This simple, bright, and fresh shrimp recipe is ready in about 15 minutes, making it an easy dinner for anyone on the go or the perfect appetizer to take to a party. The lush orange and lemon citrus sauce coating the pan-seared shrimp leaves out the butter and cream but will still have you dipping your bread in for more.
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“We were having a hot spell and I was looking for something light for dinner. This recipe sounded delicious. I chilled the shrimp after cooking and emulsified the cooking sauce for dressing and served it over mixed salad greens. It was just what I was looking for. The perfect for a light meal on a hot evening. Thank you.” ~Jamie, FoodieCrush reader
Insanely Juicy Shrimp in Just 15 Minutes!
I’d have to say one of the most common complaints I hear about cooking at home is when you suddenly realize it’s one of those days when dinner slips up in front of you and you have absolutely nothing planned to cook.
I know. I’ve been there.
That all-too-common predicament is one reason why this simple shrimp recipe spoke to me, because:
- The ingredient list is short and simple.
- 99% of the time I have the ingredients in my freezer, fridge, and in my pantry.
- It’s ready in about 15 minutes.
- And it’s amazingly adaptable to be served with a variety of sides or re-invented in other dishes for just about every one of the picky eaters.
This pan-seared shrimp recipe is one of the many fast, convenient, and classic dishes shared in my fellow blogger Robyn Stone’s cookbook, Add a Pinch: Easier, Faster, Fresher Southern Classics.
After tasting this recipe I knew it was one of my favorite types: One that can be dressed up for special occasions, or dressed down for a simple weeknight dinner. It’s pretty much perfect in every way.
Enjoy! Heidi
My Tips for Pan Frying Shrimp
- Only have frozen shrimp on hand? I keep a bag in the freezer exactly for times like this, and then simply run lukewarm water directly into the bag of frozen shrimp to defrost them, draining the water and repeating the process until the shrimp have thawed, usually in about 10 minutes or so. Do NOT try to cook shrimp from frozen, or else you’ll wind up with a rubbery exterior.
- No butter? No problem! What I found totally surprising about this recipe is how lush, creamy, and utterly decadent the citrus sauce became once it reduced and cooked down by about half. And yet, no cream or butter is called for in the recipe.
- Don’t reheat any leftovers. Instead, I recommend enjoying the shrimp cold since seafood typically doesn’t reheat that well.
The Main Ingredients You’ll Need
The full recipe, with amounts, can be found in the recipe card below.
Citrus Juice & Slices
Be sure to use freshly squeezed orange juice and lemon juice for this pan-seared shrimp recipe. Freshly squeezed makes a huge difference here!
Shrimp
The shrimp I purchased came deveined with the shells on, so a quick swipe of the shells was all that needed to be done. I like to keep the tails on for presentation sake, but feel free to remove them if you’d prefer.
I typically like to use Wild Caught Key West Pink Shrimp (10/15) because they’re bigger and sweeter than most imported from other countries. This time around I used smaller white shrimp (31/40) because it’s what I had, and, they’re cheaper by the pound.
Pan-Searing Shrimp in 3 Simple Steps
Haven’t yet learned how to sauté shrimp? Don’t sweat, it’s easy and takes just minutes to complete.
- Prepare the citrus sauce. The olive oil, citrus juices, garlic cloves, and onion are all whisked together and then cooked all at once until reduced by half.
- Add the shrimp to the pan. Medium-sized shrimp take about 5 minutes to cook. You can tell when they’re done once they turn pink and their tails curls inwards to form a backwards “C.”
- Garnish, season and BOOM! Shrimpies are on the table. 💃
If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating on this recipe below and leave a comment, take a photo and tag me on Instagram with #foodiecrusheats.
Pan-Seared Citrus Shrimp Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup fresh orange juice , (about 2 oranges)
- ½ cup fresh lemon juice , (about 3 lemons)
- 5 garlic cloves , minced or pressed
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped red onion , (or shallot)
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
- Pinch red pepper flakes
- Freshly ground black pepper and kosher salt
- 3 pounds medium shrimp , peeled and deveined
- 1 medium orange , cut into wedges or slices
- 1 medium lemon , cut into wedges
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the olive oil, orange juice, lemon juice, garlic, onion, 2 teaspoons of the parsley, and pinch of red pepper flakes. Pour the mixture into a large skillet set over medium heat. Bring to a simmer and cook until reduced by half, about 5 to 8 minutes.
- Add the shrimp, season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, cover, and cook until they turn pink, about 5 minutes.
- Top with the remaining parsley and serve with orange and lemon slices on the side.
Notes
Nutrition
Serving Suggestions for Citrus Shrimp
As mentioned above, these pan-seared shrimp can easily be adapted for oh, so many dishes. Here are a few ideas I had once I’d made them:
- Serve with chunks of warm, buttered sourdough bread as the perfect community appetizer, as witnessed above.
- Or for party size, top the shrimp over slices of toasted garlic crostini with a slather of creamy goat cheese or ricotta for a super simple finger food.
- Toss with linguine or angel hair pasta and serve hot with a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese.
- Add cut asparagus spears or spiralized zucchini with the shrimp in the last 5 minutes of cooking, and then serve alongside white or brown rice, or a nutty farro or other favorite grain.
- Use the shrimp as a fast and easy filler for tacos with crisp Mexican coleslaw and a mango, strawberry and avocado salsa.
- Use the shrimp to make a vibrant shrimp and avocado salad (the citrus sauce doubles as the salad dressing!).
More Easy Shrimp Recipes to Try
- Garlic Shrimp Scampi
- Chipotle Lime Shrimp Bowls
- Fried Shrimp Po Boys
- Blackened Seafood Pasta
- Shrimp Scampi Pasta
- Shrimp in Thai Coconut Sauce
- Peel ‘n Eat Beer Steamed Shrimp
Discover more recipes by Robin on her site Add a Pinch, and purchase her cookbook here.
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Christopher
Honestly, was a little surprised how good this was. Made it for the salad, and wasn’t sure how it would come out. It was addictive. Didn’t do the red pepper flakes as I don’t like spice, but next time will try a tiny bit, as I can see how a little heat would work in this. My partner loves heartier, meatier dishes, and I was worried this wouldn’t satisfy him, but he was licking the bowl clean. Was super simple, and now I want to try the shrimp with rice and other dishes, and make a variation with chicken. Thank you.
Hayley
We appreciate you giving this a try and sharing your feedback with us, Christopher! Glad you and your partner enjoyed it. :)
Bestcctv
Must try it, its really delicious