Cilantro Lime Shrimp

4.67 from 54 votes
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Cilantro Lime Shrimp - best shrimp recipe ever made with cilantro, lime & garlic on a sizzling skillet. Crazy delicious recipe that takes 15 mins only!

Cilantro Lime Shrimp with cilantro, lime and garlic on sizzling skillet.
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The Best Cilantro Lime Shrimp

I made this sizzling cilantro lime shrimp on a hot cast-iron skillet that looks and tastes like it’s straight from the best Mexican restaurant in town. Actually better. Much better and cheaper, too.

I have gone cilantro lime mad. I have a ton of leftover cilantro and lime in my fridge from the cilantro lime chicken I made a few days ago, so what to do?

See the garlic, cilantro, and shrimp goodness that stick to the bottom of the skillet? You will have everyone swooning and begging for more. While you are at it, make some orange-lime margaritas to go with this recipe.

Quick and easy Cilantro Lime Shrimp cooked in skillet recipe.

Ingredients For Shrimp Recipe

Healthy homemade Cilantro Lime Shrimp in skillet.
  • Jumbo shrimp
  • Cilantro
  • Lime
  • Garlic
  • Cayenne pepper
  • Unsalted butter

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients.


How To Cook Cilantro Lime Shrimp

Close up view of delicious Cilantro Lime Shrimp, ready to serve.
  • First of all, to get the perfectly cooked but slightly seared shrimp (we all love the brown bits), it’s best to cook with a cast-iron skillet.
  • Secondly, start off with olive oil to saute the shrimp but in the middle of cooking, add in some butter. Butter makes everything better, it always does.
  • Add in a load of cilantro (use the stems as they impart the most flavors) and lime juice. Also, give your shrimp an extra kick by seasoning the shrimp with some cayenne pepper.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long can I keep cooked shrimp in the fridge before it goes bad?

Shrimp lasts in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.

How do I not overcook shrimp?

To not overcook shrimp, remove them from the heat right when the meat is the same color pink all around (no brown/grey). Perfectly cooked shrimp will be in a loose C shape while tight C shapes usually indicate overcooked shrimp.

How many calories per serving?

This recipe has 174 calories per serving.

Cilantro Shrimp with lime and garlic ready to serve.

What To Serve With This Recipe

For an easy and wholesome weeknight dinner, I recommend the following recipes:

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4.67 from 54 votes

Cilantro Lime Shrimp

Cilantro Lime Shrimp – best shrimp ever with cilantro, lime & garlic on sizzling skillet. Crazy delicious recipe, takes 15 mins. 
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Servings: 4 people
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Ingredients  

  • 1 lb (500g) tail-on jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt or to taste
  • 1 pinch cayenne pepper
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 3 tablespoons chopped cilantro, stems and leaves
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
  • 2 tablespoons lime juice
  • fresh lemon wedges

Instructions 

  • Season the shrimp with salt and cayenne pepper.
  • Heat up a cast-iron skillet, add the olive oil, garlic and lightly saute before adding the shrimp. Stir and cook until the shrimp is half cooked. Add the cilantro, butter, stir to combine well with the shrimp. Add the lime juice and continue to cook the shrimp.
  • Turn off the heat when the lime juice dries up and the shrimp is nicely cooked and slightly charred on the surface. Serve immediately with some fresh lime wedges.

Notes

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Nutrition

Serving: 4people, Calories: 174kcal, Carbohydrates: 3g, Protein: 16g, Fat: 11g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Cholesterol: 150mg, Sodium: 789mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 1g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Please rate and comment below!

About Bee Yinn Low

Bee is a recipe developer and best-selling cookbook author, sharing easy, quick, and delicious Asian and American recipes since 2006. With a strong following of almost 2 million fans online, her expertise has been featured in major publications, TV and radio programs, and live cooking demos throughout the United States and Asia.

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Recipe Rating





71 Comments

  1. Pam says:

    5 stars
    Wow! This was delicious and super easy. I used 13-15 butterflied shrimp. What an elegant meal I was able to serve my husband!

  2. Jana says:

    5 stars
    Delicious! Simple and easy! Thanks Rasa. I’ve pinned your shrimp recipe *

    1. Rasa Malaysia says:

      Thanks for pinning my cilantro lime shrimp.

  3. KAREN KIMIKO COUTURE says:

    5 stars
    Looks great. This is part of my Christmas eve recipe.
    So far i love all your recipes.

  4. Kari says:

    I bought shrimp – frozen so that I can make this for my husband. I’m not a seafood lover, I’m kind of lost on proper thawing. What is the best route to take, place in fridge over night or run cold water over them? Also, I bought them deveined, however, they have tails still, should I remove those before I cook them? Ugh, I can’t stand seafood, I wish I could but I can’t, but I love my man. Ha! What do you make for sides with this shrimp? Any advise would be appreciated.

    1. Rasa Malaysia says:

      Just thaw at room temp or with water. Rinse and pat dry. Tail on is fine. Please scroll down on the recipe and I provide a few recipes to pair with the cilantro lime shrimp.

      1. Kari says:

        Awesome, thank you! I can’t wait to make this, the husband is going to love it.

      2. June says:

        You should NEVER thaw shrimp at room temperature! Thaw overnight in the fridge or put it in a ziploc bag, put the bag in a bowl and slowly run cold water over the bag and into the bowl. It will not take long to thaw this way.

        1. Rasa Malaysia says:

          NEVER?! Of course you can thaw shrimp at room temperature…and of course you can thaw shrimp your way.

  5. Kimberly Harrison says:

    5 stars
    Yummy! So glad I had extra cilantro and lime. Will definitely make this again!!?

  6. Debbra Capko says:

    We’re lucky here in South Carolina, we get seasonal fresh shrimp available too, along with many fresh seafood opinions. It’s trucked up from Charleston and it’s iced or flash frozen to preserve it’s freshness & quality. I usually keep a large bag of flash frozen shrimp in my freezer for cravings, since defrosting is so easy.

  7. Nick Dalasio says:

    Looks good, I’m going to try a variation on this, and make it more like shrimp scampi (lime/garlic/cilantro/butter sauce), add some fish sauce & basil, and serve it over linguini. Getting hungry already!! :)

    1. Rasa Malaysia says:

      Nick, I would your idea. It will be delicious!!

  8. Susan says:

    5 stars
    Wow is all I can say! Followed directions exactly piled the cooked shrimp on top of home made tortillas and a cabbage carrots slaw that had been dressed with a smattering of garlic lime mayo …They licked the plates! This one is a keeper.?

    1. Rasa Malaysia says:

      Hi Susan, thanks for trying my recipe!

    2. Sara Mills says:

      5 stars
      This was outstanding! I copied Susan and served on tortillas with slaw dressed with garlic lime mayo. Divine.

  9. Carrie says:

    Trying it tonight amd looks delish… And sorry for the ignorant that don’t realize that their “fresh shrimp” is actually the bagged frozen thawed out. Only way to get fresh is buy it from the docks. They do have some here in California, but you have to be there same day to get it from them fresh from the boat, otherwise it is frozen to preserve. Ask your butcher, meat counter person. If they are honest, they will tell you. I have personally watched them thaw it in water.

  10. Cyndy says:

    5 stars
    This recipe does look delicious !!! But I have to agree Jill Sorbie, It all depends on where you live. When I lived in Alabama we got fresh shrimp out of the gulf, I currently live in Alaska and get Fresh Shrimp straight out of the shrimp pot, nothing better. I think Lynns question had more to do with did you get them from the meat market, or out of the freezer section….
    I am making this for lunch today, it sounds incredibly yummy