Pan seared shrimp has fantastic flavor and texture, thanks to a cooking method that browns the exterior of the shrimp without overcooking it.
If you've never pan seared shrimp, you're in for a treat! It's a quick, easy way to cook shrimp and give it amazing flavor.
The definition of pan searing is searing food over high heat to create a flavorful, nicely browned crust. Pan searing doesn’t necessarily cook the food all of the way through, it just browns the outside (like when you pan sear a roast before putting it in the oven).
However, shrimp cook really fast! Shrimp cook so quickly that pan searing means both browning the outside and cooking the shrimp at the same time.
It only takes a few minutes to pan sear shrimp, so stay close to the stove!
Jump to:
Why Pan Sear?
- Pan searing in oil or butter over high heat gives shrimp superior flavor and texture.
- No more rubbery shrimp!
- The browned exterior is more flavorful than boiled or steamed shrimp.
- Seared shrimp is really versatile and can be served alone as a main course or added to tacos, pasta, etc..
Looking for more ways to cook shrimp? Try Instant Pot Frozen Shrimp.
Ingredients
You only need two ingredients to make this recipe: raw shrimp and either butter or oil.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Blot shrimp dry with a paper towel.
Step 2: Heat butter or oil in a wide skillet.
Step 3: Pan sear HALF of the shrimp for just under 2 minutes. Don't crowd the pan and don't move the shrimp around, let them sear!
Step 4: Flip the shrimp over and lift the skillet off direct heat. Let the shrimp cook for another minute, or slightly less, in the residual heat of the skillet.
Step 5: Transfer the seared shrimp to a serving platter. Cook the second batch of shrimp following the same steps. Serve hot or cold, both are delicious!
Helpful Tips
Pat the shrimp dry: Moisture is the enemy of browning. Make sure to pat the shrimp dry with a paper towel before seasoning and cooking.
Cook the shrimp in batches: Don't add more than ½ pound of shrimp to the skillet at once. The shrimp should be spaced out in the skillet while cooking. This insures that moisture (the enemy of browning) will evaporate quickly and the shrimp won't sit in their own juices while cooking.
Use a wide skillet: A 12-inch skillet allows plenty of room to evenly space out the shrimp in a single layer. Use a non-stick skillet to prevent the shrimp from sticking, which helps keep all of the yummy browned flavor on the shrimp.
Add enough butter or oil: Don't skimp! Without enough oil or butter in the skillet, the shrimp won't brown properly and won't have as much flavor.
Don't Move the Shrimp: Moving food around in a skillet prevents it from browning, whether it's shrimp, chicken or easy weeknight tofu. Just leave the shrimp alone and resist the urge to mix with a spatula. After 2 minutes, flip the the shrimp over, then leave them alone again to brown on the other side.
Error on the side of less cooking, not more: Shrimp cook really quickly. A total of slightly less than 3 minutes of total cooking time is about right. You need that amount of time to get a brown sear on the outside, but don't leave the shrimp in the skillet longer than a total of 3 minutes or they will overcook.
How to Serve Pan Seared Shrimp
These shrimp are flavorful enough to serve as a main course next to rice and a simple vegetable. However, you can also make shrimp tacos, pasta, and more with pan seared shrimp.
- Rice - Serve next to white or brown rice with a simple vegetable on the side. Or, serve with orzo rice or Instant Pot turmeric coconut rice.
- Grains - Add shrimp to grain bowls topped with shrimp and roasted vegetables. Learn how to cook barley
- Salad - Leftover, chilled shrimp can be added to you favorite green salad.
- Tacos - Finish the shrimp with a squeeze of lime and toss into a tortilla with black beans, shredded cabbage and cilantro.
- Pasta - Toss shrimp into pasta with marinara or buttered Instant Pot egg noodles. Add shrimp to cold pasta salads or try garlic shrimp pasta with arugula lemon pesto.
Seasoning Suggestions
This recipe uses just oil or butter to make simple but flavorful pan seared shrimp.
However, you can also add herbs, spices, garlic or citrus to give the shrimp more distinctive flavor.
*Note: Before seasoning with salt, check the ingredient list on the bag of shrimp. Many brands of frozen shrimp have salt added.
Use ½ to 1 teaspoon of a spice or seasoning per pound of shrimp. Pat the shrimp dry and then season it before adding the shrimp to the hot skillet. If adding lemon or lime juice, wait until the shrimp are completely cooked then finish with a squeeze of citrus.
Seasonings that go well with shrimp include:
- Garlic
- Ginger
- Fresh parsley, dill or cilantro
- Old Bay Seasoning
- Lemon pepper
- Red pepper flakes
- Curry powder
- Chile powder + cumin
- Smoked paprika
- Lemon or lime juice - Add liquid (like lemon or lime juice) after the shrimp have completely cooked. If you add it to the pan earlier, the shrimp will steam, not sear, and won’t brown as well.
Recipe FAQ
For detailed instructions about the best way to reheat shrimp, check out my recipe How to Reheat Shrimp.
Nope. The shrimp need to be defrosted.
The best way to defrost shrimp is in the refrigerator overnight. If absolutely necessary, you can defrost shrimp using a faster method by placing a bag of frozen shrimp in a large bowl of cold water for about 20 minutes.
If you'd like to pan sear shell-on shrimp, make sure to add more oil to the skillet (about ¼ cup). This prevents the shells from sticking to the pan. You'll also need to cook the shrimp for closer to 4 to 6 minutes.
Shrimp are almost always frozen after being caught, so even if you’re buying “fresh” shrimp at a fish counter it’s likely they’ve already been frozen and defrosted. For this reason, buying frozen shrimp makes more sense, unless you know you will be cooking the shrimp the same day you buy them.
Shrimp, especially frozen packaged shrimp, is labeled according to how many shrimp are in a pound. The smaller the size of the shrimp, the more of them will be in one pound. For example, if "36-45" is on the package, it means there will be about 36 to 45 shrimp in a pound. If "16-20" is on the package, it means the shrimp are larger and there will only be about 16 to 20 per pound.
Raw shrimp has a translucent gray color that will turn orange/pink as the shrimp cooks. Cooked shrimp is opaque and no longer has a grayish color. The shape of the cooked shrimp will be curved, but it shouldn't be super firm and tight. Overcooked shrimp curl into a tight "C' shape.
It's best to take shrimp off the heat just at the moment when the color is opaque and orange/pink. Remember, the shrimp will continue to cook a little bit more from residual heat once they are out of the skillet. So it's best to take them out of the skillet a few seconds too early, rather than a few seconds too late.
More Shrimp Recipes
📖 Recipe
2-Ingredient Pan Seared Shrimp Recipe
Pan seared shrimp has fantastic flavor and texture, thanks to a cooking method that browns the exterior of the shrimp without overcooking it.
This shrimp is great hot or cold and can be a main course with rice or buttered noodles and a veggie on the side. Or, you can add these shrimp to tacos, salads, pasta dishes and more.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 3 minutes
- Total Time: 8 minutes
- Yield: 1 pound of shrimp 1x
- Category: Salmon and Seafood
- Method: Pan Sear
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 1 pound defrosted, peeled and deveined shrimp, tails on or off
- 2 tablespoons butter or oil, or a combination of both
Instructions
- Pat the shrimp dry with a paper towel.
- If you’d like to add any spices, sprinkle the spices over the shrimp and toss well (see the blog post above for seasoning suggestion).
- Heat a wide (12-inch) non-stick skillet over medium-high heat.
- When the pan is hot, add 1 tablespoon of the butter or oil.
- Wait about 30 seconds to heat the butter or oil, then add HALF of the shrimp.Spread the shrimp out in one even layer.
- Let the shrimp cook for a little less than 2 minutes. Don’t stir or move the shrimp.
- Just before the 2 minute mark, flip all of the shrimp over.
- Lift the skillet up off the direct heat of the stove and let the shrimp cook for 1 minute or slightly less without direct heat under the skillet.
- Immediately transfer the shrimp to a serving platter when they are done. The shrimp are done when they're opaque (not translucent) and no longer have a grayish color. It will have an appetizing orange/pink color. The shape of cooked shrimp will be curved, but it shouldn't be a super firm and tight "C". It's best to error on the side of taking shrimp out of the skillet a few seconds too soon, rather than a few seconds too late!
- Set the skillet back over the heat and add the remaining tablespoon of butter or oil.
- Add the remaining shrimp.
- Follow the steps above: sear the shrimp for just under 2 minutes then flip them over. Turn off the heat and cook for about 1 minute more.
- If you'd like, finish the shrimp with a squeeze of lemon or lime.
Notes
The type of fat used to sear the shrimp will affect the flavor. Any type of fat is fine, just choose what sounds good to you. Do you want buttery shrimp? Or a lighter coating of extra virgin olive oil? Vegetable oil won’t add any detectable flavor. Coconut oil, on the other hand, will.
Adding Garlic, Herbs and Spices
See the section "Seasoning Suggestions" in the blog post above for suggestions of herbs and spices to add.
Use ½ to 1 teaspoon of a spice or seasoning per pound of shrimp. Pat the shrimp dry and then season before adding to the hot skillet.
Garlic or ginger can be added to the skillet after the shrimp have already cooked for 2 minutes and are flipped over. If you added it sooner than that, the garlic might burn.
If adding lemon or lime juice, wait until the shrimp are completely cooked then toss with a squeeze of citrus.
Fresh herbs can be added before or after the shrimp are cooked.
Before seasoning with salt, check the ingredient list on the bag of shrimp. Many brands of frozen shrimp have salt added.
Storage and Leftovers: Cooked shrimp should be kept in the refrigerator and eaten within 2 to 3 days. If the shrimp has gone bad it will have a strong fishy odor.
Sara Welch
This was everything a gourmet meal should be, and then some! Turned out perfectly easy, healthy and delicious; definitely, a new favorite recipe!
Whitney
Rubbery shrimp is the absolute worst! Thank you for sharing this great way to sear the shrimp. I always prefer seafood over red meat and we usually have shimp once a week.
Quynh
I made this for dinner, and I love how quick and easy it was! DELICIOUS!
Seema Sriram
Wow, this pan seared shrimp is so quick. I love how perfect they look.
Kathleen
Super quick and easy to make these fantastic pan-seared shrimp are perfect for a busy weeknight.
Jenny
So easy and flavorful. I especially love cooking pan seared shrimp with butter and garlic!