By Lana Stuart 129 Comments

Cilantro Lime Shrimp

Cilantro Lime Shrimp - Shrimp sauteed in a cilantro-lime-tomato sauce with all the flavors of Mexico. From @NevrEnoughThyme http://www.lanascooking.com/cilantro-lime-shrimp

I don’t know what happened to me last Sunday. I suddenly got this huge burst of energy and all I wanted to do was cook! I got started right after noon and by the end of the day I had cooked and photographed five recipes.

When supper time came around I was still going strong in the kitchen but had to start thinking about getting something ready for our dinner.

I really wanted something with shrimp and tex-mex flavors so I just started gathering up anything that I thought might go well together. The end result was this really tasty Cilantro Lime Shrimp.

This was just enough for the two of us for Sunday night supper. Even better with the garlic toast along side to soak up all the delicious juices.

And did I mention it’s really quick to make? In less than 30 minutes we sat down at the table and shared this beautiful shrimp right out of the skillet!

Cilantro Lime Shrimp - Shrimp sauteed in a cilantro-lime-tomato sauce with all the flavors of Mexico. Click To Tweet

How To Make Cilantro Lime Shrimp:

I started out by chopping a couple of cloves of garlic, a medium onion and a fresh jalapeno that I ran outside and cut from the garden. My jalapenos are a little ahead of my cubanelles and way ahead of my bell peppers!

Next you’ll need to grab a heavy skillet, heat it over medium-high heat and add the butter and olive oil. Of course, I used a black cast-iron. I just love the way they heat up and hold the heat steady.

When the butter and oil are melted, add in the garlic, onion and jalapeno. Cook those together, stirring, for a few minutes until the onion begins to wilt.

Next, add the red pepper flakes and oregano. Continue cooking until the onions are translucent.

Add the chopped tomatoes and cook, stirring again, until they’re nicely wilted. Once they’ve cooked down add the shrimp. Cook and stir until the shrimp are just done.

It shouldn’t take more than 4 or 5 minutes. Watch them carefully since shrimp cook so quickly.

When the shrimp have turned opaque, add the salt, pepper and juice and zest of a lime. Stir together for a few seconds. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the chopped cilantro.

This recipe served two hungry folks for dinner :-) As they say “your mileage may vary.” Be sure to have some garlic bread or garlic toast to soak up all those delicious juices.

Enjoy!

Cilantro Lime Shrimp

Yield: 2

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

Shrimp with all the flavors of Mexico - cilantro, lime, oregano, and red pepper.

Ingredients

1 tblsp. butter
1 tblsp. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium onion, chopped
1 jalapeno, finely chopped
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp. Mexican oregano
2 roma tomatoes, chopped
1 lime, zest and juice
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 pound shrimp, split and deveined
2 tblsp. chopped cilantro

Instructions

Melt the butter and oil in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat.
Add the garlic, onion and jalapeno.
Cook, stirring until the onion begins to wilt, approximately 3 minutes.
Add the red pepper flakes and oregano.
Continue cooking until the onion becomes translucent, approximately 3 additional minutes.
Add the tomatoes.
Cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes are soft.
Add the shrimp, zest and lime juice, salt and black pepper.
Cook until the shrimp are just opaque. Be careful not to overcook.
Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the cilantro.

Notes

All text and photographs on Never Enough Thyme are copyright protected. Please do not use any material from this site without obtaining prior permission. If you'd like to post this recipe on your site, please create your own original photographs and either re-write the recipe in your own words or link to this post.

Other cilantro-lime shrimp recipes you might enjoy:

Cilantro Lime Shrimp Skewers from Two Peas and Their Pod
For the Love of Cooking’s Cilantro Lime Shrimp
Chipotle Lime Shrimp from Gimme Some Oven
Chili Lime Shrimp as seen on Worth the Whisk
Linguini with Shrimp and Cilantro-Lime Pesto

This post was originally published on June 7, 2011. Republished May 2, 2018.

Lemon Olive Chicken »

Comments

Kay says
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Looks mouthwatering!
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- Lana says
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  Thanks, Kay. It turned out so good for something I just threw together!
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Aggie says
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I really really like this dish!! Looks delicious!!
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- Lana says
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  Give it a try, Aggie. I’m sure you’ll enjoy it.
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[email protected] says
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This looks like a dish my family would devour in moments!
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- Lana says
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  Sommer – it took the two of us about 15 minutes to totally clean the skillet. It was that good!
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Renee (kudos kitchen) says
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Love cilantro, love lime, love shrimp. Guess I’d love this recipe too . Yum!
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- Lana says
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  Renee, if you like cilantro and lime you’ll love this.
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Feast on the Cheap says
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5 new recipes in one day? I bow to you
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- Lana says
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  LOL. It was probably a one-time only thing!
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Wenderly says
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I *love* everything in this dish! Sounds like a perfect summertime treat!
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- Lana says
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  Not bragging, but it really did turn out great if I do say so myself :-)
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Eva says
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That sounds wonderful. Love the flavor combinations going on here, and the photo of the dish is fantastic!
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- Lana says
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  Thanks, Eva. The flavor was great.
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Jess says
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Oh my gosh! This looks absolutely delish!
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Hatsie says
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This looks amazing! I am always looking for shrimp dishes in the summer, I’ll definitely give this one a try!
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- Lana says
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  Hope you enjoy it, Hatsie.
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Neena says
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It looks mouth-watering. Wonder if I could make this and have it turn out this good—nah, probably not. Great job.
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- Lana says
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  You could and it would probably be ten times as good!
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Casey says
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I’m OBSESSED with shrimp!!! This is just making me drool!
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- Lana says
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  Try it, Casey. I’m sure you’ll love it.
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Barbara | Creative Culinary says
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First of all Lana, next time you get that burst of energy I would like to chat…I think you must have some of mine!
Second…what a great dish and it reminds me of my methodology…often not great planning ahead as much as seeing what is available and making them work together. You’ve had a stellar result!
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- Lana says
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  Barbara – Those little bursts don’t come very often. When they do I take full advantage!
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Mary @ Delightful Bitefuls says
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Yum x 100! This looks incredible!
Mary xo
Delightful Bitefuls
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- Lana says
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  Thanks, Mary!
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Tracey says
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I love it when the pantry opens up its magic doors and gives just the right ingredients for something new, unique and exciting!! I can’t wait to try this. I’m going to serve it w/ orzo or basamati rice that I’ve added lemon juice to the water. Yumm-mo!!
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- Lana says
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  Tracey – That sounds like the perfect thing to go with this recipe! Yum.
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Drick says
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yup, gonna start calling you kin alright, grilled mexican shrimp last night… love everything you got going on here, the lime esp with the spices sounds like it makes for one fine tasting dish…
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- Lana says
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  It was fine eating, Drick. Mighty fine.
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Peggy says
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This shrimp sounds so fantastic! Cilantro & lime definitely go very well here =)
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- Lana says
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  Yes, cilantro and lime are a perfect pair aren’t they?
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Nancy says
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what a delightful dish!!! I added a cup ofclamato juice gave me more
sopping’s for chunks of french bread..
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- Lana says
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  Good idea, Nancy. I just might try that myself next time.
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Kristen says
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Oh how I want that kind of burst of energy, Lana! This looks so good.
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Erica K says
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Thanks for the recipe I found this via tastykitchen we were in heaven last night– added a little extra lime and 1 more tomato and it was great!
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Angie @ Bigbearswife says
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love adding lime to dishs, makes it taste “fresh” to me
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Brighton Restaurants says
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Looks scrumptious. Cheers !
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Sapphire @ Life with My Pollitos says
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A definite add into my menu for next week. Can’t wait. Thanks for sharing.
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Cindy says
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Just came cross this page and was wondering for ideas as a side dish? Making this for my mom’s bday on Wed! :)
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- Lana says
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  This is great served over angel hair pasta with a big tossed salad and lots of garlic bread! It would also be good with a side of cilantro-lime scented rice. Hope that helps.
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  - Cindy says
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    Thank you, Lana! It was very helpful! Btw, made this dish for my mom tonight for her bday and she LOVED it! Thanks for sharing! :)
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    - Lana says
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      So glad she liked it, Cindy!
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Janel @ Hating Martha says
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This looks so good. It is 10:30pm here and I am off to try it…I just can’t wait!
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Kathleen says
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I just made this. It’s delicious!! Very good job. :) Mine came out a little more watery than it was probably supposed to, because I used frozen shrimp, but it’s still wonderful. I’m putting mine over rice. I love it. :)
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Betty Woodard says
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Oh my gravy ! this was soooo good..my husband loved it also..I will make more of the broth next time..just poured it over the toasted bread and ..yummie..It was just so good
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Robyn says
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I wondering if anyone tried this cold as a shrimp salad kind of thing. Could you cook it and then refrigerate it? How would it be the next day? Thanks!
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- Lana says
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  Robyn – I’ve never tried it cold. Personally, I don’t think I’d enjoy it as much that way. If you try it, let us know how it was!
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Suzanne says
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THIS WAS AMAZING! I left out the butter and oil and it was still the most delicious thing I’ve made in awhile!
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- Lana says
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  Thanks, Suzanne! So glad you enjoyed it.
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Queen of Quirky says
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I made this tonight and added some fresh mushrooms, because I had them. Served with two warm corn tortillas. Very yummy and fresh tasting. (I used a little less butter…well, because it’s January and I’m still trying to be good.)
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Brian @ A Thought For Food says
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When my husband tells me that cilantro has no place in any dish, I’m going to just show him this recipe and tell him he’s wrong (because we always need to have the opportunity to do that).
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YM says
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Just tried this dish today… Ah-mazing and so easy to make! I an not the greatest cook and this made me feel like a superstar! Thank you for the recipe!!
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- Lana says
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  I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
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YM says
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Forgot to mentioned that I paired it with fried plantains! Truly delicious!
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Marcie says
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I found this on pinterest and made it tonight in observance of ash Wednesday. Delish!!!! I am adding your blog to my google reader. Thanks!!
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- Lana says
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  I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Marcie! Funny how a recipe I put together at the end of a long day, almost as an after thought, has turned out to be so popular.
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Bryan & YiRan says
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This looks wonderful – YiRan loves her shrimp, so we may be making this soon!
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Kevin (Closet Cooking) says
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Looking good! This is one of my favourite ways to do shrimp!
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Kim says
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I just found this on Pinterest and made it for dinner tonight… DELISH! Will look around your blog for more recipes!
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Jim says
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I made this last night and served it over some thin wheat pasta with toasted oilve oil bread rubbed with fresh garlic……WOW-oh-WOW! The only other thing I did was to marinate the shrimp in the lime juice for about 15 minutes before cooking. Great recipe Lana!
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LUZ says
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This really is a delicious dish. Made this but with serrano chiles and double the amount of red pepper and and additional half of a lime and 1 tbsp. of tequila blanco. Also tried it with chipotle a diff. time and always toasted bolillo pan. Thanks loved!
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Cindy I says
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Hey there, found the recipe on Pinterest yesterday, and made it tonight. It was so yummy! I’ll make it again, but next time, I’ll double the sauce ingredients. Out philosophy is you can never have enough sauce! Thank you!
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charish says
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I made this last night for dinner and it was great, maybe a little more red pepper flakes next time but other than that I would keep it just the same. Thank you for a great recipe!
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Angie says
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I found this on Pinterest a while ago and made this tonight for dinner–AMAZING. Wish I’d made it sooner!
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Virginia says
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Made this dish last night. Very simple and DELICIOUS.
Next time I am trying it over Quinoa or maybe pasta with sprinkle of parm cheese. YUM!
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Teresa says
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I found this on pinterest and made it tonight along with some mashed red potatoes. My husband raved! Thanks for a great recipe!!
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Laura says
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Hi! I found this on Pinterest weeks ago and have made it 3x since, with either chicken or shrimp and always with more tomatoes. Love it with Cuban bread. Thanks so much!
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Susanne says
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This recipe is BEYOND good! My husband and I have made it at least every other week since first trying it. We mix in some cooked orzo (my favorite) or rice (his favorite) and we use rock shrimp. Thanks so much for this wonderful dish!
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Ekua says
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I also found this on Pinterest. Made it tonight and turned out really well. I paired it with tortillas. Thanks for sharing!
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Jen says
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OMG! Well I left out the onions and only did 1 garlic clove, then at the end also cut avocado. Hubby’s not home yet, I wish I could just eat the rest of his portion! I WANT MORE! Thanks so much to you or whoever posted it on Pinterest! I stepped out of my shell and enjoyed every bite!
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Haley says
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Made this tonight & LOVED it. Will be adding this into my favorites for sure. Thank you!! :)
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Tamika says
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It turned out amazing!!! Yum. My husband really enjoyed it!
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Kristen says
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Found this recipe on Pinterest, and boy am I glad! This was fantastic. We spread Italian bread with a garlic olive oil spread that our grocery store sells, and we grilled the bread. My fiance and I devoured this pretty quickly!
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Eva says
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Look delishh!! What kind of side will be good with it? Bread? What kind of bread?
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- Lana says
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  Hi EVa – I just served garlic bread with this.
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  - Eva says
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    Thankuuu :)
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- Jen says
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  I put the stuff over pasta, yum!
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  - Eva says
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    Sounds yummy thanks :)
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Penny Calhoun says
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I want you to know this was the easiest shrimp and the best tasting shrimp recipe I have ever made. My family went crazy! Rest assured I’m not some little new bride who dosen’t cook much. I’m a 66 YO granny who cooks all the time. I’ve been cooking since I could push a chair over to a gas stove and stir a pot of cooked Jello Pudding. Shrimp is always my favorite, honey, in one night it jumped to the top of my favorites!
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- Lana says
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  Penny – I’m so happy to hear that you liked this recipe. It’s one of our favorites, too. I hope you’ll visit the blog again and find more recipes to enjoy.
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  - Penny Calhoun says
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    I have made this several times since I wrote last. For Christmas I have a very long fish dish and I grilled snapper (any white fish would do, even tilapia) and laid that out on the platter and used this as a sauce on top. Kids, it was amazing!
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    - Lana says
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      What a great idea! I’m going to try that myself!
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Becky says
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Thank you for sharing your recipe. Made it for dinner last night and it was amazing. Will definitely make again.
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Julie says
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I made this tonight – it was DELICIOUS!
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Jessica Peterson says
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Delicioso!!! We made this last night and it was great! I left out the butter and added a little more salt. Yummo! Thanks…
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Gabe says
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This dish is fantastic! I found this about a month ago. I’ve made it twice. Even my child, whose not so fond of spicy, loved it! I did add some finely chopped red/green bell pepppers. Great post. Thx.
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Richie says
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Spectacular. I added some chopped spinach for some extra nutrition and it was amazing.
Thanks for the great recipe!
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Liz says
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What size shrimp did you use? I can’t wait to try and make this!
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- Lana says
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  Liz – If I remember correctly, I used large (31-35) shrimp for this. The size doesn’t really matter, though. You can use whatever size you want.
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Diana says
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Made it tonight! It was VERY tasty!
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- Lana Stuart says
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  So glad you liked it!
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Katie says
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Made it with black beans and sour cream. :) It was so good! Awesome recipe with just the right amount of spicy. :)
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Helen Nephew says
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I made this tonight and had it with rice and it is delicious…..i will make it again
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Janine says
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I was just wondering what I can serve this with or over. Maybe angel hair & marinara?? Steaks?? It looks amazing!!
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- Lana Stuart says
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  Hi Janine – Since this recipe has Mexican flavors in it, I probably wouldn’t pair it with marinara. Honestly, we just eat it on its own with some good bread. It’s also great with a Mexican style rice or as you suggested alongside a steak. It has big, bold flavors so you’ll want to keep that in mind when pairing it with other foods.
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Pam Hubler says
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Awesome recipe! Thanks! Even my kids ate it. :)
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- Lana Stuart says
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  So glad you enjoyed it, Pam!
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Tesia says
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This was SO awesome! I used the leftovers in a tortilla and added avacado! Shrimp taco yum yum!
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Liliah says
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How would I do this with chicken instead of shrimp? I love the cilantro and lime, but I’m allergic to shrimp!
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- Lana Stuart says
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  I suppose you’d just substitute the same amount of chicken for shrimp. I’d try boneless, skinless chicken cut into bite-sized pieces.
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Betty says
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Oh my goodness this is the best ever…I make it about four times a year..could make it every day lol.I do double the sauce because that is the best to eat on your toast..Makes me hungry talking about it..
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Hannah says
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Absolutely delicious!! I will make this again and again and again! Thanks :)
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Megan says
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This was fantastic! I made some minor alterations: left half of the seeds in the jalapeno, added 2-3 times the garlic, and TONS of cilantro. As a side dish, I made some white rice in my rice cooker, but used 2 chicken stock cubes in the water to give it some extra flavor. Served the shrimp in a bowl over the rice and it mixed together perfectly.
The heat from the spice/peppers was perfect. I loved this and will make it many more times! Thanks!
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- Lana Stuart says
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  So glad you enjoyed it, Megan.
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Waunda says
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So in love with this. I just made it – served over dumpling squash. Going back for seconds now . Thank you :)
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Maria Kollision says
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That looks so good! I’m working on my food photography skills, but they’re pretty abysmal so far… what sort of a camera/lighting setup do you use? The results are quite nice. :)
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- Lana Stuart says
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  Hi Maria,
  I shoot with a Nikon D90 camera in natural light. The primary lens that I use is a 50mm/f1.8.
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Tina says
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Instant hit at the dinner table! Thanks!
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crystle says
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I made this last night with crablegs and garlic bread and it was delicious! It really hit the spot and my mom and 7 yr old also really enjoyed it. Thanks!
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- Lana Stuart says
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  So glad you enjoyed it, Crystle.
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Robin says
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I made this for dinner tonight. Doubled the sauce. I made lime cilantro rice and put shrimp on top. It was fantastic!! It will be my go to company coming at the last minute recipe. Thanks!!
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Peggy says
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I have made this several times, it is my husbands favorite meal and he doesn’t particularly like shrimp, but he loves this! Thanks for sharing this recipe, it is amazing.
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- Lana Stuart says
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  I’m so glad to hear that, Peggy! It turned out pretty good for something I just threw together one Sunday afternoon :-)
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Ruby says
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Is this spicy??? I’d love to try but can’t have spicy foods, doctor’s orders. :(
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- Lana Stuart says
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  It has garlic, onion, and jalapeno in the recipe so, yes, it is a little spicy.
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Heather S. says
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I had some shrimp thawed and wasn’t sure what to do with them. I remembered seeing this recipe on Pinterest and made it tonight. I left out the jalapeno because I didn’t have one. It was really delicious. I wouldn’t change a thing! Next time, I probably won’t put in the jalapeno because it was just right without it. It’s a definite keeper! Thank you for sharing!
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Jamie says
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Mmmmmm shrimp, cilantro, lime…. I could eat this every single day. Sadly no fresh shrimp in Nantes so I might be reduced to making this with scallops. Delicious!
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Ginger Gaubert says
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Made this for dinner last night–so fresh, yummy, and healthy! The hubby loved it.
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- Katie says
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  What did you cook with it? Rice? Pasta?
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  - Lana Stuart says
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    We just eat it on its own with garlic bread. It would probably be good with rice.
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Lynne says
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Love this receipe. I use Rotel cilantro lime, instead of the Roma’s. excellent dish.
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miguel says
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great recipe, very flavorful. I will suggest one thing, leave out the lime or add just a few drops. 1 whole lime over powers the flavors, at least for me, and I only used 1/2 a lime. Served over steamed rice.
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- Lana Stuart says
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  Thanks for your thoughts, Miguel. However, I personally think the lime is just right. Not at all overpowering.
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Melissa says
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I’ve made this dozens of times. Whole lime is perfect by the way!
This is a staple in my house because I almost always have the ingredients for it. We’ve been basically snowed in and never got to go grocery shopping this week, so I threw this together for another quick, tasty meal.
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- Lana Stuart says
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  I’m so glad you like it, Melissa. It’s one of my favorites, too!
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Betty Woodard says
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Just had to let you know this is the best shrimp recipe I have ever tried…have made it so many times for us and company..I always triple it so we will have enough and than we lick the bowl clean after everyone leaves..lol
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- Lana Stuart says
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  Thank you so much for letting me know that you enjoy it! We love it, too :-)
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Holly says
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Loved this recipes. I have made this many times and it is a favorite of ours. I usually mix in a half box of orzo with it. I used my own fresh herbs (oregano and cilantro) and it is to die for.
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Lyla Hassan says
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Thanks, Lana for this amazing recipe…It’s on my list for coming weekend for sure :)
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