Recipe Roundup

39 Shrimp Recipes for Easy Dinners Any Night

Our favorite recipes with shrimp come together quickly but have enough punch to truly impress. Keep a stash of frozen shrimp on hand and you should be able to pull off many of the recipes below on a whim.
39 Shrimp Recipes for Easy Dinners Any Night
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Simon Andrews

It’s 5 p.m. and you haven’t planned dinner yet. If you have a bag of shrimp in the freezer and our best shrimp recipes bookmarked on your computer, this isn’t a problem. Many of the dishes below can be prepared with pantry staples in very little time. These are weeknight dinners you can pull off at the drop of a hat. There are a few fancy-seeming dishes in here too—company-ready shrimp recipes that aren’t actually all that tricky or time-consuming to prepare.

Whether fired on agrill, blasted in the oven on a sheet pan, or cooked gently in a soup pot, shrimp’s rich, sweet flavor can make any dinner feel special. So get ready to tuck those little pink curly Q’s into squishy dinner rolls, pile them on pasta, or pair them with a flavorful sauce or speedy marinade—then get ready to add these recipes to your “make again” list. But do check Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch for sustainabilityrecommendationsbefore you stock up (or read ourguide to buying seafood online). Ready to get inspired? Scroll down for our favorite shrimp recipes, including shrimp risotto, pastas, potstickers, pickled shrimp, and more.

  • Photo of habanero barbecue shrimp on skewers with slices of lime one of our favorite easy shrimp recipes.
    Photo & Food Styling by Joseph De Leo
    1/39

    Habanero BBQ Shrimp

    This is the only shrimp recipe you need for summer: The seafood gets a sweet-and-spicy marinade of apricot preserves, lime juice, habanero, soy sauce, garlic, and ginger, before being tossed on the grill for an easy 15-minute dinner.

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  • Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton
    2/39

    Shrimp Scampi

    Shrimp scampi—a.k.a garlic-butter shrimp—is an Italian-American restaurant staple that takes little more than a large skillet and 15 minutes of your time to make at home.

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  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Alex Brannian, Food Styling by Anna Hampton
    12/39

    Yerra Moolee

    In this easy shrimp recipe from Kerala, a state on the southwestern coast of India, fresh, juicy shrimp are gently poached in herb-laced coconut milk. The spicing here is intentionally kept very subtle so that the natural flavors of the shrimp and the coconut milk can be relished to their fullest.

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  • Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton
    13/39

    Tacos de Gobernador

    These cheesy shrimp tacos are made with mild chiles and have a little bacon added, giving the dish a surf-and-turf feeling.

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  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell
    14/39

    Shrimp and Corn Fritters

    These crispy, crunchy fritters take inspiration from the southern classicshrimp and grits. They’re bursting with fresh corn and a hint of spice, and get richness from a handful of cheddar cheese.

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  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Astrid Chastka, Food Styling by Anna Hampton
    21/39

    Shrimp With Herby White Beans and Tomatoes

    This one-pot meal is herby, sweet, and garlicky all at once. To add more green, throw in a handful of arugula and spinach at the end; for more garlic, pair it with garlic toast.

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  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Olivia Mack Anderson
    22/39

    Greek-Style Shrimp Pasta With Kale

    This pasta is so packed with vegetables and shrimp that it's a complete, satiating meal, despite using half the standard serving size of noodles. A splash of white wine gives the sauce bright flavor—a glass of it alongside wouldn't hurt either.

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  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Anna Billingskog
    23/39

    Pickled Shrimp

    This old-school appetizer is just the thing to make ahead before a party. The shrimp are just cooked through, then marinated in a mustardy, vinegary bath that gets a good dash of red pepper flakes for kick.

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  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Ali Nardi
    24/39

    Sheet-Pan Paella With Chorizo, Mussels, and Shrimp

    This weeknight-ready take on the classic Spanish dish comes together in a snap when cooked on a baking sheet in the oven.

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  • 25/39

    Gambas al Ajillo

    Translation: garlic shrimp. Which explains why there’s a clove of garlic for every large shrimp in this saucy dish. Round out the flavor with good olive oil, chile de árbol, and a splash of brandy. Don't forget the crusty bread.

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  • Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Pearl Jones
    26/39

    Market Suya

    Seasoned with a spice mix of ground peanuts, cayenne, and ginger, theseNigerian skewersare often served with shaved onions and sliced tomato. Here, a tomato-cream dipping sauce quells the fiery heat.

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  • Photo by Justin Walker
    30/39

    Pansit Palabok

    This Filipino rice noodle, squid, and shrimp stir-fry starts with a luscious, buttery, bisque–like sauce made with homemade shrimp stock. The topping? Tsitsaron, a.k.a. crisp-fried pork rinds.

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  • Photo by David A. Land, food styling by Carrie Purcell, prop styling by Alyssa Pagano
    31/39

    Shrimp-Salad Tostadas With Tomatoes and Cucumber

    In the state of Chiapas, these are made with chewy dried shrimp, but here, we use just-barely poached small, peeled shrimp. Plenty of fresh cilantro and lime juice keeps things vibrant.

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  • Photo by Peden + Munk
    32/39

    Pasta With Shrimp in Tomato Cream

    This is an easy shrimp pasta that needs to enter your weeknight cooking rotation. A littledry vermouthand some feta serve to deepen the flavor.

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  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell
    39/39

    Grilled Shrimp, Zucchini, and Tomatoes With Feta

    This Greek-inspired shrimp recipe comes together in a snap with the help of a grill basket. Before cooking, you'll coat the shrimp, zucchini, and tomatoes in oil laced with garlic and oregano.

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