This quick and easy Mexican shrimp skillet is a one-pan dinner ready in just 20 minutes! It’s great over rice or quinoa, in tacos or as a wrap!
I hope you had a lovely weekend!
We played outside all day Saturday - biking/walking on the greenway and planting in the garden (yay for Earth Day), which was fortunate because Sunday was a cold and chilly mess of a day.
We all ended up curling up on the couch together in the afternoon to watch a movie. It was lovely.
Today though, I’ve got Cinco de Mayo on my mind.
It falls on a Friday this year which means there’s room for all the margaritas and celebrating!
Sometimes for holidays like this, I want to be festive but you know I always skew simple. And fast. And healthyish.
So I thought I’d share my quick and easy Mexican shrimp skillet.
Just a few basic ingredients, some delicious spices and you’ve got a fantastic, flavorful dinner ready in 20 minutes!
It’s also gluten-free and low-carb as is.
We serve this over steamed brown rice or quinoa or use it for rice bowls, tacos or in wraps.
It would even be great over some toasted bread with a sprinkle of cheese for an appetizer.
There's lots of ways to enjoy it!
(Same goes for southwest Air Fryer shrimp, which is a quick and easy recipe with similar flavors. Or check out this Mediterranean shrimp skillet for a different twist on this type of quick shrimp dinner.)
OK, let's get cooking.
Now, I’ve got some notes and tips coming up below on how to make this easy shrimp skillet. Just tryin’ to be helpful.
If you want to jump on down to the recipe, simply scroll right on through the rest of the text. The recipe card is near the bottom of the page, above the comments section.
Recipe Notes:
- I buy frozen shrimp, which is usually fresher than “fresh” shrimp in the grocery store case. The shrimp they have on display in the seafood case is almost always frozen shrimp that they've recently thawed. So buying it still frozen is a better move.
- I love, love getting my shrimp already peeled and deveined - saves so much time. Highly recommend if you can find it that way.
- I prefer the 21-30 size shrimp, but you can use your favorite size.
- Cooking shrimp with the tail on helps give it more flavor. But I usually remove mine after that so it’s easier to serve and eat, especially for my kids.
- You can cook the shrimp in batches, if nend whether you use seeds and membranes from the jalapeño pepper, to control the amount of heat here.
- The fresh cilantro and lime juice really make this dish pop and add some brightness and freshness at the end - don't skip them!
And stay tuned, cause I’ve got another delicious shrimp recipe coming up for you next week! (Update: Check out this yummy shrimp tacos.)
You can sign up for my free e-newsletter. Bonus: You’ll get my free e-cookbook with 10 healthy weeknight dinners!
I hope you have a wonderful week!
XO,
Kathryn
Easy Mexican Shrimp Skillet
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 1-2 small jalapeno peppers, seeded and finely chopped
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 ¼ lbs. shrimp, peeled and deveined
For serving:
- Chopped fresh cilantro
- Squeeze of fresh lime juice
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
- Add onion and peppers and sauté 5-7 minutes, until tender.
- Add garlic and seasonings and sauté an additional 30 seconds.
- Add shrimp to pan in an even layer and cook 1-2 minutes per side, until just cooked through.
- Remove and serve sprinkled with fresh cilantro and a squeeze of lime juice.
Cheyanne @ No Spoon Necessary
Yay to not working this weekend! The weather was crazy yesterday, and today for that matter, but I'm glad your kiddos enjoyed it anyways! This skillet is calling my name, Kathryn! I'm a huge fan of easy skillet shrimp, and while I always have big plans for the shrimp, like tacos or salads, I end up just eating them right out of the skillet. Clearly I have no self control. 🙂 These are perfect for Cinco de Mayo, or just any ole weeknight dinner! Pinned! Cheers, friend!
Kathryn
I have next to no self control around shrimp myself! They're so addictive! XO
KalynsKitchen
YUM! I love to use frozen shrimp in recipes. My dad was a huge shrimp fan so it was what we always had for a special meal at our house. This looks wonderful!
And thanks for the shout-out for my Instant Pot Refried Beans!
Kathryn
Thanks Kalyn! I've always got some frozen shrimp on hand - cooks up so easy and yes, it does feel special 💕
Luci's Morsels
This looks delicious! Love the simplicity of the recipe, skillets are so great for busy nights.
Luci’s Morsels | fashion. food. frivolity.
Kathryn
Completely agree Luci!
Kelli McGrane
Love how simple this is! It'd go perfectly with a margarita 😉
Kathryn
Agreed! Sounds like a great pairing to me! 😊
Adina
What an amazing looking dish, I am totally drooling now! I wonder if I should make this for dinner, if I have enough shrimps in the freezer.
Kathryn
Thanks Adina! Frozen shrimp are so great to have on hand - hope you do try this! 😊
Megan @ MegUnprocessed
One pan meals are so great for busy weeknights.
Kathryn
100% agree!
Ray A. Nancarrow
I just finish making my own pizza, dough, sauce everything, Your Mexican shrimp a tasty way of getting calories back down. Totally enjoyed it.
Kathryn
So happy to hear you enjoyed it Ray! Thanks so much for sharing!
Maria
This looks gorgeous, I'm a big fan of spicy food so love to try out Mexican recipes will be giving this one a whirl!
Kevin Wright
This looks good. I was just wondering if the shrimp needs to be thawed or can it be cooked on the skillet directly from the freezer?
Kathryn
Hi Kevin! The shrimp for this need to be thawed. My go-to method for quickly thawing frozen shrimp is to put them in a colander and run cold water over them and toss them occasionally. It usually only takes 5 or so minutes for them to thaw out and then they are ready to cook. I hope that helps!
Kevin Wright
Thank you for the information, Kathryn! It is very helpful!
Kevin
Thank you for the information, Kathryn! It is very helpful!
alma gallegos
For the frozen shrimp do you have to thaw them out or can you just cook them frozen and they will defrost?
Kathryn
You can use frozen shrimp, but they do need to be thawed before you start cooking them in this recipe. You can thaw them overnight in the refrigerator but if I've forgotten to do that, I just put them in a strainer and run them under cold water for 5 or so minutes until they are thawed and ready to use. Hope that helps!
Tammy
We loved these and they are really easy to make! Wrapped them in a flour tortilla. YUM
Kathryn
I'm so happy to hear you enjoyed them! Thanks for sharing Tammy! 😊
Maddie
Just saw your recipe and made a trip to Trader Joe’s for their Shrimp. It was sooo good. Made it with rice and beans. Next time will make shrimp tacos.
Kathryn
I'm so happy to hear you enjoyed this Maddie - thanks for sharing! I definitely love how versatile it is and how many different ways we can enjoy it! 😊
Janet Lsrson
I tried your Mexican shrimp for my husband and myself. I was going to put it over rice....and then I thought a soft taco would be better. Well...we put a little sour cream on the taco and my husband could not get enough. I only had one small soft taco....he couldn't stop eating it. I didn't have everything in the house....like a fresh jalepeno pepper....I just used the ones in a jar......but it was so good!! Kudos to you. I'm making it again tomorrow!!😋😋
Kathryn
Oh I'm so happy to hear that Janet!! Thanks so much for sharing! 😊
Maggie Unzueta
This dish looks SO deliciously good. I wish I could eat that right now!
Kathryn
Thanks! I hope you try it!
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JANICE
Do you cook the shrimp from frozen or do you thaw the shrimp?
Kathryn
Hi Janice! You can use frozen shrimp in this recipe but they do need to be thawed first. You can do that quickly by putting the shrimp in a colander and letting them thaw under running cool water. I hope that helps!
AMC
Do you think pepperoncinis could work instead of jalapeños? That’s what I have on hand.
Kathryn Doherty
Hmm, I'm not sure that'd be a great swap given the other flavors here. Probably you could just skip the jalapeños all together, and if you wanted a bit of a kick to the recipe, you could add a small amount of red pepper flakes (1/4 teaspoon or so) and/or serve it with some hot sauce. Hope that helps!
Ashley
Red pepper flakes worked perfectly! Thank you!
Kathryn Doherty
Excellent, glad to hear it!
Zoie Penick
My sister and I made this for dinner today. We loved it! Our family loved it as well. It’s definitely a quick and easy meal to make. Thanks for the recipe!
Kathryn Doherty
Yay, I'm so happy to hear it was a hit! Thanks so much for sharing! 😊
Barbara
Subbed a small tin of chopped green chiles for the jalapeño because I had on hand. Really quick to make. Served over rice and topped with chopped avocado and dollops of sour cream. Yum! Will definitely be making over and over again.
Kathryn Doherty
I'm so happy to hear you loved it! Also, that's a great substitution - thanks for sharing!