This Cilantro Lime Shrimp Recipe bursts with amazing fresh flavors and takes just minutes to make! After a quick marinade (less than 10 minutes), cook it on the grill or in a skillet. Done!
The cilantro lime marinade is already a hit in our Cilantro Lime Chicken Recipe, but the sautéed or grilled shrimp cook up faster and taste so much like summer.
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Easy Cilantro Lime Shrimp
Cilantro Lime Shrimp is one of our favorite Mexican-inspired meals, along with Easy Taco Soup, Fish Tacos, and Chicken Fajitas. It makes the best rice bowls, shrimp salad, tacos, and wraps, and you’ll love the fresh flavors from the cilantro lime marinade.
Why This Cilantro Lime Shrimp Recipe Works
- Easy – Just mix the marinade ingredients and cook. It doesn’t get any easier than that.
- So Many Ways to Serve! – We include directions on how to grill or sauté the shrimp. Then you can use them to top rice, fill tortillas, add to salads and so much more!
- Quick weeknight meal – The whole recipe takes less than 15 minutes from beginning to end., so it’s perfect for busy weeknights, and summer weekends alike.
- Fresh ingredients – I feel great serving my family this dish made with all fresh ingredients. It’s light and citrusy–the perfect crowd-pleasing dish!
Ingredients
This grilled shrimp recipe features our popular cilantro lime shrimp marinade, made with a few easy-to-find, fresh ingredients.
- Shrimp – I prefer fresh large shrimp (20-25 count) that have been peeled and deveined, but you can also use frozen shrimp as well. If using frozen, thaw the shrimp in a cold water bath for 30 minutes, drain well and pat dry before marinating.
- Cilantro Lime Marinade – olive oil, lime juice (from 1 lime), cilantro, salt, pepper, paprika, and honey
- Garnish – include lime wedges and more chopped cilantro for serving, if desired
Pro Tip:
If you don’t prefer cilantro, try substituting it with chives or green onions. The flavor will be different, but still delicious! In a pinch, you can also substitute lime with lemon juice.
How to Make Cilantro Lime Shrimp
This versatile shrimp recipe can be grilled, like our Grilled Shrimp Skewers, or sautéed in a pan, try both ways and let us know which you prefer in the comments.
- Mix the Marinade – In a medium bowl, mix the marinade ingredients. Less than 10 minutes before cooking,* add the shrimp to the bowl and toss to cover.
- To Sauté – Heat a large non-stick, non-reactive skillet on medium-high heat. Cook the shrimp in a single layer for 1-2 minutes per side. Cook in batches if necessary to be sure not to crowd the pan.
- To Grill – Soak wooden skewers in water for at least 10 minutes. Then preheat the grill to medium-high heat and oil the grates to prevent sticking. Skewer the marinaded shrimp and then cook the skewers for 1-2 minutes or until they are just cooked.
- Serve – Once just cooked through, remove from the heat immediately. See our suggestions for how to serve the shrimp below.
Pro Tip:
Be sure to cook the cilantro lime shrimp within 10 minutes of stirring into the marinade. If marinaded too long, the lime juice will start to ‘cook’ the shrimp and can cause them to become rubbery.
How do you know when shrimp is fully cooked?
Shrimp cooks very quickly on a hot skillet, just 1-2 minutes per side, so be careful not to overcook them. Once a shrimp is done, immediately remove it from the pan so it doesn’t overcook and become rubbery. Here’s what to look for:
- The shrimp have finished cooking when they are opaque, pink, or orange in color, and make a “c” shape.
- Undercooked shrimp may look translucent and more loosely curled, while overdone shrimp are more of an “o” shape.
Can I Cook this Recipe in the Oven?
Sure! You can cook the shrimp in the oven like in our Baked Honey Cajun Shrimp Recipe. Bake on a rimmed baking sheet for 8-10 minutes at 450°F.
Can I Cook Cilantro Lime Shrimp in the Air Fryer?
I am a big fan of Air Fryer recipes because it cuts the cooking time in half. Preheat the air fryer to 400°F. Cook marinated cilantro lime shrimp in a single layer for 5 minutes, or until cooked through. You may need to cook them in batches.
How to Serve Cilantro Lime Shrimp
These flavorful shrimp taste great in so many dishes! These are a few of our favorites. Don’t forget the sliced avocado, Homemade Salsa, and Guacamole for dipping and topping!
- Stuffed into Cilantro Lime Shrimp Tacos
- In quesadillas with homemade Flour Tortillas, Pico de Gallo, and sour cream
- Shrimp Lettuce Wraps
- Served in Shrimp Cobb Salad, Taco Salad, or our Chickpea Salad
- Spooned over Cooked Rice
- Topping Creamy Mashed Potatoes
- Mixed into Quinoa
- Paired with Roasted veggies
Make-Ahead
Cilantro Lime Shrimp keep well for a few days. Try adding chilled leftover shrimp to salads, in our favorite Ceviche recipe, or use them for Shrimp Cakes!
- To Refrigerate: Once cool, store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days, according to the USDA.
- To Reheat: Sauté the shrimp on a very low heat setting just until heated through. Be careful not to overcook them at this point or they will be tough.
This tasty 15-minute Cilantro Lime Shrimp recipe is so versatile and crowd-pleasing. You’ll love the incredible flavor of the shrimp after sautéing or grilling. It truly tastes like summer!
More Easy Shrimp Recipes
Once you try this simple Cilantro Lime Shrimp recipe, we know you’ll love these other easy shrimp recipes.
- Shrimp Scampi
- Creamy Shrimp Pasta
- Coconut Shrimp
- Shrimp Boil
- Shrimp Fried Rice
- Shrimp Spring Rolls
- Shrimp Fajitas
Cilantro Lime Shrimp Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 lb large shrimp, 21-25 ct, peeled and deveined
- 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 1 Tbsp lime juice, plus more to serve
- 1 Tbsp cilantro, finely chopped, plus more to serve
- 1 garlic clove, finely minced
- 1/4 tsp fine sea salt, plus more to taste
- 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 tsp ground paprika
- 1/2 Tbsp honey
- 1 lime, cut into wedges for serving, optional
Instructions
- In a bowl, combine 1 Tbsp olive oil, lime juice, cilantro, garlic, salt, pepper, paprika, and honey, and stir together to combine. Add the shrimp and stir to coat.
- To Sauté: Preheat a large non-stick, non-reactive skillet over medium/high heat. Add 1 Tbsp oil to the pan and once the pan is hot, add the shrimp in a single layer and sauté for 1-2 minutes per side or just until cooked through.
- To Grill the Shrimp: Start by preheating the grill to medium/high heat and soak wooden skewers for 10 minutes to ensure they won’t burn on the grill. Oil the grates to prevent sticking. Combine the shrimp with the marinade then skewer them. Grill for 1-2 minutes per side or just until cooked through.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste, and then immediately transfer the shrimp to a serving dish to prevent overcooking. Garnish with more cilantro if desired and serve with lime wedges for squeezing.
Notes
Nutrition Per Serving
Natasha Kravchuk
Hi! I'm Natasha Kravchuk. Here you'll find delicious, trusted recipes with easy step-by-step photos and videos. 
I made this for my bbq/ football game and it turned out great and so did the crockpot carnitas. Everyone loved both of them 🤙
I’m so happy this was a hit, David! Thank you so much for sharing that with us.
Muchas Gracias Natasha my bbq/football party was a blast and everyone loved your shrimp recipe and so did I 🤙 oh yeah the crockpot carnitas were also great 😊
That’s wonderful to hear, David! Thank you for sharing.
Usually when I make a new recipe I follow it as it’s written then figure out what I need to do to make it better (for me). This is perfect as is and just might be the best shrimp I’ve ever had! Thank you, Natasha.
Made this and grilled the shrimp. Absolutely great!
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review, David!
You are Amazing! Easy, practical and delicious recipes! I will be ordering your cookbook!
We are a land locked state. Fresh shrimp is difficult to find. What should I use instead?
Hi Cherie, we are also, so we purchase the best option our local stores provide. I wish I could be more helpful with local options you may have, I recommend speaking to your meat/ seafood counter associates.
Oh no! I can’t put a picture? Well your pic is better than mine anyway. OMG it was so so good. I ate some for lunch and will eat the rest for dinner in a tortilla. My hubby doesn’t really like shrimp but he kept eating it 🥺😤😊. My son couldn’t eat it because it had cilantro and like many people, cilantro tastes like soap. It’s no joke, it’s a health issue.
I’m so glad it was enjoyed, Mariel! You can tag me on Instagram or Facebook. #natashaskitchen
Absolutely delicious! Thank you for such an easy and scrumptious recipe! We will make this again soon!!! I just made it tonight and my husband and I loved it!!
The cilantro shrimp recipe looks delicious. I will try it this weekend. I ‘m sure my family would love this! Thanks for sharing!
I hope they do!
Hi Natasha! This was so delicious. I tripled the recipe. Only 4 of us, but included my ravenous son and grandson. I ended up baking the shrimp in the oven since my pan would not have been big enough to sautee in a single layer. Everyone loved it. I served with sushi rice and added diced carrots to the rice and also steamed broccoli for a side. I think my grandson was disappointed that there wasn’t more. Delicious!
It was awesome..the only issue I had was using frozen shrimp instead of fresh. I let them totally thaw in fridge overnight and a day. There was a lot of liquid, which I drained. I then patted them dry, but when they started cooking more liquid came out! So, took them out of pan after about 5 minutes and let the marinade reduce…poured over shrimp and they were still good. Only fresh ones next time, though. Marinade is sooooo good!
This is almost the same as my own recipe!! It is so awesome on the grill!!
Looks amazing. Can’t wait to try it out! What a great, healthy recipe.
My whole family LOVED this recipe! And I loved it even more because it’s so easy to make! Thank you.
Hi Sara, I am so happy to hear that! If you loved this, you’ll love the marinade on Cilantro Lime Chicken also!
This was a hit! Tried it today and my family instantly liked it! Full of flavor and incredibly delicious!
HI Sha, I am so happy to hear that your family enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for the great review.