Quick Sautéed Shrimp with Olive Oil and Garlic
These flavorful shrimp are the perfect quick dinner! Sautéed with olive oil, garlic, red pepper and seasoned with plenty of lemon and fresh herbs, they're simple to cook and absolutely delicious. Master this indispensable cooking technique so you can sauté shrimp like a pro in minutes.
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound (450 g) raw jumbo (16-20) shrimp peeled and deveined
- ¼ cup (60 ml) extra virgin olive oil
- ½ teaspoon Diamond kosher salt or ¼ teaspoon of fine sea salt or Morton's kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 2 teaspoons fresh grated garlic or very finely chopped garlic
- ¼-½ teaspoon crushed red pepper or to taste
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs such as thyme, rosemary, oregano, tarragon or parsley; or 1 teaspoon dried herbs or an herb blend
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice about ½ a lemon
- 2 teaspoons fresh grated lemon zest
Instructions
- Pat the shrimp dry with a paper towel. Combine in a bowl with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, salt and black pepper and their evenly coated. At this point, you can cook the shrimp immediately or refrigerate up to 6 hours ahead.
- Preheat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat for 1-2 minutes, or until a drop of water sizzles and evaporates immediately. Pour in the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and arrange the shrimp in the pan.
- Cook until the shrimp turn pink and slightly browned on one side, which should take about 2 minutes. Add the garlic, red pepper and herbs to the pan and stir. Continue cooking, stirring frequently, 1-2 minutes, until the shrimp are uniformly pink and cooked through and the garlic smells delicious. If your shrimp are smaller than 16/20 per pound, they will be done in about 30 seconds.
- Remove the pan from the heat. Add the lemon juice and sprinkle the shirimp with the lemon zest. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- I recommend using a nonstick pan that's wide enough to hold the shrimp in one layer without overlapping, such as one that's 12-inch diameter.
- Defrost frozen shrimp overnight in the refrigerator. To thaw them quickly, place frozen shrimp in a large bowl of cold water, swishing them around until they're pliable, which takes about 15 minutes, or put them in a colander under cold running water.
- To prevent the garlic from burning over high heat, it's important to add it during the last minute of sautéing. Chop it very finely, or better yet, grate a plump garlic clove on a rasp grater so it will release its flavor more quickly.
Nutrition
Calories: 204kcalCarbohydrates: 2gProtein: 16gFat: 15gSodium: 646mgFiber: 0.3gSugar: 0.2g
