Green Shrimp

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Spanish

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 5

Total Time: 15

Servings: people

Calories: 255kcal

Author: Platings and Pairings

Green Shrimp is a super quick dish that you can whip up in just 10-15 minutes, showcasing succulent large shrimp, vibrant herbaceous green sauce, and a cooling yogurt drizzle! Serve it as a tasty appetizer, midweek family meal, or a dish that’ll impress your dinner guests and leave them begging for the recipe.

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Equipment

Ingredients

Green Sauce:

3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 bunch cilantro coarsely chopped (about 2 cups)
½ bunch Italian parsley coarsely chopped (about 2 cups)
5 green onions coarsely chopped
1 jalapeño ribs and seeds removed if desired
4 cloves garlic smashed and peeled
1 lime juiced
1 Tablespoon white wine vinegar
2 Tablespoons water
¾ teaspoon kosher salt

Shrimp

¾ pound large shrimp peeled and deveined (12 ounces)
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 Tablespoons butter divided
¼ cup plain whole-milk yogurt
Kosher salt and pepper to taste

For Serving

Green Rice optional
Crostini optional
Rice optional
Couscous optional

Instructions

Green Sauce:

Place all ingredients in a food processor or blender and process until smooth. Set aside.

Shrimp:

Pat the shrimp dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper.
Heat 1 TBSP butter and 2 TBSP olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the shrimp and cook undisturbed, until lightly browned on the bottoms, about 2 minutes. Add the remaining 2 TBSP butter and cook, stirring occasionally, until the shrimp are just cooked through, about 1 minute.
Remove from heat and pour green sauce over; stir to combine.
Whisk the yogurt and a drizzle of water in a small bowl to loosen; season with a pinch of salt.
Drizzle yogurt sauce over the shrimp in the pan and season with black pepper.
Enjoy over rice, couscous or with toasted bread.

Video

Notes

Storing

Store leftover green shrimp in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. While I don’t recommend it due to texture change, this green shrimp could be stored in the freezer for up to 2 months and then thawed overnight in the fridge.
Reheat your green shrimp gently on the stovetop over a low heat until just warmed through. Add a splash of extra green sauce, chicken or seafood stock, or water to the mixture if the green sauce has thickened in storage.

Tips and tricks

Make the green sauce in advance and store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.
The shrimp won’t take long to cook through. You’ll know the shrimp is cooked when they turn from gray and translucent to a light pink color. Learn exactly how to tell when shrimp is done here. You want to avoid overcooking shrimp as this can lead to an unpleasant rubbery texture.
Pre-cooked shrimp could be used to make this green shrimp recipe, but you’ll need to cook the shrimp for just 30 seconds per side so they don’t get overcooked.
Upgrade your green sauce with roasted or caramelized garlic rather than raw cloves.
The residual pan heat from cooking the shrimp is sufficient for combining the green sauce to serve. You don’t want the green sauce turning bitter or burning by adding it to the shrimp while the pan is still on the heated hob.

Variations

Adjust the spice level - If you really like spice, substitute the jalapenos in the green sauce for serrano peppers. If you can’t stand any spice in your food, simply omit the jalapeno pepper.
Use frozen shrimp - Frozen shrimp can be used instead of fresh. Just make sure that it has completely thawed and you have patted the shrimp as dry as possible.
Switch up the sauce - Feel free to change your green sauce. Try my Pesto Genovese, Peruvian Green Sauce (for extra creamy consistency), or even Jalapeno Sesame Salsa!
Make this green shrimp dish with small or medium shrimp - perfect for serving in lettuce wraps, tacos, and rice bowls.

Nutrition