This quick and easy pan seared lemon herb shrimp is a delicious meal to prepare on a weeknight because it is on the table in about 15 minutes. The juicy sautéed shrimp is served with a lemon scallion sauce.
Why this recipe is just so good...
- Quick and easy: In less than 30 minutes, you can have a restaurant quality dinner to serve to family and friends. It is a deliciously healthy, high protein meal.
- Simple ingredients: You probably have what you need for this one-pan recipe already at home.
- Full of flavor: The lemon herb sauce is optional But it adds so much extra flavor, I highly recommend making the buttery scallion sauce.
- Options: Serve the shrimp with the sauce for your dinner. Or you can serve the pan seared shrimp in a salad, on a taco or in a veggie bowl.
Ingredients
You will need the following ingredients to make pan seared shrimp:
Fresh or defrosted large, peeled, deveined shrimp
Melted butter, olive oil, garlic powder, salt, pepper, scallions, lemon juice, parsley, bay leaves
Ingredient Notes/Substitutions
- Fresh shrimp purchased from a market is best. But you can purchase frozen shrimp and defrost in cold water or in the refrigerator overnight.
- I also try to make it easier for myself and buy already peeled. Be sure to either buy deveined shrimp or remove it yourself since the vein is the intestine and will not taste good if you leave it in.
- I love scallions in this recipe since it gives the sauce a fresh, light oniony flavor. You can substitute chives or finely chopped white or yellow onion. However, the flavor will be slightly stronger in the sauce.
- Do you want more spice? Add some Italian seasonings and a pinch of red pepper flakes.
- If you prefer plainer sauce, try my lemon butter sauce. Would you like to try a spicier sauce, my Baja sauce is delicious too.
How to defrost frozen shrimp?
Place frozen shrimp in a large bowl and run cold water over them. Let them sit for about 10 minutes and see if they have defrosted. If more time is needed, change the water and let them sit another 5-10 minutes or until fully defrosted.
Drain them well in a colander and pat dry with paper towels.
How to make Pan Seared Shrimp
Step by Step Directions
In a bowl, combine the seasonings and stir together with the shrimp.
Heat the oil in large, non-stick skillet. Pan sear the shrimp in a single layer for 2 minutes over medium-high heat. If your pan is smaller, you may have to cook them in two batches.
Flip over and cook for another 1-2 minutes or until shrimp just start to curl. They also will turn an orange/pink color. Shrimp cook very fast and if your shrimp are jumbo sized, the total cooking time may be an extra minute or two.
Remove from pan.
To make the sauce, melt the butter and add scallions, bay leaves, lemon juice to the frying pan. Bring to a simmer over low heat add the parsley and stir into sauce. Remove the bay leaves and drizzle the sauce over shrimp to serve. Serve with extra lemon wedges.
FAQ
What type of shrimp is best to buy?
- When purchasing shrimp, fresh, wild-caught is preferred. Seafood markets usually have a wide variety. Don't buy the smaller size shrimp. Look for large or jumbo, firm, opaque shrimp. They should smell like the sea, not a "fishy" odor.
- But if you don't have access to fresh shrimp, frozen is a perfectly fine choice as well.
What to serve with Pan Seared Shrimp?
These side dishes are all very tasty and healthy and would pair really well with the shrimp.
How to store the shrimp?
If the shrimp is frozen, leave it in the freezer until ready to defrost and cook. Fresh shrimp should be stored in the refrigerator and used within 1-2 days.
Store any leftover shrimp in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
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Try some of these delicious seafood recipes:
Pan Seared Lemon Herb Shrimp
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: American
Description
This quick and easy pan seared shrimp is a delicious meal to prepare on a weeknight because it is on the table in about 15 minutes. The shrimp is quickly sautéed and served with a lemon scallion sauce.
Ingredients
- 1 pound large Shrimp, peeled & deveined *
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Lemon Scallion Sauce
- juice of lemon
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted
- 2 scallions, chopped
- 1 tablespoon parsley
- 2 bay leaves
Instructions
- Pat dry shrimp with paper towel.
- Combine spices in bowl and stir in shrimp.
- Heat large frying pan over medium heat and pour in the oil.
- Place shrimp in pan and cook 1 minute. Turn shrimp over and cook another 1-2 minutes.
- The shrimp is done when it is just about starts to curl. The color will also change to a pinky/orange.
- Remove shrimp to platter.
- Make sauce - melt butter in pan over medium heat. Stir in the scallions, bay leaves, lemon juice. Bring sauce to a low simmer. Remove from heat, stir in parsley and discard bay leaves.
- Drizzle sauce over shrimp before serving.
Notes
*If your shrimp are extra large, they will probably need an extra minute to cook.
*Use a large skillet and cook the shrimp in batches if needed.
*Don't overcook the shrimp, they will be a bit tough and chewy.
Donna says
We made double sauce it was so good!