5 Easy Shrimp Recipes To Change Your Everyday Meals

These five easy shrimp recipes bring variety to everyday meals, from garlic lemon shrimp to creamy pasta and a fresh avocado salad. Each recipe serves two and uses simple ingredients.

Before You Start

Use raw, peeled, deveined shrimp for recipes 1–4 and cooked, chilled shrimp for the salad. Thaw frozen shrimp in the refrigerator and pat dry. Rice and pasta quantities below are measured dry.

1. Garlic Lemon Shrimp

Ingredients: 300 g shrimp, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 2 minced garlic cloves, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 teaspoon chopped parsley, 1/8 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon black pepper.

1. Heat the oil over medium heat. Stir in the garlic for 30 seconds without browning.
2. Add shrimp in one layer. Cook for about 2 minutes per side, adjusting for size, until opaque throughout.
3. Remove from heat. Add lemon, parsley, salt and pepper. Serve with bread or rice.

2. Tomato Shrimp Rice

Ingredients: 150 g rice, 250 g shrimp, 200 ml tomato sauce, 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1/2 teaspoon paprika. Optional: 50 g frozen peas.

1. Cook rice following the packet instructions; add optional peas during the final 3 minutes, then drain.
2. Simmer tomato sauce, oil and paprika for 3 minutes. Add shrimp and cook gently until opaque throughout.
3. Fold in the hot rice and serve as soon as everything is heated through.

3. Sesame Shrimp Skewers

Ingredients: 300 g shrimp, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 teaspoon honey, 1 teaspoon sesame oil and 1 teaspoon sesame seeds.

1. Mix the seasonings with shrimp and thread onto metal skewers.
2. Grill over medium-high heat for roughly 2–3 minutes per side, depending on size. Stop once the centers are opaque; avoid scorching the honey.

4. Creamy Shrimp Pasta

Ingredients: 180 g pasta, 250 g shrimp, 1 teaspoon olive oil, 1 minced garlic clove, 120 ml cream and 20 g finely grated vegetarian hard cheese.

1. Cook pasta according to the packet. Reserve 60 ml cooking water, then drain.
2. Heat oil, cook garlic for 30 seconds, then add shrimp. Cook until opaque and transfer to a plate.
3. Warm cream gently in the pan. Stir in cheese and pasta, adding reserved water gradually to loosen the sauce. Return shrimp and serve.

5. Fresh Shrimp Salad

Ingredients: 250 g cooked, chilled shrimp, 1 avocado, 150 g cherry tomatoes, 1/2 cucumber, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 tablespoon lemon juice and 1 teaspoon chopped parsley. Optional: 50 g lettuce and 1/4 small red onion.

1. Chop the vegetables and avocado. Whisk oil with lemon juice.
2. Toss everything gently with shrimp and parsley. Keep refrigerated until serving.

How To Keep Shrimp Tender

Check for firm, pearly flesh that is opaque throughout. Cooking times vary with size and heat. Add cooked shrimp back to hot sauces only briefly to avoid overcooking.

For salads, cool cooked shrimp promptly in a shallow container and refrigerate within 2 hours, or within 1 hour when temperatures exceed 32°C (90°F).

Choose Your Next Shrimp Meal

Try garlic lemon shrimp for a simple skillet meal, creamy pasta for a comforting dinner or avocado salad for a cold lunch. Save this collection so the quantities and steps are easy to find next time.