Cilantro Lime Shrimp – an incredibly quick and easy weeknight dinner that is packed with flavor! Make on the grill or in your favorite skillet!

Who doesn’t love the cilantro-lime combo!?! Right?  It is so light and refreshing and even though it screams summer, it can be enjoyed any time of year!

Why You Will Love This Recipe 

1. Flavors: who doesn’t love cilantro + lime together! If you love it as much as we do check out this Cilantro Lime Marinade that is great for steak or chicken!
2. Quick: Shrimp are a great source of protein AND they are well-known for cooking incredibly fast!
3. Versatile: Serve with cilantro lime cauliflower rice (if paleo/Whole30) or with cilantro lime rice or brown rice!

What You Will Need 

• raw prawns or jumbo shrimp: you can also use small shrimp, but if you are grilling I would recommend getting bigger shrimp or prawns so you don’t have to worry about them falling threw the grill grate!
• olive oil: this helps build part of our marinade.
• fresh lime juice: the lime in cilantro-lime comes from freshly squeezed lime juice!
• teaspoons kosher salt: don’t use regular table salt here – the result will be way too salty.
• fresh cilantro: this is the cilantro in our cilantro-lime marinade.

Grilled Cilantro Lime Shrimp 

Yes!!  You can grill it (shown in the picture) or you can simply sauté in a large cast iron skillet – I prefer the grill because it leaves a nice smokey flavor!  The recipe reflects both options though.

Shrimp vs. Prawns

I am a really big fan of prawns (which just look like jumbo JUMBO shrimp).  I tend to prefer them because they are so much meatier and they actually fill me up :). I swear I need to eat like 15 little shrimp to get filled up!  Give me about 6 prawns and I am good to go!  Feel free to use either – I have made notes in the recipe for both!!

Frozen vs. Fresh Shrimp 

I prefer to use fresh shrimp in part because frozen shrimp tends to be very watery and doesn’t cook as well after thawing.  That being said, if you have to use frozen, it will work just ensure you have drained them properly and gently squeezed out any excess water.

Can I Freeze Cilantro Lime Shrimp 

• Freeze in marinade: You don’t want to freeze your shrimp in this marinade simply because of the high lime juice content (which is very acidic).  If it was frozen in this particular marinade the extended exposure to the lime juice would change the nature of the shrimp – just keep the marinading timeframe short on this one – 30 minutes is all you need!
• Freeze after cooking: You can freeze your shrimp after cooking by quickly chilling shrimp after cooking and then placing on a baking sheet, ensuring they aren’t touching.  Place in the freezer for 2-4 hours or until shrimp is fully frozen. Then place in a freezer-safe bag and store in the freezer for 3-6 months.

How to Store 

Store cooked shrimp in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

What to serve with Cilantro Lime Shrimp

• Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice
• Regular Cilantro Lime Rice 
• Grilled Avocado

Other recipes you might like:

• Grilled Cilantro Lime Chicken 
• Grilled Vegetable Salad
• How to Perfectly Grill Chicken Breasts

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Cilantro Lime Shrimp

• Author: Erin Jensen
• Prep Time: 35 minutes
• Cook Time: 6 minutes
• Total Time: 41 minutes
• Yield: approx. 2 servings
• Category: Entree
• Method: Grill/Stove Top
• Cuisine: American

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Description

Cilantro Lime Shrimp – an incredibly quick and easy weeknight dinner that is packed with flavor! Make on the grill or stove top!

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 12 raw prawns or jumbo shrimp (or 18–24 regular-sized shrimp)
• 1/4 olive oil
• 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
• 2–3 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
• cilantro lime cauliflower rice
• grilled avocado

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Instructions

1. Combine oil, lime juice, kosher salt and cilantro in bowl; mix well.
2. Add shrimp and toss to coat.
3. Let marinate for at least 30 minutes, tossing every so often.

Grilling Method:

1. Heat grill to medium high heat (about 400-450).
2. Place shrimp/prawns over direct heat for 2 minutes per side.

Stove Top Method:

1. Add a tablespoon of oil (or ghee) to large cast iron pan (enough to coat) and bring skillet to medium high heat.
2. Add shrimp/prawns to pan and cook about 2 minutes per side, or until fully cooked.

Serving Instructions

• Squeeze additional fresh lime juice over shrimp as soon as it is done cooking (on the grill do this when you remove the prawns from the grill and have plated them.  If you are cooking in the skillet, you can do this while they are still in the skillet if you would like).
• Serve over cilantro lime cauliflower rice and grilled avocado.

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Notes

• Kosher Salt: do not substitute regular table salt for kosher salt – it will be too salty!
• Rice: If you prefer serving over rice here is a great tutorial on making brown rice in the Instant Pot otherwise this Cilantro Lime Rice is good too!
• Storage: Store cooked shrimp in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Keywords: cilantro lime shrimp, grilled shrimp, grilled prawns