frozen shrimp can work in any of the 30 recipes listed below as long as you buy raw frozen shrimp instead of the pre-cooked shrimp.

    You don't want to use pre-cooked shrimp if you plan to use it in a heated recipe or it will quickly become tough and overdone.

    The Best Shrimp Seasoning

    Shrimp will easily take on any seasoning you want to pair with it but some seasoning blends taste better with shrimp than others.

    My personal favorite flavors to add to shrimp include:

    • Lemon
    • Garlic
    • White Wine
    • Spicy Seasoning Blends with Kick

    If you're looking for a premixed seasoning blend, pick up a jar of one of these at the grocery store for keeping in your pantry for a quick dinner shortcut:

    • Cajun seasoning
    • Jerk seasoning
    • Lemon Pepper seasoning with or without Garlic Salt
    • Fajita seasoning: especially if you can add fresh lime juice
    • Creole seasoning
    • Blackening seasoning
    • Mediterranean or Italian herbs: basil, oregano, and dill especially

    What Goes Best with Shrimp?

    Shrimp is perfectly delicious eaten on it's own or with a dip like shrimp cocktail.

    It also pairs really well with pasta dishes made with delicate longer pasta shapes like linguine, thin spaghetti, or angel hair.

    If you prefer to pair rice with shrimp, I love it with white jasmine rice but other grains like brown rice and quinoa are great matches, too.

    Normally you'll see shrimp paired with vegetables like bell peppers, onions, broccoli, pea pods, and cherry tomatoes but it is a perfect salad topping, too.

    • A serving bowl of roasted pineapple and pepper chunks sits in front of a roasting pan with spatula.
      Roasted Peppers and Pineapple
    • The roasted cherry tomatoes have been cooked on a large baking sheet.
      Roasted Cherry Tomatoes
    • A salad spinner basket holds freshly washed lettuce leaves.
      Caesar Salad Dressing & 3 Variations

    Easy Ideas for Using Cooked Shrimp

    First, choose whether you want to cook frozen shrimp in the oven or cook your frozen shrimp in the air fryer.

    Then it is so easy to mix and match the seasonings and pair it with another easy element to make a dinner you'll love.

    • A blue plate with roasted shrimp next to lime wedges. Fresh parsley is sprinkled over the top. A blue napkin is under the plate.
      How to Cook Frozen Shrimp
    • A platter of cooked shrimp next to a dipping cup of sauce for dunking.
      Frozen Shrimp in Air Fryer: Cooking Tips

    1. Shrimp Pasta Recipes

    Roasted shrimp is perfect for adding to any of these quick and easy pasta recipes as a simple protein.

    Some of the pasta recipes are vegetarian like my lemon butter pasta, cheese tortelloni with pesto, and homemade alfredo sauce, but they would definitely benefit from seasoned shrimp.

    Other recipes suggest cooked chicken, but shrimp is the perfect variation for many chicken pasta recipes like my asian peanut butter pasta, chicken scampi, and roasted broccoli pasta toss.

    • A bowl of spaghetti in a lemon butter sauce has fresh chives and slices of fresh lemon on the side.
      Lemon Butter Pasta with Chives
    • A bowl of cheese tortellini with pesto sauce and roasted tomatoes.
      Cheese Tortelloni with Pesto {3 Ingredients}
    • A plate of spaghetti coated in homemade alfredo sauce sprinkled with parmesan cheese.
      Homemade Alfredo Sauce with Cream Cheese
    • A bowl of peanut butter noodles has a fork pulling up the pasta to show the sauce and veggies.
      Asian Peanut Butter Pasta
    • A blue bowl is filled with spaghetti noodles, sliced bell peppers, and chicken tenderloins to show the finished chicken scampi.
      Copycat Olive Garden Chicken Scampi
    • Bow tie pasta is tossed with roasted broccolini, roasted tomatoes, and chicken meatballs.
      Roasted Broccolini Pasta Toss

    2. Shrimp Tacos or Fajitas

    You could season your shrimp with your favorite spicy blend or prepared fajita seasoning and roast them.

    Add them to a warmed tortilla with fun salsa variation like my pineapple salsa or creamy cilantro lime ranch dressing drizzled over the top.

    • A serving of pineapple salsa has been spooned over a shredded chicken taco.
      Pineapple Salsa
    • A mason jar with creamy homemade ranch dressing has a spoon showing the texture in a drip.
      Cilantro Lime Ranch Dressing

    3. Shrimp Rice Bowls

    Add your seasoned roasted shrimp to a warm bowl of rice and top it with veggies for a quick and easy shrimp rice bowl:

    • Shrimp and Herbed Rice: Layer my herb butter rice with roasted cherry tomatoes
    • Teriyaki Shrimp Bowls: Layer plain jasmine rice with peppered shrimp and peppers and onions and a drizzle of your favorite teriyaki sauce.
    • Mexican Shrimp Bowls: Make a batch of my Mexican rice and season your roasted shrimp with taco seasoning.
    • Blackened Shrimp with Red Rice: Season your shrimp with blackening or Cajun seasoning and serve it with my easy baked red rice with bacon.
    • A white bowl is filled with herb butter rice and a spoon.
      Instant Pot Herb Butter Rice
    • Instant Pot is filled with cooked white jasmine rice.
      Easiest Instant Pot Jasmine Rice
    • A white baking dish is filled with baked Mexican Rice. The tomato sauce base gave the rice a yellow-orange color. Hot sauce is drizzled over the top and fresh green onions are sprinkled for garnish.
      Homemade Mexican Corn Rice Kids Love
    • The finished baked rice dish with tomato and bacon has a spoon ready to serve.
      Baked Red Rice with Bacon

    4. Shrimp Cocktail

    Roast your shrimp and serve it with shrimp cocktail sauce or one of these delicious and easy shrimp dipping sauces for a light dinner.

    • Several containers of different dipping sauces are laid out for shrimp.
      12 Easy Dipping Sauce Recipes for Shrimp

    5. Shrimp Fried Rice

    Season your shrimp with black pepper and garlic and add it to my favorite fried rice recipe in place of the chicken.

    • Easy Chicken Fried Rice

    6. Shrimp Soup Recipes

    Shrimp cooks so quickly, that you are better off roasting it and then adding it just before serving to these easy soup recipes.

    Skip the chicken in my Caribbean chicken soup and stir in the cooked shrimp instead.

    Or just add roasted shrimp to my tortellini soup or this easy gnocchi soup with lemon and dill.

    • A bowl of caribbean chicken soup has fresh cilantro sprinkled over the top and corn bread muffins in the back.
      Spicy Caribbean Chicken Soup
    • A light and healthy tortellini soup has spinach and carrots floating in the broth.
      Weight Watchers Tortellini Soup
    • A bowl of gnocchi soup has chunks of diced carrot and a clear broth. Slices of lemon are on the plate next to the bowl.
      Gnocchi Soup with Lemon and Dill

    7. Shrimp Salad Recipes

    Cooked shrimp is the perfect dinner salad protein.

    Mix and match your favorite seasoning, add your favorite salad greens and veggies, and then choose one of these salad dressings that pair well with shrimp:

    • Lemon Parmesan Vinaigrette
    • Asian Lime Vinaigrette
    • Creamy Cilantro Ranch

    You could also serve cooked shrimp on the side with this delicious citrus salad or my favorite crispy wild rice salad.

    Skip the chicken and add shrimp to this chilled Asian pasta salad or use it as a spicy topping for a Caesar salad.

    • A platter of sliced oranges with crumbled cheese, chopped pistachios, and seasonings.
      Simple Citrus Salad
    • A serving of crispy rice salad shows green lettuce, roasted carrots, fried wild rice in a white bowl.
      Crispy Wild Rice Salad
    • The finished salad is in a white bowl with 2 chicken tenderloins on a bed of pasta salad with baby spinach.
      Asian Chicken Pasta Salad
    • A salad spinner basket holds freshly washed lettuce leaves.
      Caesar Salad Dressing & 3 Variations

    8. Shrimp Po'Boy Sandwich

    I love to order shrimp po'boys when I'm out at restaurants.

    You could make your own homemade version with blackened seasoning shrimp on a toasted bun. Just add a prepared remoulade sauce from the grocery store.

    9. More Shrimp Recipes

    If you're looking for shrimp skillet recipes or how to cook shrimp in an Instant Pot or slowcooker, you'll love some of my family's delicious ways to use shrimp here:

    Garlic Butter Shrimp Skillet

    This delicious garlic butter shrimp skillet is one of my all-time favorite shrimp recipes. I've served it for special occasions and my own birthday dinner more than once.

    Be sure to serve it with fresh bread for soaking up all that lemon butter sauce!!

    Baked Shrimp Scampi with Breadcrumbs

    Your family will love the fluffy, crispy breadcrumb topping on this easy baked shrimp scampi recipe. There's plenty of delicious lemon butter sauce that melts down over the shrimp that you could spoon it over bowls of angel hair pasta for a heartier meal.

    Mediterranean Shrimp and Rice

    This seasoned Mediterranean shrimp with spinach rice is made all in one pot in the Instant Pot.

    Seasoned Boiled Shrimp

    My mom made this easy boiled shrimp recipe every Christmas Eve when I was growing up. It only takes 3 minutes to cook!

    5-minute Spicy Shrimp

    This easy spicy shrimp recipe is perfect for a busy weeknight.

    You could serve it with pasta, rice, or even on tortillas for a shrimp taco.

    Spicy Shrimp Stew

    This slowcooker shrimp recipe is a warm and comforting way to get dinner on the table during the chilly months. Filled with tons of corn and peppers, it is just a touch sweet.

    Serve it with baked biscuits for dunking.

    Sheet Pan Shrimp and Vegetables

    Need an easy sheetpan dinner recipe? Toss shrimp with chopped veggies and seasonings and cook them up with this recipe.

    This is a great way to make a shrimp topping for a green salad.

    Lemony Orzo Pasta Salad

    Cooked shrimp pair perfectly with this fresh and zesty lemon orzo pasta salad. You can serve it warm or cold.

    Easy shrimp dinner ideas in a photo collage include shrimp tacos, shrimp po'boy sandwich, and a shrimp rice bowl.

    More Seafood Recipes

    • A plate of salmon and asparagus sits next to 3 salmon side dish options.
      30 Easy Salmon Side Dishes
    • A pan with shrimp with a thick bread crumb topping over the top.
      Baked Shrimp Scampi with Breadcrumbs
    • The remoulade sauce is on a plate with mini crab cakes and a spoon. Lemon wedges are scattered around and green onions sprinkled on top.
      Spicy Remoulade Sauce for Crab Cakes
    • The cooked sausage and peppers and celery in a slow cooker.
      Slowcooker Jambalaya with Rice

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    Hi, I'm Tiffany!
    I believe a great family recipe is one that makes everyone at the table happy, not just the kids. I'm the author of two bestselling cookbooks for kids that are chock full of recipes everyone in your family will love. I'm also the hostess of the best online book club for moms.

    More about me →

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