This 10-Minute Sautéed Shrimp is very flavorful and very easy to make! It’s a quick and easy way to cook shrimp on the stove that is also gluten-free, low-carb, and paleo-friendly! Add it to a salad, mashed potatoes, rice or pasta, or eat it by itself!
Precooked shrimp can be a handy kitchen staple for whipping up fast weeknight dinners or easy appetizers Already cleaned, deveined, tail-off shrimp eliminate prep work and cook up lightning fast Keep a bag in the freezer and you’ll always have shrimp on hand for all kinds of dishes.
While shrimp cocktail and shrimp scampi may be your go-to recipes, precooked shrimp can be used in diverse ways. From salads to pasta, tacos to pizza, here are 15 delicious ideas for repurposing thawed, precooked shrimp:
Toss into Salads
Chopped salad loaded with precooked shrimp makes for a hearty, protein-packed meal. Try adding bite-size shrimp to:
-
Caesar salad with romaine, parmesan, croutons, and creamy dressing
-
Taco salad with lettuce, pico de gallo, avocado, tortilla strips
-
Cobb salad with greens, bacon, egg, tomatoes, avocado, blue cheese
-
Greek salad with cucumbers, peppers olives feta, and vinaigrette
-
Shrimp louie salad with greens eggs, avocado, tomatoes green onions
Mix into Pasta
For a fast weeknight pasta dinner, simply heat up precooked shrimp and toss with hot pasta and store-bought sauce. Alfredo, pesto, lemon garlic butter, and marinara all pair well with shrimp. Or get creative and try:
- Cajun shrimp pasta with Cajun seasoning and red onion
- shrimp scampi over linguine
- Thai coconut curry shrimp with rice noodles
- shrimp pad thai
- shrimp primavera with veggies and white wine sauce
Serve on Pizza
Add some protein to your homemade or frozen pizza by scattering precooked shrimp on top. The shrimp will heat through as the pizza bakes. Toppings like lemon zest, red pepper flakes, Parmesan, and fresh basil complement shrimp pizza wonderfully.
Load into Tacos and Burritos
Shrimp tacos and burritos are quick, easy meals. Simply heat the shrimp and toss with taco seasoning or salsa. Then fill tortillas with the shrimp plus desired toppings like lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, avocado, and sour cream.
Make Seafood Rolls and Pitas
For an easy sandwich or wrap, tuck precooked shrimp into seafood salad. Mix the shrimp with celery, onions, herbs, lemon juice and mayo. Stuff into soft rolls, pitas, or lettuce leaves for a tasty handheld meal.
Stir into Rice or Grits
Cook up a batch of rice or cheesy grits, then gently fold in precooked shrimp. The starch soaks up extra flavor from the seasoned shrimp. Top with hot sauce, scallions, or salsa for extra flavor.
Toss with Noodles
Rice noodles, ramen, yakisoba noodles, lo mein – all are perfect matches for precooked shrimp, vegetables and Asian sauces. For pad thai, combine shrimp with rice noodles, bean sprouts, peanuts, and sweet chili sauce.
Add to Soups and Stews
Precooked shrimp can be tossed into many soups and stews at the end to heat through without overcooking. Try adding them to minestrone, tomato bisque, seafood chowder, gumbo, jambalaya, or cioppino.
Mix into Egg Dishes
Give breakfast or brunch a protein punch by adding precooked shrimp to egg dishes. Shrimp omelets, frittatas, breakfast burritos, and shrimp salad sandwiches are all easy options.
Whip up Dips and Spreads
Chopped shrimp blended with cream cheese, herbs, and lemon makes a stellar dip or spread. Serve the shrimp spread with crackers, celery, bell peppers, or cucumber slices for easy appetizers.
Create Snack Boards
Arrange precooked shrimp on platters with dips, cheeses, olives, nuts, and crackers for easy DIY appetizers. Curry yogurt sauce, chili crisp oil, and chimichurri all pair fantastically with chilled shrimp.
Skewer for the Grill
Alternate pieces of shrimp and veggies like peppers, onions, zucchini, and pineapple on skewers. Grill for 2-3 minutes per side and brush with teriyaki or BBQ sauce for grilled shrimp kebabs.
Sauté Quick Skillet Meals
Heat a skillet with olive oil, garlic, and herbs, then toss in shrimp to quickly warm through. Season simply with salt, pepper, and lemon. Serve shrimp skillet meals over rice or greens.
Precooked shrimp stays fresh in the fridge for 2-3 days or in the freezer for several months. Simply thaw what you need and transform into salads, pastas, pizzas, and more. With so many fast, easy recipes, you’ll always have delicious ways to use up thawed precooked shrimp.
Lexi’s Easy Shrimp Recipe
For those who have tried shrimp that was cooked just right, you know how soft, juicy, and tasty it can be. The key is to figure out how you can make perfect restaurant-grade shrimp right in your own kitchen.
Help is on the way with this 10-minute sautéed shrimp recipe! My family loves it so much that we make it all the time.
This sautéed shrimp recipe only needs shrimp, a few simple seasonings, a squeeze of lemon juice, and butter or oil to cook them. It’s an easy way to make sure the shrimp is cooked perfectly and tastes great.
Here is an overview of the ingredient list. Keep scrolling for the full recipe.
- Shrimp: you’ll need deveined, detailed, and cleaned large shrimp. You can buy it already prepped or prep your own.
- Spices: Turmeric, garlic powder, sea salt, black pepper, and paprika are the simple spices I use to season my food. They help my immune system.
- Lemon gives the shrimp a tasty, tangy flavor. You can leave it out if you don’t want to, but trust me, it’s good.
- You can cook the shrimp in either oil or butter, but I like to use butter.
P. S. You can also load this dish up with fresh garlic, or keep it simple with our seasoning blend!.
Shrimp Tails On…Yay or Nay?
It’s totally up to you. When it comes to this dish, I choose ease of preparation over tails. In some dishes, though, leaving the tails on makes the flavor better. In this dish, you can go either way, with no difference made. Just don’t forget to take off the tails before serving. I think it tastes terrible when shrimp is served with the tails on!
Recipes For Precooked Shrimp
What can I do with precooked shrimp?
Other ideas for precooked shrimp recipes include using the seafood in a pasta dish or using to jazz up a risotto. Try also adding peas and lemon zest to a shrimp risotto for a great marriage of flavors. As per the tips above, add fully thawed shrimp at the end of cooking for the best results.
Is shrimp healthy to eat?
Shrimp is very healthy to eat, unless you have an allergy to shellfish. Shrimp is great because it is a low calorie, high protein food that is relatively inexpensive. Shrimp is also very versatile, so there are many recipes out there, meaning that you can eat shrimp multiple times a week each time in a different way. Don’t make shrimp your only protein source, because a healthy diet is also a varied diet.
What goes well with shrimp?
The key to this recipe is to be generous with the spices! The cajun seasoning, honey, and lemon will combine to give you finger-licking good shrimp. You can even add in some peppers or spinach if you want some vegetables. Sides are completely up to you, but creamy polenta or steamed rice would pair nicely with these flavorful shrimp.
Is precooked shrimp a good idea?
Just follow a few rules to make sure your shrimp doesn’t become dried out or rubbery and you’re good to go. Precooked shrimp is a boon as it can be thrown into dishes with hardly any prep — think quick pastas, a simple sauté of precooked shrimp or easy-peasy frozen cooked shrimp appetizer recipes.