Cilantro lime shrimp is a great idea for an easy dinner. You'll love the flavor of the tequila in the buttery sauce, and it cooks in 15 minutes!
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Yes, I said tequila butter! I mean, can you think of anything that sounds better than that? Nope.
This cilantro lime shrimp is a twist on a classic shrimp scampi - swapping the parsley for cilantro, the lemon for lime, and the white wine for tequila.
The tequila adds an incredible aroma that blends perfectly with the other ingredients. It makes the butter seem more buttery and it's just a delightful surprise.
And more news: we're going to use the cilantro stems in the sauce to get a lot of extra fresh flavor. Leave no stem behind!
Cilantro lime shrimp is a quick and easy dinner with unique flavors!
- Quick prep: Chop some garlic and cilantro, juice some limes.
- Ready in 15 minutes, the shrimp only cook 2 minutes per side.
- Tequila and butter are best friends—who knew?
- It's gluten free!
Jump to:
- Cilantro lime shrimp is a quick and easy dinner with unique flavors!
- Ingredients you'll need
- Recommended tools and equipment
- How to make cilantro lime shrimp
- Tips for cilantro lime shrimp
- What kind of shrimp should you buy?
- Can you make cilantro lime shrimp ahead of time?
- How to serve cilantro lime shrimp
- More shrimp recipes
- Recipe
Ingredients you'll need
- Peeled and deveined shrimp (tail on): You can absolutely buy frozen shrimp here, I did. FYI the shrimp in most grocery store seafood cases is previously frozen, they are just charging you for the convenience of thawing it for you.
- Cilantro leaves and stems: Using the stems of cilantro gives this dish an extra punch of fresh flavor. Don't leave them behind! And we're using loads of the leaves. I lovelovelove cilantro and this recipe showcases it beautifully.
- Limes: You'll need some for juicing and some to serve on the side.
- Tequila: Use a white tequila (blanco) that you would drink, but nothing too expensive.
- Garlic: This is a twist on shrimp scampi, after all, so you need lots of garlic.
- Butter and olive oil: The sauce is super-buttery, but we also need a bit of olive oil for a higher smoke point when cooking.
- Crushed red pepper: For a little smoky heat.
Recommended tools and equipment
- Chef's knife: To chop the cilantro and garlic.
- Cutting board: A wooden cutting board is easier on your knife blade.
- Large, deep skillet: We'll make the cilantro lime sauce and the shrimp all in one pan.
How to make cilantro lime shrimp
Adapted from a recipe by Justin Chapple via Food and Wine.
Step 1: Season the shrimp
Thaw the shrimp if frozen. Drain off any excess liquid. Place the shrimp in a bowl and add the salt. Toss to coat and set aside.
Step 2: Prep the cilantro, lime, and garlic
Use a good chef's knife and chop the cilantro stems finely. Give the leaves a rough chop.
Finely dice the garlic and juice the limes.
Step 3: Make the tequila butter sauce
Place a large deep skillet or casserole pan over medium high heat. Add butter and olive oil. Once butter is melted, add the cilantro stems, garlic, and crushed red pepper. Stir constantly until the garlic becomes fragrant, 1-2 minutes.
Turn the heat off and remove the pan from the burner, then carefully pour in the tequila. CAUTION: The tequila could catch fire if you leave the burner on!
Disclosure: am a member of the Lodge Cast Iron Blogging Partners Program. This enamel casserole was provided to me free of charge. All opinions are my own.
Step 4: Cook the shrimp
Place the pan back on the burner and turn the heat to medium high. Stir constantly until the tequila evaporates. Add the shrimp and cook about 2 minutes on each side, just until they are an opaque pink.
Remove shrimp from heat and stir in the lime juice and cilantro leaves. Serve immediately with extra lime wedges on the side.
Tips for cilantro lime shrimp
- You'll want to have all of your ingredients prepped and ready to go, because this cooks quickly.
- Be very careful when adding the tequila. Be sure to turn the heat off and remove the pan from the heat to avoid catching the liquor on fire.
- You can use almost any kind of non-stick skillet, but don't use cast iron. Citrus juices have a little too much acid and can damage the pan's seasoning.
- Once cooked, no alcohol remains in the dish, just the flavor of the tequila.
What kind of shrimp should you buy?
- Get any shrimp in the range of 21-35 per pound. You don't want any that are too large or too small, as that will affect the cooking time.
- I usually buy shrimp that are already peeled and deveined, but if unpeeled shrimp is on sale and you don't mind doing it yourself, go for it!
- You don't actually have to devein the shrimp. Eating the vein will not hurt you.
- I almost always buy frozen shrimp. The shrimp in the seafood case has been previously frozen and thawed, and they usually charge more for it!
Can you make cilantro lime shrimp ahead of time?
No, this recipe cannot be made ahead. You'll overcook the shrimp if you try to reheat it. But it cooks so quickly, there's really no need to!
How to serve cilantro lime shrimp
- Serve over rice or with crusty bread to sop up the sauce.
- Make cilantro lime shrimp as an appetizer or a main course.
- I love to serve this with corn on the cob, because the sauce gets all over the corn. It's just another way to make sure you get every drop of it!
- Make cilantro lime shrimp tacos!
- Add a side of Mexican Black Beans.
More shrimp recipes
Shrimp is such an easy dinner because it cooks so quickly. Here are a couple more ideas for you.
- How about we dump everything in a pot and call it dinner? That's a Low Country Boil.
- You'll be whisked away to a tapas bar in Spain when you make Gambas al Ajillo (Garlic Shrimp). Sooooo garlicky good!
- For another twist on scampi, try Shrimp Scampi with Corn, Tomatoes, and Fresh Basil. It tastes like summer.
Recipe
Cilantro Lime Shrimp with Tequila Butter
Ingredients
- 1 pound shrimp
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 6 tablespoon unsalted butter
- ¼ cup finely chopped cilantro stems
- ⅓ cup roughly chopped cilantro leaves
- 4 cloves garlic finely chopped
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 2 tablespoon tequila (blanco)
- 2 tablespoon lime juice
Instructions
- Thaw the shrimp if frozen. Drain off any excess liquid. Place the shrimp in a bowl and add the salt. Toss to coat and set aside.
- Use a good chef's knife and chop the cilantro stems finely. Roughly chop the leaves. Finely dice the garlic and juice the limes.
- Place a large deep skillet or casserole pan over medium high heat. Add butter and olive oil. Once butter is melted, add the cilantro stems, garlic, and crushed red pepper. Stir constantly until the garlic becomes fragrant, 1-2 minutes.
- Turn the heat off and remove the pan from the burner, then carefully pour in the tequila. CAUTION: The tequila could catch fire if you leave the burner on! Place the pan back on the burner and turn the heat to medium high. Stir constantly until the tequila evaporates.
- Add the shrimp and cook about 2 minutes on each side, just until they are an opaque pink.Remove from heat and stir in the lime juice and cilantro leaves. Serve immediately with extra lime wedges on the side.
Notes
- You'll want to have all of your ingredients prepped and ready to go, because this cooks quickly.
- Be very careful when adding the tequila. Be sure to turn the heat off and remove the pan from the heat to avoid catching the liquor on fire.
- Once cooked, no alcohol remains in the dish, just the flavor of the tequila.
- You can use almost any kind of non-stick skillet, but don't use cast iron. Citrus juices have a little too much acid and can affect the seasoning. I used my Lodge enamel casserole pan, it's so pretty it can go from stovetop to table.
- Be sure to check out the post above for more info on choosing ingredients and step by step photos.
Linda Cummings
Love this combination of flavors.