This cilantro lime shrimp is the kind of dish that disappears fast — plump shrimp tossed in a bright, garlicky herb sauce that does all the heavy lifting. It’s quick enough for a weeknight but impressive enough for guests, and endlessly adaptable: no cilantro on hand? Swap in basil, parsley, or mint without missing a beat.
Serve it as a crowd-pleasing appetizer, skewered with toothpicks and a bowl of extra sauce for dipping, or turn it into a full meal spooned over Greek lemon rice or couscous. Craving pasta night? Double the sauce and toss it with a pound of spaghetti or orzo for a dinner that comes together in minutes.
NOTE: You have two options to thaw shrimp:
- Put the frozen bag of shrimp into a bowl and leave it in the fridge overnight.
- Place the (sealed) bag of frozen shrimp in a bowl of water in your sink. Stir every 5 or so minutes to break up any ice. The shrimp should be thawed in about 20 minutes. Be sure to pat it dry thoroughly before cooking.
We opted to serve ours with 10 ounces of angel hair pasta which provided three servings as an entrée, and necessitated doubling the sauce.
Cilantro Lime Shrimp
Ingredients
- 1 small head garlic
- 1 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
- 1 lime, juiced
- 1 Tbsp. dry white wine, OR dry white vermouth
- 3 to 4 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil, plus more for coating the shrimp
- 2 Tbsp. harissa (or your favorite chili paste)
- 1 1/2 lbs. peeled and deveined large shrimp (pre-peeled thawed frozen shrimp work well, see above note)
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper
Directions
- Preheat your oven to 400°F.
- Use a serrated knife to trim the top off the whole head of garlic, exposing the cloves but keeping the bunch intact. Set on a large sheet of foil, drizzle generously with olive oil, and close the foil to wrap. Roast in the heated oven for about 20 minutes or until slightly tender and fragrant, then remove from the oven and let cool briefly. (I roasted the garlic the night prior.)
- Once cool enough to handle, peel and crush or chop the roasted garlic as finely as possible.
- In a small bowl, combine the roasted garlic, cilantro, lime juice, white wine, extra virgin olive oil and harissa. Whisk together and set aside.
- Heat a cast iron skillet, grill, or indoor griddle over high heat. Pat shrimp dry and season with salt and pepper, drizzle a little extra virgin olive oil and toss. Arrange on the preheated surface and cook for about 2 minutes per side, or until the shrimp turns just pink. Even the largest shrimp will be ready within about 5 minutes, so be careful not to overcook it. Remove skillet from heat.
- Immediately toss the delicious roasted garlic sauce with the grilled shrimp and serve immediately either as an appetizer, or over pasta, rice or couscous.
Adapted from a recipe for TheMediterraneandish.com
OOOOHHHH! I’ve never added harissa to this combination! Very smart!