If you’ve ever been stuck on what to do with your leftover shrimp, look no further. Here are some of my favorite recipes for using up leftover shrimp. They are all guaranteed to be tasty and very simple to make.
Got some leftover cooked shrimp in the fridge and not sure what to do with it? Don’t toss it out! Cooked shrimp can be easily transformed into a variety of delicious dishes. With a little creativity, you can give leftover shrimp new life and whip up something tasty for breakfast, lunch, dinner or even a snack.
In this article, we’ll share 15 amazing recipes to make with already cooked shrimp. From classic shrimp scampi pasta to innovative shrimp tacos, these recipes make perfect use of cooked shrimp. Many can be prepped and cooked in 30 minutes or less, making them ideal for busy weeknights. Let’s dive in!
Easy Weeknight Dinners
When time is short, you need quick and simple dinner recipes. These flavorful dishes take advantage of cooked shrimp to create fast weeknight meals the whole family will love.
1. Creamy Shrimp Pasta
Buttery, garlicky, irresistibly rich – this easy shrimp pasta is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser. Simply sauté shallots and garlic, add shrimp and heavy cream, then toss with pasta. Shower with parsley and lemon zest for a fresh finish. Dinner is served in 25 minutes!
2. Cheesy Shrimp Quesadillas
Quesadillas are the ultimate quick comfort food Fill flour tortillas with shredded cheese, cooked shrimp, bell peppers, onions and seasoning. Grill the quesadillas until the cheese is melted and tortillas are lightly browned. Slice and enjoy with salsa, guacamole or sour cream for an easy Tex-Mex meal.
3. Thai Coconut Curry Shrimp
In the mood for Thai? This 30-minute coconut curry shrimp delivers on flavor. Sauté aromatics then simmer the shrimp in coconut milk with red curry paste and fish sauce. Serve over rice for a fast and delicious weekday dish. Garnish with lime, cilantro and peanuts.
4. Shrimp Fajitas
Make sizzling shrimp fajitas in 20 minutes flat Sauté shrimp with bell peppers, onions and Mexican seasoning Wrap the sauteed veggie-shrimp mix in warm tortillas and add your favorite toppings like guacamole, pico de gallo and sour cream.
5. Shrimp Fried Rice
Leftover shrimp is amazing in fried rice. Simply cook up rice, shrimp, peas, carrots and eggs in sesame oil. Season with soy sauce, ginger and garlic. Dinner is ready in a flash, and you’ll love the variety of flavors and textures in each satisfying bite.
Light Lunches
When noontime hunger strikes, you want a light yet filling lunch. These yummy shrimp recipes make excellent midday meals to satisfy your appetite.
6. Shrimp Salad Wrap
A shrimp salad wrap makes for a delicious, protein-packed lunch. Mix cooked shrimp with mayo, lemon juice, celery, onion and parsley. Spoon the shrimp salad into a wrap or sandwich with lettuce, tomato and avocado. A mighty satisfying midday meal!
7. Shrimp Bruschetta
Bruschetta is a classic Italian appetizer that also works wonders as a light lunch. Top toasted bread with tangy tomato-basil relish, then add some shrimp. The sweet shrimp pairs perfectly with the bright, fresh bruschetta mix. Simple but elegant.
8. Shrimp Tacos
Fun and flavorful, these easy shrimp tacos are an amazing lunch. Warm corn tortillas, fill with spicy shrimp, crunchy cabbage, avocado crema, cilantro and a squeeze of lime. The tacos are bursting with zesty flavors and textures in every bite.
9. Shrimp Salad Sandwich
A shrimp salad sandwich is a stellar lunch choice when you want something satisfying but still light. Mix chopped shrimp with mayo, celery, lemon juice and dill. Pile the shrimp salad onto whole grain bread, lettuce and tomato. A delicious midday treat!
Hearty Breakfasts
Cooked shrimp isn’t just for lunch and dinner. You can also use it to make delectable breakfast dishes like shrimp omelets, scrambles and hashes.
10. Shrimp Omelet
Jazz up your morning omelet with shrimp! Sauté shrimp with onions, peppers and seasoning. Add the veggie-shrimp mix to an omelet along with cheese and salsa. You’ll love this protein-packed, savory omelet, ideal for a weekend brunch.
11. Cheesy Shrimp Hash
A cheesy shrimp hash makes for a supremely satisfying breakfast. Simply sauté shrimp, potatoes, onions and peppers then mix in cheese until melted. Top with a fried egg for the perfect protein punch to start your day.
12. Southwest Shrimp Scramble
Scrambled eggs get a zesty upgrade with shrimp, bell peppers, onions, chili powder and cilantro. The spicy shrimp mixture pairs perfectly with fluffy scrambled eggs. Serve with avocado, salsa and tortillas for an amazing Southwestern-style breakfast.
Game Day Bites
When hosting the big game, you need finger foods and appetizers guests can easily nibble on. These tasty shrimp recipes are perfect party foods for game day entertaining.
13. Bang Bang Shrimp Bites
Crispy, crunchy bang bang shrimp is a game day must-have. Coat bite-size shrimp in spiced breadcrumbs then bake or fry until golden. The shrimp gets tossed in a sweet and spicy creamy Sriracha sauce. An irresistible poppable appetizer for the big game!
14. Shrimp Ceviche Bites
Fresh and flavorful, these shrimp ceviche bites will be a touchdown with guests. Marinate cooked shrimp in lime juice, onion, peppers, cilantro and seasoning. Chill the shrimp, then serve in miniature phyllo cups for a tangy Latin American-inspired appetizer.
15. Shrimp Cocktail
No game day spread is complete without shrimp cocktail. Simply boil some shrimp, chill, then serve with a zesty cocktail sauce for dipping. An easy, classic party pleaser to please football fans!
Endless Possibilities
As you can see, the possibilities are endless when cooking with leftover shrimp. It effortlessly transforms into quick dinners, lighter lunches, hearty breakfasts and fun party foods. With a bit of imagination, you can reinvent leftover shrimp in endless delicious ways.
The next time you have cooked shrimp leftovers in the fridge, try whipping up one of these easy and innovative recipes. Your family and friends will be amazed at the tasty new dishes you can create from leftover shrimp!
Baked Leftover Shrimp Recipes
This Baked Coconut Shrimp dish is perfect for a quick and easy weeknight meal. It’s also great for entertaining, as it can be made ahead of time and served at room temperature.
Mix flour, salt, and pepper together and coat the juicy shrimp in it. Bake the shrimp in coconut oil. Then dip them in some beaten eggs, followed by a coating of shredded coconut.
Bake in a preheated oven until the leftover shrimp are crispy and golden brown. Serve with creamy mashed potatoes and a dipping sauce of your choice!.
The shrimp in this dish is marinated with spices like cumin, Italian seasoning, and fresh lemon. Then it’s threaded through vibrant veggies that give an exciting flavor profile to the quick dinner!.
Put shrimp on skewers (soak wooden skewers in water for 30 minutes before using them so they don’t break).
Grill over medium-high heat until the leftover shrimp are pink and slightly charred. Remove from the grill and let cool slightly.
Brush them with your favorite BBQ sauce or serve them with any dipping sauce you like after they’re cool.
The best shrimp tacos you will ever try. They have avocado, spicy jalapenos, and the tastiest slaw. They’re great for a quick lunch or a light dinner on Monday.
I like to sauté some garlic and onion in a bit of oil. Add my shrimp and cook until they are pink. Remove from the heat and let them cool slightly.
Once they are cooled, chop them up into bite-sized pieces. Serve on soft tortillas with your favorite toppings. I like to top mine with shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, and a dollop of sour cream.
Invite your friends over for an appetizer that is both easy and delicious. These shrimp wrapped in bacon are a great way to start any party. They look great, taste great, and fill you up quickly. They can also be used as an appetizer or light meal.
To make them, wrap each shrimp in a piece of bacon. Secure with a toothpick if needed.
Heat the grill to medium-high. Cook the shrimp wrapped in bacon for five minutes on each side, or until the bacon is crispy.
Remove from the grill and let cool slightly. Serve these bacon-wrapped shrimp with your favorite dipping sauce!
The foil-packet shrimp is a quick and easy method for making delicious, tender grilled, or sauteed seafood. That’s not all—you can bake these packets to turn them into an appetizer that everyone will love!
It’s quick and easy to make, and you can add whatever vegetables you have on hand. Just heat some veggies in a bit of oil, then add cooked shrimp. Wrap everything up in foil and bake for about 15 minutes.
Remove from the oven and let cool slightly. Serve with your favorite dipping sauce.
This Cajun shrimp recipe is great for people who like spicy food. It’s quick and easy to make, and you can use any vegetables you have on hand. Sauté some veggies in a bit of oil, then add cooked shrimp.
Season with Cajun seasoning and cook for about 10 minutes.
Make a sweet and sour sauce by mixing together equal parts pineapple juice, ketchup, and brown sugar.
Sauté some garlic and onion in a bit of oil. Add your garlic shrimp and cook until they are pink. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly.
Once they are cooled, chop them up into bite-sized pieces. Serve on soft tortillas with your favorite toppings. I like to top mine with shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, and a dollop of sour cream.
Shrimp Stir Fry Recipes
This shrimp scampi recipe is so easy and takes under 30 minutes to make. It’s deliciously saucy and perfectly rich with a buttery flavor that will have you step into dinner heaven!.
To make shrimp scampi, sauté some garlic in a bit of oil. Then add your shrimp and cook until they are pink. Put in a little white wine and chicken broth, and then let the sauce cook for a while.
Once the sauce has simmered, add a bit of butter to thicken it up. Serve the shrimp scampi over a bed of cooked pasta and enjoy!.
Pad Thai is a popular dish in America, Thailand, and beyond. This fast version has an appealing combination of sweet-sour flavors that will have your mouth watering for more!.
First, cook some garlic and ginger in a little oil for shrimp pad Thai. Then add your cooked shrimp and cook for a minute or two. Next, add your noodles and sauce, or other fresh ingredients and cook until the noodles are tender.
Finish it off with a sprinkle of green onions and serve.
There’s a reason this shrimp recipe has been around for a long time: it’s wonderful. It’s creamy, flavorful, and oh-so-satisfying.
To make shrimp Alfredo, reheat your shrimp in a bit of butter until they are pink. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly.
Once they are cooled, chop them up into bite-sized pieces.
In a large pot, cook your pasta according to the package instructions. Once it is cooked, drain it and add it back to the pot.
Add a bit of butter and some heavy cream to the pasta and stir until combined. Then add your shrimp and grated Parmesan cheese. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Don’t have time to make dinner or just want something quick and tasty? This shrimp fried rice recipe will save the day. It’s made with homemade ingredients that will taste way better than anything from your local Chinese restaurant!.
It’s quick and easy to make, and you can add whatever vegetables you have on hand. Start by sautéing some veggies in a bit of oil, then add cooked fried rice and leftover shrimp. Give it a good stir and you’re done!.
If you want to make this dish even more hearty, you can add some diced chicken or pork. Leftover shrimp fried rice is a great way to use up those pesky shrimp leftovers!.
How to Cook Already Cooked Shrimp Safely & to Retain Flavour?
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