Cilantro Lime Shrimp
Easy and flavorful, this Cilantro Lime Shrimp is a quick saute of shrimp in a cilantro-lime-tomato sauce with all the flavors of Mexico. Ready in under 30 minutes, this recipe is a great protein rich main course that can be used for tacos, burrito bowls, or served with your favorite weeknight sides!
I don’t know what happened to me last Sunday. Suddenly this huge burst of energy came from somewhere and all I wanted to do was cook! I got started just past 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 alongside 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!
❤️ Why We Love This Recipe
- You’ll have a protein-rich seafood dinner ready to serve in under 30 minutes.
- The pan juices are so flavorful that you can enjoy them on their own with a slice of garlic toast.
- Simple ingredients easily accessible at any grocery store.
- Scales up to feed a crowd or makes a delicious supper for two.
- Cilantro and lime are a perfect combination to elevate shrimp make it taste rich yet fresh at the same time.
- Easily adapted to use your favorite herbs and citrus and to adjust the heat level.
🛒 Ingredient Notes
- Shrimp (the star of this recipe is beautiful fresh shrimp; make sure to peel and devein them)
- Butter and olive oil (the combination of fats gives a rich flavor to the finished pan sauce)
- Garlic and onion (this pair of ingredients compliments the flavor of the shrimp)
- Chopped jalapeno (fresh jalapeno adds a kick of heat to the shrimp but can be omitted if you don’t like much spice)
- Red pepper flakes (another way to boost the spiciness of the dish)
- Mexican oregano (a bit bolder flavor than Mediterranean oregano; if you only have the regular Mediterranean version, that’s fine!)
- Roma tomatoes (freshly diced tomatoes create a sauce that is beautifully colored with a slightly acidic taste)
- Lime juice (adds a pop of freshness and acidity typical of Mexican cooking)
- Salt and pepper (balance all the flavors in the dish)
- Cilantro (it wouldn’t be cilantro-lime shrimp without the cilantro; fresh chopped cilantro is a MUST in this dish for flavor, texture, and freshness)
You’ll find detailed measurements for all ingredients in the printable version of the recipe at the bottom of this post.
🔪 How To Make Cilantro Lime Shrimp
I started out by chopping a couple of cloves of garlic, a medium onion, and one fresh jalapeno.
👉 PRO TIP: Most of the heat in fresh jalapenos is in the ribs and seeds. If you’d like yours on the milder side, remove those. If you like it spicy, leave the seeds and ribs in when chopping.
Place a heavy skillet over medium-high heat and add the butter and olive oil. Of course, I used a black cast-iron pan. 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. Cook, stirring often, 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 and pepper along with the juice and zest of a lime. Stir together for a few seconds. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the chopped cilantro.
❗ Recipe Success Tips
- For best results, use fresh raw shrimp. They’ll absorb the flavors much more than frozen shrimp will.
- Cilantro should be added after everything is cooked to make sure it keeps its bright, fresh flavor.
- Heat the butter and oil over medium high heat to get a good sear on the veggies which will develop depth of flavor in the sauce. Use a heavy bottomed skillet (cast iron is recommended).
- Leave the tails on the shrimp (they add loads of flavor).
🔀 Variations
- If you just really don’t like the flavor of cilantro (and I know some people really don’t!), try substituting an equal amount of freshly chopped basil.
- Swap lemon juice for the lime juice for a unique, but equally delicious, recipe.
- Use a different variety of tomatoes in your recipe. Heritage varieties are especially good at the peak of their season.
🍽️ How to Serve Cilantro Lime Shrimp
- Wrap it in warm tortillas for fresh shrimp tacos.
- Serve with a side of your favorite sourdough bread to soak up the flavorful pan sauce.
- Serve on a bed of rice with pico de gallo, sour cream, and lettuce for a fun shrimp burrito bowl.
- Toss into fresh, hot pasta for a beautiful summer dinner dish.
- Serve with your favorite weeknight sides like my Sweet and Sour Cucumber and Vidalia Onion Salad.
❓ Questions About Cilantro Lime Shrimp
Allow the finished recipe to cool completely, then transfer to a freezer safe storage bag and remove as much air as possible. Seal the bag and store in the freezer for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge when you’re ready to use.
Cooked seafood keeps for 2-3 days refrigerated. However, it’s always best when eaten the same day and this dish tastes best when consumed immediately after cooking.
This recipe is better in my opinion, because it’s made with a light homemade tomato sauce that is unmatched in the Costco version. Homemade is always best!
🧾 More Recipes You’ll Like
More Questions? I’m happy to help!
If you have more questions about the recipe, or if you’ve made it and would like to leave a comment, scroll down to leave your thoughts, questions, and/or rating!
Thanks so much for stopping by!
📖 Recipe
Cilantro Lime Shrimp
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 1 jalapeno finely chopped
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ½ teaspoon Mexican oregano
- 2 roma tomatoes chopped
- 1 lime zest and juice
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 pound shrimp split and deveined
- 2 tablespoons 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
- For best results, use fresh raw shrimp. They’ll absorb the flavors much more than frozen shrimp will.
- Cilantro should be added after everything is cooked to make sure it keeps its bright, fresh flavor.
- If you just really don’t like the flavor of cilantro (and I know some people really don’t!), try substituting an equal amount of freshly chopped basil.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information is calculated by software based on the ingredients in each recipe. It is an estimate only and is provided for informational purposes. You should consult your healthcare provider or a registered dietitian if precise nutrition calculations are needed for health reasons.
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!
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!
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!
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!
I just found this on Pinterest and made it for dinner tonight… DELISH! Will look around your blog for more recipes!
Looking good! This is one of my favourite ways to do shrimp!
This looks wonderful – YiRan loves her shrimp, so we may be making this soon!
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!!
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.
Forgot to mentioned that I paired it with fried plantains! Truly delicious!
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!!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
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).
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.)
THIS WAS AMAZING! I left out the butter and oil and it was still the most delicious thing I’ve made in awhile!
Thanks, Suzanne! So glad you enjoyed it.
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!
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!
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
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. :)
This looks so good. It is 10:30pm here and I am off to try it…I just can’t wait!
Just came cross this page and was wondering for ideas as a side dish? Making this for my mom’s bday on Wed! :)
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.
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! :)
So glad she liked it, Cindy!
A definite add into my menu for next week. Can’t wait. Thanks for sharing.
Looks scrumptious. Cheers !