Quick Look at this Easy Pan Fried Shrimp
- Ready In: 10 minutes!
- Serves: 4
- Main Ingredients: large shrimp, neutral oil, salt & pepper!
- Dietary Info: Whole30, Paleo, Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free
- Best For: adding a quick cooking protein to salads, pasta, rice bowls, tacos, etc.
- Why You’ll Love It: If you are looking for a quick and easy protein option, look no further than this pan fried shrimp recipe. It is super simple and can be ready in a matter of minutes. Making it a great busy weeknight or lunch option!
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Key Ingredients + Substitutions
Be sure to see the recipe card below for a full listing of ingredients, instructions, and estimated nutritional information.
- Large Shrimp – make sure they are fully thawed, deveined, and shelled. Feel free to keep the tail on or take it off.
- Olive Oil – swap out for avocado oil or ghee to keep these sautéed shrimp Whole30/Paleo compliant.
- Salt + Pepper – keep it simple or if you are looking more flavor try the best shrimp marinade!
Pro Tips On Buying The Best Shrimp
This article on How to Buy the Right Shrimp is full of great tips to make your shrimp buying experience a good one!
How To Pan Fry Shrimp
Step 1 – Pat the shrimp dry and season with salt and pepper.
Step 2 – Heat a little oil or ghee in a cast iron skillet.
Flavor Variations
Kick the flavor up a notch by adding a sprinkle of creole seasoning, homemade blackened seasoning, or Old Bay seasoning! Of if you prefer a marinade, I would highly recommend my super easy shrimp marinade or a light & refreshing cilantro lime marinade!
Step 3 – Cook shrimp on one side for 1-2 minutes.
Step 4 – Flip and continue cooking on the other side for 1-2 minutes.
Best Ways To Serve Pan Fried Shrimp
There are a variety of different ways to enjoy these perfectly fried shrimp:
- Solo: enjoy alongside some herbed butter boiled potatoes and oven roasted green beans.
- Tacos: make our easy shrimp tacos with a chipotle lime slaw!
- Salads: toss them on the best shrimp caesar salad or Japanese ginger salad.
- Pasta: add to some pasta covered in homemade alfredo sauce.
- Rice Bowls: keep it simple by serving on rice with avocado and soy sauce and make an easy shrimp rice bowl!
Pan Fried Shrimp FAQs
Highly recommend using raw, large shrimp but any size can be used. The cook time may need to be adjusted so keep an eye on them.
You can, but for best results I highly recommend to thaw your shrimp under cold water and pat dry before cooking. Otherwise, they will take much longer to cook and you will have a lot of extra moisture in the pan.
Either way is fine – this is a personal preference.
It will be fully cooked when the shrimp is no longer translucent. They will turn pink in color, become more plump and have a loose “C” shape.
Other Easy Shrimp Recipes You Might Like
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Ingredients
- 1 pound jumbo shrimp, deveined and shell removed
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, or ghee
Instructions
- Prep Shrimp: Pat 1 pound jumbo shrimp dry and season with 1 teaspoon kosher salt and ½ teaspoon ground black pepper.
- Pan Fry Shrimp: Bring a large cast iron skillet to medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil and swirl to coat the pan. Place shrimp in hot pan and let cook approx. 1-2 minutes per side or until meat is no longer translucent. Add additional oil or ghee, as needed, to keep pan from drying out.
- Serve: Remove shrimp from pan and serve however you want!
Notes
- Marinade: I have the best shrimp marinade recipe, if you want to add a little more flavor!
- Tails on or off: while the shell needs to be removed, the tails can be left on or off – your preference.
- Serving suggestion: we love this Shrimp Caesar Salad and these Shrimp Rice Bowls.
Bridget says
So easy and so good! Thank you!
Stephanie says
Thanks – You made my dinner easy last night. I have a tendency to freak out when cooking any seafood.
Erin says
So glad to hear that, Stephanie!