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!
— This post was originally published on June 7, 2011. It has been updated with additional information.
Recipe Snapshot: Cilantro Lime Shrimp
Cuisine: American
Cooking Method: Stovetop
Total Time: 25 Minutes
Servings: 4
Primary Ingredient(s): Garlic, onion, jalapeno, tomatoes, shrimp, cilantro
Skill Level: Easy
WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING …
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“This is one of my favorite meals to cook and my family’s fav to eat! It is flavorful and delicious (plus easy to make!).”
— Alyssa
What Makes This Recipe Special
- You’ll have a protein-rich seafood dinner ready to serve in under 30 minutes.
- The pan sauce is so flavorful that you can enjoy it on its 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 perfect with shrimp for a rich yet fresh flavor.
- It’s easily adapted to use your favorite herbs and citrus and to adjust the heat level.
Ingredient Notes
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- Shrimp — The star of this recipe is beautiful, fresh shrimp. Make sure to peel and devein them or purchase peeled, deveined shrimp. Frozen shrimp may also be used. Thaw and drain them well before adding to the recipe.
- Chopped jalapeno — Fresh jalapeno adds a kick of heat to the shrimp, but may be omitted if you don’t like much spice.
- Mexican oregano — It’s a bit bolder 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.
- 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.
The complete ingredient list with detailed measurements is included in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Variations and Substitutions
- 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 lime juice for a unique yet 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 Make Cilantro Lime Shrimp
STEP 1. 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.
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STEP 2. When the butter and oil are melted, add in the garlic, onion and jalapeno.
STEP 3. Cook those together, stirring, for a few minutes until the onion begins to wilt.
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.
STEP 4. Next, add the red pepper flakes and oregano.
STEP 5. Continue cooking until the onions are translucent. This step takes about 3 minutes.
STEP 6. Add the chopped tomatoes.
STEP 7. Cook, stirring often, until the tomatoes are nicely softened.
STEP 8. Add the shrimp along with the lime zest and juice, salt, and black pepper.
STEP 9. Cook and stir until the shrimp are just opaque. It shouldn’t take more than 4 or 5 minutes. Watch them carefully since shrimp cook so quickly.
STEP 10. When the shrimp have turned opaque, 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).
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!
Have a question or thought to share?
If you have a question about the recipe or if you’ve made it and want to share how it turned out, I would truly enjoy hearing from you. Just scroll down to leave a comment or add your star rating.
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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 pound shrimp split and deveined
- 1 lime zest and juice
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
Instructions
- Melt the butter and oil in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat.1 tablespoon butter, 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Add the garlic, onion and jalapeno.2 cloves garlic, 1 medium onion, 1 jalapeno
- Cook, stirring until the onion begins to wilt, approximately 3 minutes.
- Add the red pepper flakes and oregano.¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes, ½ teaspoon Mexican oregano
- Continue cooking until the onion becomes translucent, approximately 3 additional minutes.
- Add the tomatoes.2 roma tomatoes
- Cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes are soft.
- Add the shrimp, zest and lime juice, salt and black pepper.1 pound shrimp, 1 lime, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon 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.2 tablespoons chopped 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.
Made it with black beans and sour cream. :) It was so good! Awesome recipe with just the right amount of spicy. :)
Made it tonight! It was VERY tasty!
So glad you liked it!
What size shrimp did you use? I can’t wait to try and make this!
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.
Spectacular. I added some chopped spinach for some extra nutrition and it was amazing.
Thanks for the great recipe!
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.
Delicioso!!! We made this last night and it was great! I left out the butter and added a little more salt. Yummo! Thanks…
I made this tonight – it was DELICIOUS!
Thank you for sharing your recipe. Made it for dinner last night and it was amazing. Will definitely make again.
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!
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.
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!
What a great idea! I’m going to try that myself!
Look delishh!! What kind of side will be good with it? Bread? What kind of bread?
Hi EVa – I just served garlic bread with this.
Thankuuu :)
I put the stuff over pasta, yum!
Sounds yummy thanks :)
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!
It turned out amazing!!! Yum. My husband really enjoyed it!
Made this tonight & LOVED it. Will be adding this into my favorites for sure. Thank you!! :)
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!
I also found this on Pinterest. Made it tonight and turned out really well. I paired it with tortillas. Thanks for sharing!