What to cook with shrimp: 8 reliable dishes.
Shrimp cook in 90 seconds. The trick is preparing everything else first. Here are 8 shrimp dinners where the shrimp goes in last and dinner is on the table 5 minutes later.
The 8 dishes
1. Shrimp scampi over linguine
Toast garlic and red pepper in butter and olive oil. White wine, lemon, parsley. Add shrimp last 90 seconds. Toss with linguine and pasta water. Uses: shrimp, linguine, butter, olive oil, garlic, white wine, lemon, red pepper flakes, parsley.
2. Shrimp tacos with chipotle crema
Toss shrimp with chili, cumin, lime. Sear 1 min per side. Crema: sour cream, chipotle in adobo, lime. Warm corn tortillas, top with shrimp, crema, cabbage, cilantro. Uses: shrimp, chili powder, cumin, lime, sour cream, chipotle in adobo, corn tortillas, cabbage, cilantro.
3. Garlic shrimp (gambas al ajillo)
Lots of olive oil, lots of sliced garlic, dried red chiles. Add shrimp, splash of sherry, lemon at the end. Eat with crusty bread to mop the oil. Uses: shrimp, olive oil, garlic, dried red chiles, dry sherry, lemon, parsley, crusty bread.
4. Shrimp pad thai
Soak rice noodles. Tamarind, fish sauce, palm sugar — combine. Stir-fry garlic, shallot, shrimp; remove. Egg, then noodles + sauce. Recombine, peanuts, scallion, lime, sprouts. Uses: rice noodles, shrimp, tamarind paste, fish sauce, palm sugar, garlic, shallot, eggs, peanuts, scallions, lime, bean sprouts.
5. Shrimp and grits
Cook stone-ground grits in milk and butter 25 min. Render bacon. Add Cajun-spiced shrimp last 90 seconds. Plate over grits. Uses: shrimp, stone-ground grits, whole milk, butter, bacon, Cajun seasoning, scallion, hot sauce.
6. Coconut curry shrimp
Sauté shallot, garlic, ginger, lemongrass, Thai red curry paste in coconut oil. Add coconut milk, fish sauce, palm sugar. Simmer 5 min. Shrimp last 2 min. Basil and lime. Over jasmine rice. Uses: shrimp, coconut milk, Thai red curry paste, shallot, garlic, ginger, lemongrass, fish sauce, palm sugar, Thai basil, lime, jasmine rice.
7. Shrimp ceviche
Poach shrimp 60 seconds, ice bath, dice. Toss with lime, red onion, jalapeño, cilantro, cucumber, mango, salt. Rest 20 min. Eat with tortilla chips. Uses: shrimp, lime, red onion, jalapeño, cilantro, cucumber, mango, salt, tortilla chips.
8. Shrimp risotto with peas and lemon
Standard risotto base. Toast Arborio in butter. White wine. Add hot stock progressively. Last 5 min: shrimp, peas, lemon zest. Off heat: parmigiano, butter, parsley. Uses: shrimp, Arborio rice, shellfish stock, peas, lemon, white wine, butter, parmigiano, parsley, shallot.
How to store shrimp
Frozen shrimp is almost always better than 'fresh' shrimp at the supermarket — most 'fresh' shrimp was thawed from frozen, so buy them frozen and thaw yourself. Frozen raw, shell-on, IQF shrimp keeps 6 months. Thaw in cold water 15 min before cooking.
What to substitute for shrimp
Scallops, prawns, langoustines work in any of these recipes. Crab and lobster work for risotto and tacos. For vegetarian, oyster mushrooms have a similar texture once seared.
FAQ
- Should I buy peeled or shell-on shrimp?
- Shell-on for any dish where shrimp is the headliner — the shell adds flavor in pan sauces and the bisque/stock potential is real. Peeled-and-deveined for weeknight dinners where speed matters more.
- How do I keep shrimp from getting rubbery?
- 90 seconds per side, max. The moment they curl into a tight C and turn opaque, they're done. Pull them off heat — they continue cooking in residual heat. Rubbery shrimp is overcooked shrimp, every time.
- What size shrimp should I buy?
- 16/20 (jumbo) or 21/25 (extra large) for showcase recipes. 31/40 (medium) for stir-fries and pasta. The smaller numbers are bigger shrimp — the count is per pound.
- Can I use frozen shrimp without thawing?
- Yes for soups, curries, and stews — drop them in frozen and they thaw and cook in the simmering liquid. For pan-searing or grilling, always thaw first.
Cook with what you already own.
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