Shrimp recipes: 45 easy shrimp dinners, from scampi to tacos

The short answer: the best weeknight shrimp recipes are garlic butter shrimp, shrimp scampi, shrimp tacos, stir-fry, honey garlic shrimp and Cajun shrimp pasta. Shrimp cooks in 2 to 3 minutes per side.

• Fastest: garlic butter shrimp with rice, 15 min
• Kid-friendly: honey garlic shrimp, 20 min
• Most dinners are ready in 15 to 30 minutes
• 45 recipes, a size chart and thawing tips below
• Next step: Plan it with the Meal Planner & Grocery List ($3.99).

The best shrimp recipes for a weeknight are garlic butter shrimp, shrimp scampi, shrimp tacos, shrimp stir-fry, honey garlic shrimp and Cajun shrimp pasta. Shrimp cooks in 2 to 3 minutes per side, so most of these dinners are ready in 15 to 30 minutes. Below are 45 easy shrimp recipes grouped by style, a size and count chart, cook times for every method, how to thaw and devein shrimp, and a starter week.

Shrimp nights go faster when the bag is already in the freezer and the sides are on the list. The Meal Planner & Grocery List ($3.99) puts the week's dinners, a prep page and an aisle-sorted grocery list on one printable. Our other kitchen planners are on the Printables page.

Quick picks: shrimp recipes by need

Easy skillet shrimp recipes

1. Garlic butter shrimp. Butter, lots of garlic, lemon and parsley. Serve over rice or with crusty bread.
2. Honey garlic shrimp. Honey, soy sauce, garlic and ginger, cooked down into a glossy sauce.
3. Lemon pepper shrimp. Lemon zest, black pepper and butter. Ready in 10 minutes.
4. Cajun shrimp. Cajun seasoning, butter and a squeeze of lemon. Good with corn and potatoes.
5. Shrimp and grits. Cajun-spiced shrimp, bacon and a pan sauce over cheesy grits.
6. Spanish garlic shrimp. Shrimp sizzled in olive oil with garlic and red pepper flakes. Serve with bread.
7. Shrimp and sausage skillet. Smoked sausage, peppers and zucchini in one pan.
8. Coconut curry shrimp. Coconut milk, red curry paste and spinach over rice.

Shrimp pasta recipes

9. Shrimp scampi. Garlic, butter, white wine or broth and lemon over linguine.
10. Shrimp alfredo. Fettuccine in a Parmesan cream sauce. Our full shrimp alfredo recipe has the sauce steps.
11. Cajun shrimp pasta. Penne in a spicy cream sauce with peppers.
12. Marry me shrimp pasta. Sun-dried tomatoes, cream and spinach.
13. Lemon garlic shrimp orzo. Orzo, lemon, spinach and feta.
14. Shrimp fra diavolo. Spicy tomato sauce with red pepper flakes over spaghetti.
15. Shrimp pesto pasta. Basil pesto, cherry tomatoes and Parmesan.
16. Shrimp lo mein. Noodles, vegetables and a soy-sesame sauce.

For more pasta nights, see our pasta recipes.

Shrimp tacos, bowls and Mexican-style dishes

17. Chili lime shrimp tacos. Top with cabbage slaw and a lime crema.
18. Shrimp fajitas. Peppers and onions with fajita seasoning. Use our homemade taco seasoning for any of these.
19. Shrimp burrito bowls. Cilantro lime rice, black beans, corn and salsa.
20. Blackened shrimp quesadillas. Cheese, peppers and spicy shrimp in crisp tortillas.
21. Camarones a la diabla. Shrimp in a spicy red chile sauce.
22. Shrimp ceviche-style salad. Cooked shrimp chilled with lime, tomato, onion, cucumber and avocado.

Shrimp rice, stir-fry and noodle recipes

23. Shrimp fried rice. Day-old rice, eggs, peas and carrots. See our shrimp fried rice recipe.
24. Shrimp stir-fry. Frozen stir-fry vegetables and a soy-garlic sauce.
25. Kung pao shrimp. Peanuts, dried chiles and a sweet-spicy sauce.
26. Teriyaki shrimp bowls. Rice, broccoli and teriyaki sauce.
27. Pad thai with shrimp. Rice noodles, egg, bean sprouts and peanuts.
28. Bang bang shrimp bowls. Crispy shrimp with a creamy sweet chili sauce.
29. Jambalaya. Shrimp, sausage, chicken and rice in one pot.

Baked, grilled and sheet pan shrimp

30. Sheet pan shrimp fajitas. Shrimp, peppers and onions roasted together.
31. Sheet pan shrimp and broccoli. Garlic, lemon and Parmesan. More one-pan ideas are in our sheet pan dinners.
32. Grilled shrimp skewers. Marinate in olive oil, garlic and lemon for 15 to 30 minutes.
33. Baked shrimp scampi. Topped with buttery breadcrumbs.
34. Shrimp boil sheet pan. Shrimp, corn, potatoes and sausage with Old Bay-style seasoning.
35. Air fryer coconut shrimp. Coconut and panko coating, with sweet chili sauce. More recipes are in our air fryer recipes.

Shrimp soups and stews

36. Shrimp and sausage gumbo. A dark roux with the holy trinity. Our gumbo recipe walks through the roux.
37. Shrimp corn chowder. Potatoes, corn and bacon.
38. Tom yum-style shrimp soup. Lemongrass, lime and mushrooms.
39. Shrimp and white bean soup. Tomatoes, garlic and kale.

Healthy shrimp recipes

Shrimp is lean and cooks fast, so it's an easy base for light dinners. Our high-protein meals list has more.

40. Shrimp and avocado salad. Lime, cilantro, tomato and cucumber.
41. Zucchini noodles with garlic shrimp. A low-carb take on scampi.
42. Shrimp lettuce wraps. Ginger, garlic and water chestnuts.
43. Greek shrimp with tomatoes and feta. Bake it in one dish and serve with orzo or salad.

Shrimp appetizers for parties

44. Shrimp cocktail. Chilled poached shrimp with cocktail sauce. Our shrimp cocktail recipe includes a 5-ingredient homemade sauce.
45. Garlic shrimp crostini or skewers. Easy finger food for a buffet.

These suit holiday menus, too. Find more in our Christmas appetizers, Christmas party food and New Year's Eve dinner ideas.

Five shrimp sauces to mix and match

Once you can sear shrimp, the sauce makes the dinner. Each of these covers 1 pound of shrimp and goes in for the last minute of cooking. For a sweet-heat glaze, toss the shrimp in our sweet chili sauce instead.

Common shrimp mistakes and how to fix them

1. Crowding the pan. Too many shrimp steam instead of sear. Cook in two batches in a 12-inch skillet.
2. Skipping the pat-dry step. Wet shrimp won't brown. Blot them with paper towels after thawing.
3. Overcooking. Shrimp keeps cooking off the heat. Take it out when it's just opaque and let the sauce finish it.
4. Adding garlic too early. Garlic burns in the time it takes shrimp to sear. Add it in the last minute.
5. Marinating too long in citrus. Lime and lemon juice turn shrimp mushy after about 30 minutes.
6. Buying the wrong size. Small shrimp overcook on the grill and fall through the grates. Use jumbo for skewers.

Make-ahead and meal prep shrimp

Cooked shrimp keeps well for lunches. Make a double batch of garlic butter or chili lime shrimp, then pack it with rice, beans and vegetables for 3 to 4 days of bowls. Chilled shrimp also works in pasta salad and wraps. For more lunch-ready ideas, see our meal prep ideas.

Shrimp sizes and how many to buy

Shrimp is sold by count per pound. A label like "21/25" means 21 to 25 shrimp in a pound. The names on the bag vary by store, so trust the count.

Plan on about 1 pound of raw, peeled shrimp for 3 to 4 people when there are hearty sides like pasta or rice. A one-pot jambalaya stretches shrimp further by cooking it with sausage, chicken and rice.

How to cook shrimp: times by method

These times are for large (26/30) peeled shrimp. Smaller shrimp cook faster.

Shrimp is done when the flesh turns firm, pearly and opaque, according to the FDA's seafood safety guide. The FDA lists 145°F as the internal temperature for most seafood. Overcooked shrimp curls into a tight "O" and turns rubbery, so pull it as soon as it's opaque.

How to thaw, peel and devein shrimp

1. Thaw in the fridge overnight. For a fast thaw, seal the shrimp in a plastic bag and set it in cold water, as the FDA recommends. A bag of large shrimp usually thaws in about 20 to 30 minutes this way.
2. Peel. Pull off the legs and shell. Leave the tails on for cocktail or skewers.
3. Devein. Cut a shallow slit down the back with a paring knife and lift out the dark vein.
4. Pat dry. Dry shrimp sears instead of steaming.
5. Season just before cooking. Acidic marinades with lemon or lime can start to "cook" shrimp, so keep them to 30 minutes or less.

Buying and storing shrimp

Frozen shrimp is convenient and keeps for months, and shrimp at the seafood counter is often labeled "previously frozen." When buying, the FDA says fresh shrimp should look clear or pearl-like with little or no odor, and to skip frozen bags that are torn or have lots of frost. Use raw shrimp within 2 days of buying it, or keep it frozen. Refrigerate cooked shrimp within 2 hours. Eat leftover cooked shrimp within 3 to 4 days, the time USDA's leftovers guide gives for refrigerated leftovers.

Shrimp is also on the FDA's "Best Choices" list of lower-mercury seafood in its advice about eating fish.

Starter version: one week of easy shrimp dinners

Buy two 2-pound bags of frozen raw, peeled and deveined shrimp (26/30) and plan three shrimp nights.

Shopping list: 2 bags frozen shrimp, rice, linguine, tortillas, a bag of slaw mix, black beans, limes, lemons, garlic, butter, parsley, green beans and salad greens.

Each morning (2 minutes): Move one pound of shrimp into a bowl in the fridge so it's thawed by dinner.

Plan your shrimp dinners

As the oldest of three, I learned that a plan makes a busy week feel easier. The Meal Planner & Grocery List ($3.99) has a weekly meal planner, a dinner plan and prep page, an aisle-sorted grocery list and pantry and freezer inventories, so you always know how much shrimp is left in the freezer. Save your family's favorite shrimp recipes in the Family Recipe Binder ($6.99), which has recipe cards, an index and section dividers.

Hosting this season? The Holiday Season Bundle is $15.99 ($25.94 bought separately). It includes six holiday organizers, among them a holiday edition of the Meal Planner & Grocery List and a cleaning schedule for before guests arrive. You'll find it with our other Bundles. You can also grab our free Holiday Budget Starter Kit, 3 printable US Letter pages emailed to you after you join our list. For a lighter taco night, make easy fish tacos with a quick cabbage slaw.