This easy Pan Seared Shrimp is an impressive recipe that comes together in less than 10 minutes! Butter, olive oil and a few simple seasonings add amazing flavor. It’s a great recipe for meal prep or to serve over a salad, pasta or veggies.
Shrimp is the perfect addition to dinner because it cooks quickly and easily. You can prepare it in a variety of ways, but we love pan searing the shrimp. Pan seared shrimp cooks in one pan to make prep and clean up easy.
Since shrimp cooks quickly, it’s a great weeknight dinner option. Make tender, juicy shrimp the easy way with this delicious recipe.
Enjoy this cooked shrimp with any of your favorite sides. We love to serve it with sautéed cauliflower, roasted green beans and potatoes, garlic mashed potatoes, roasted beet and orange salad or creamed kale.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It’s naturally gluten-free and low carb.
- The entire dish cooks in under 15 minutes!
- Pan cooked shrimp is perfect for meal prep.
- You can easily adapt this recipe to fit your taste.
Ingredients You Need
You only need a few simple ingredients to make this recipe. You probably already have all of the seasonings you need in your pantry. Then grab some shrimp at your local grocery store or seafood market.
- Shrimp – I recommend using large, extra large shrimp or jumbo shrimp that is peeled and deveined. You can use fresh shrimp or frozen shrimp but the shrimp should be thawed before cooking. Smaller shrimp cook quicker so if using smaller shrimp, you will need to watch them closely while cooking. This recipe calls for tails off, but you can leave them on, if desired. Be sure to pat the shrimp dry before using.
- Butter and Olive Oil – A mix of both is the best way to get that pan fried texture and delicious flavor. You can use salted or unsalted butter with extra virgin olive oil. You can substitute the butter for ghee, if desired.
- Seasonings – This recipe using a few simple seasonings to create delicious flavor. We use a combination of dried basil, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper.
- Optional Garnishes – Fresh lemon wedges or freshly chopped parsley are the perfect garnish. The squeeze of fresh lemon juice adds a fresh citrus flavor.
Simple ingredients add so much flavor to create a delicious meal!
Kitchen Tools
Use a large non-stick pan or cast iron skillet to prevent the shrimp from sticking to the pan. I prefer to use an enameled cast iron pan because they are easy to clean and the heat distributes evenly. Another type of nonstick skillet works too. You can use a standard stainless steel pan, but the shrimp may stick slightly. A 12-inch skillet or larger is preferred.
How to Pan Sear Shrimp
This easy pan seared shrimp comes together in only a few steps. Follow the instructions below to learn to cook perfect pan seared shrimp.
- Prepare the shrimp and the marinade: Pat shrimp dry with a paper towel to remove excess water. In a large bowl, toss together the shrimp, olive oil, salt, pepper, basil and crushed red pepper flakes. Allow the shrimp to marinate for 15 minutes.
- Heat the pan: Preheat a large skillet over medium-high heat for 5 to 6 minutes or until you can feel the heat radiating from the pan when you hover your hand over it.
- Pan sear the shrimp: Arrange 8 to 10 shrimp in a single layer in the pan. There should be plenty of room around the shrimp. Let the shrimp cook for 2 minutes or until they start to curl. Flip the shrimp and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes on the second side until they are pink and curled. If they stick to the pan, wiggle them gently to loosen. Remove the shrimp from the pan and repeat the process until all of the shrimp are cooked.
- Add the butter: Once all of the shrimp are cooked and removed from the pan, melt the butter in the same skillet and add all of the shrimp back to the pan and toss evenly to coat.
- Serve: Enjoy the buttery shrimp as an appetizer or main dish. You can garnish with fresh parsley or lemon.
Recipe Tips
- Add more flavor! Don’t be afraid to enhance the flavor of the shrimp by adding additional ingredients like garlic, lemon juice or lime juice. Curry powder, garlic powder and chili powder are also great choices. We also like using Old Bay Seasoning. Add the seasonings to the marinade or while cooking the shrimp in the skillet. If using fresh herbs, add them to the skillet during the last minute of cooking.
- Preheat the pan – Do not skip this step. The key to getting a nice sear on the shrimp is heating the pan until it’s hot. You should feel the heat radiating from the pan when you hold your hand above it.
- Don’t crowd the shrimp – Place the seasoned shrimp in a single layer in the hot pan. If you crowd the pan, the shrimp with steam and overcook.
- Do not overcook the shrimp – Nobody likes overcooked shrimp. To prevent overcooking the shrimp, you will want to cook the shrimp in a single layer and remove them from the pan once the shrimp are pink and curled slightly. Smaller shrimp cook quicker than larger shrimp. Keep an eye on the shrimp when they are cooking!
- Storage: You can store leftover shrimp in an airtight container for up to 3 days. You can serve the shrimp cold or reheat in a skillet over low heat.
How do you sear shrimp without overcooking?
To sear shrimp without overcooking you need to watch it closely. Shrimp cooks very quickly so you should follow the recipe instructions closely. Once the shrimp is pink and the tails are curled in, the shrimp is done. Do not overcrowd the pan or you will also overcook the shrimp.
What to Eat with Pan Seared Shrimp
- Make a Shrimp Salad: Serve the shrimp over a fresh garden salad.
- Make Shrimp Pasta: Add the cooked shrimp to this arrabbiata pasta or cream cheese pasta.
- Wrap the shrimp in tacos or a burrito: Make shrimp tacos or a burrito and add your favorite taco toppings.
- Make shrimp fajitas: Serve the cooked shrimp with these veggie fajitas.
- Serve them in a bowl: Make this veggie burrito bowl and add shrimp. Or make a bowl with any of your favorite bowl ingredients.
- Pair the seared shrimp with cooked vegetables: The options are endless for delicious sides. Serve the shrimp with mediterranean roasted vegetables, roasted potatoes and broccoli or sautéed carrots.
For other easy shrimp recipes, try Lemon Garlic Shrimp, Buffalo Shrimp, Crunchy Coconut Shrimp or this Shrimp and Rice Bowl.
Did you try this Pan Seared Shrimp recipe? Leave a recipe rating and review below.
Easy Pan Seared Shrimp
Ingredients
- 2 pounds large shrimp, peeled and deveined with the tails removed
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 tablespoons unsalted butter
Instructions
- Toss all the ingredients except for the butter together in a large bowl and let it marinade for 15 minutes.
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat for 5 to 6 minutes or until you can feel the heat radiating from the pan when you hover your hand over it.
- Arrange 8 to 10 shrimp in the pan, evenly spaced and let them cook for 2 minutes or until they start to curl.
- Flip them over and let them cook on the other side for 1 to 2 minutes or until they are pink and curled. (Parts of them may stick to the pan so wiggle them gently to loosen before flipping to prevent tearing.)
- Remove them from the pan and repeat the cooking process in 4 to 5 batches, heating the skillet each time before adding the next round of shrimp.
- Once all the shrimp had been cooked, melt the butter in the same skillet and add all the shrimp back to the pan and toss evenly to coat.
- Serve hot with fresh basil leaves for garnish if desired.
This was such an easy way to make shrimp.
I can always go for shrimp and this recipe was amazing! Easy to make and so tasty! We loved it!