Cilantro-Lime Shrimp is a quick and easy weeknight meal packed with fresh, bold flavors and colorful ingredients! It's like a Summer on a plate (but you can make it all year round!). This 30-minute one-pan recipe is gluten-free, low-carb, keto, and high in protein.
Easy, one-pan, 30-minute dinner
You will love how vibrant and colorful this dish turns out! It's simple enough to serve as a weeknight dinner, to make it ahead for lunch and snack, or to prepare for a special occasion with family and friends.
- This quick and incredibly flavorful cilantro lime shrimp dish comes together in under 30 minutes and requires only one cooking pan! The cleanup is minimal! Because it's so easy and tasty, it might become a new family favorite to include in your regular dinner rotation.
- As simple as this recipe is, it tastes like a restaurant-quality dish and looks beautiful on a plate. Perfect dinner for entertaining guests - easy to make, yet fancy!
- There are many ways to serve cilantro-lime shrimp. Serve it as is, or with rice or pasta - I recommend this delicious Greek orzo with tomatoes and feta. It's a perfect recipe to toss together with store-bought ravioli or tortellini. Or, simply add it to your favorite salad, such as mango avocado salad.
- And, if you don't like cilantro, just use fresh basil instead.
Make this Summer dinner year-round!
Because cilantro-lime shrimp features bright, Summer flavors, it's a perfect dish to share at your favorite Summer events - backyard barbecues, picnics, potlucks, and block parties. And the best thing is that this simple recipe uses basic ingredients that are easy to find year-round! Cilantro-lime shrimp will bring Summer and refreshing flavors to your table regardless of how cold or warm it's outside! If you're looking for more dinner inspiration using similar flavors, don't miss these 2 delicious recipes: refreshing Cilantro Lime Shrimp Pasta and reader-favorite Cilantro-Lime and Black Bean Shrimp and Rice.
Why you'll love it
- The combination of flavors is amazing! The savory cilantro-lime flavor works exceptionally well with pan-seared shrimp seasoned with smoked paprika, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes.
- The juiciest shrimp. Shrimp is quickly seared to perfection in a pan with olive oil and seasonings. This recipe will show you how to cook shrimp properly to make it delicious, juicy, tender, and never dry and rubbery.
- Nutrition. Cilantro-lime shrimp is keto, low-carb, gluten-free, and high in protein.
Cilantro-Lime Shrimp
Ingredients
Seasoning for shrimp
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ¼ teaspoon salt to taste
Cilantro-lime shrimp
- 1.5 lb raw shrimp peeled and deveined (large - about 15-20 count per pound)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 tablespoons lime juice freshly squeezed + extra
- ½ cup fresh cilantro chopped + extra
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine shrimp together with seasonings: smoked paprika, chili powder, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, and salt. Toss to coat.
- Heat a large, high-sided, skillet until hot on medium heat. Add olive oil - it should run easily but not sizzle or burn. Add shrimp without overcrowding (you might have to cook in 2 batches).
- Cook shrimp, flipping it once or twice, on medium heat, about 3-4 minutes total, until pink in color.
- Add freshly squeezed lime juice and ⅔ of chopped fresh cilantro on low heat. Mix to combine. Adjust seasoning if needed: add more salt, red pepper flakes, lime juice, etc. Add 1 more tablespoon of olive oil, if needed.
- When serving, top with the remaining ⅓ of chopped fresh cilantro.
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer:
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed. It should not be used as a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Cooking Tips
- Use large raw shrimp, not small kind. Also, do not use pre-cooked small shrimp. When you use large raw shrimp and cook it with spices, you get so many more juices and so much more flavor!
- With raw shrimp, make sure it's peeled and deveined.
- Use freshly squeezed lime juice - it's not as acidic and has a much richer flavor.
- Lime or lemon juice both work great.
- Use fresh basil if you don't like cilantro.
Storage and reheating tips
Because this recipe does not use any cream or cheese, it is very easy to store and reheat. You can also easily make it ahead and freeze.
- Fridge. Store cooked cilantro-lime shrimp in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Freezer. Freeze it in an airtight container for up to 1 month.
- Reheat in the microwave oven. Reheat in a microwave oven for about 1 minute. Taste and reheat for 30 seconds more, if needed.
- Reheat on the stovetop. Reheat this dish in a large, high-sided skillet on the stovetop on low-medium heat. Add a small amount of olive oil when reheating to prevent the cilantro-lime shrimp from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
What to serve with it?
- Rice. Cook some long-grain rice (such as jasmine rice) or prepare your favorite flavored rice. Be sure to check out this delicious cilantro-lime and black bean rice and this tasty sun-dried tomato and basil rice.
- Cauliflower rice, roasted cauliflower, or mashed cauliflower are all great and healthy side dishes for cilantro-lime shrimp.
- Quinoa. Cook quinoa in chicken broth to add richness. Then toss with minced garlic and fresh herbs.
- Vegetables. This is a great recipe to use up whatever veggies you have sitting in your fridge. Good choices are broccoli, asparagus, Brussels sprouts, bell peppers, mushrooms, green beans, and cooked spinach. Use your favorite cooking method for veggies: steamed, sauteed, or grilled.
- Pasta. Cook a small amount of pasta, flavored with butter or olive oil, salt, and pepper. I suggest spaghetti, angel hair pasta, penne, bow-tie pasta, orzo, or gnocchi. Or, serve the shrimp over Greek orzo with tomatoes and feta.
- Store-bought ravioli or tortellini will pair nicely with cilantro-lime shrimp and turn it into a well-balanced meal.
- Salad. Make your favorite salad (I recommend mango avocado salad) and add shrimp as a topping.
More recipes with cilantro-lime shrimp
- Cilantro Lime Shrimp Pasta
- Cilantro Lime Honey Garlic Shrimp
- Cilantro-Lime and Black Bean Shrimp and Rice
Other recipes featuring cilantro-lime flavors
If you're looking for more quick and easy weeknight dinners featuring fresh and bold flavors, here are some ideas:
- Cilantro Lime Chicken and Corn with Feta Cheese
- Avocado Corn Tomato Salad with Creamy Cilantro-Lime Dressing
- One-Pan Chicken Thighs with Cilantro-Lime Black Bean Rice
- Chicken Pasta with Creamy Cilantro-Lime Alfredo Sauce
- Cilantro-Lime Chicken Thighs and Potatoes
- Chicken and Bacon Pasta in a homemade creamy Cilantro-Lime Alfredo Sauce
Made last night - it was DELICIOUS!
Peggy, I am glad this recipe was a success! ❤️