Chimichurri Shrimp
Bold, bright, perfectly plump, and ready in 30 minutes or less, this chimichurri shrimp recipe is a seafood superstar! Featuring juicy shrimp flawlessly seared to perfection and slathered in a vibrant, garlicky, herby chimichurri sauce—each bite is a celebration of fresh ingredients, vivid flavors, and simplicity in the kitchen. Whether you're hosting friends and need a quick appetizer or just want to treat yourself to a restaurant-worthy meal at home, this is a dish you'll want to make again and again!
Equipment
- 1 Medium Bowl - for brining shrimp
- 1 Food Processor - for making chimichurri sauce
- 1 12-inch skillet - for cooking shrimp
Ingredients
- 1 pound Raw Jumbo Shrimp – peeled, deveined, and patted dry (16/20 per pound)
- ¼ tsp Baking Soda
- To taste Kosher Salt and Ground Black Pepper
- ¼ tsp Granulated Sugar - OPTIONAL
- 2 TBS + 2 tsp Olive Oil - DIVIDED
Chimichurri Sauce:
- 1 medium Shallot – peeled and roughly chopped (heaping 1/2 cup)
- 2-3 cloves Garlic – peeled and cut in half
- ¾ Cup Flat-Leaf Parsley – stems discarded, packed (16 grams)
- ½ Cup Cilantro – stems discarded, packed (10 grams)
- 1 heaping tsp Dried Oregano – substitute: 1 ½ TBS Fresh Oregano Leaves
- ½ tsp EACH: Ground Cumin and Crushed Red Pepper Flakes (SEE NOTES)
- To taste Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper
- ½ Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 3 ½ TBS Red Wine Vinegar
- 1 small Lemon – juiced (2 TBS)
Instructions
- Brine Shrimp: To a medium bowl, add the dried shrimp, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and all the baking soda. Grab a spoon and gently toss to coat the shrimp in the brine. Transfer to the fridge and let rest for 15 to 45 minutes.
- Make the Chimichurri Sauce: To the bowl of a food processor, add the roughly chopped shallot and garlic. Cover the processor and pulse until the veggies are roughly chopped. Add the parsley, cilantro, oregano, cumin, red pepper flakes, 1 teaspoon salt, and a heaping ½ teaspoon black pepper to the food processor. Then cover the bowl and pulse again until everything is roughly chopped into a small dice; stopping and scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary. Add extra virgin olive oil, vinegar, and lemon juice. Cover the bowl and pulse again until the ingredients are finely chopped and combined, but the mixture is still chunky-and not pureed. Taste and adjust the chimichurri sauce to suit your taste buds, then set it aside.
- Pat Shrimp Dry, Toss with Sugar, Oil: Dump the brined shrimp out onto a paper-towel-lined work surface and pat them completely dry. Dry the bowl and then add the shrimp back to the bowl. Add the sugar and toss thoroughly. Then add 2 teaspoons of oil to the bowl and toss again to coat the shrimp in the oil.
- Cook Shrimp: Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large 12-inch skillet over high heat until almost or just about smoking. Add half of the shrimp to the pan in a single layer and cook until the edges turn pink and the bottom is well-seared, about 1 minute. Immediately remove the pan from the heat and use tongs to flip each shrimp over. Let the residual heat gently cook the shrimp for about 20-40 seconds, or until the shrimp are JUST cooked through. Transfer the shrimp to a large bowl. Repeat with the remaining tablespoon of oil and remaining shrimp. After the second batch of shrimp has cooked off the heat for 20-40 seconds, add it to the bowl with the cooked shrimp.
- Toss Shrimp with Some Chimichurri Sauce: Add ¼ cup of the chimichurri sauce to the cooked shrimp and toss to coat. Then taste the chimichurri sauce shrimp and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve Chimichurri Shrimp: Transfer the shrimp to a platter and garnish with lemon zest and serve with remaining chimichurri and toothpicks on the side as an appetizer. Or transfer to individual plates with rice and serve with chimichurri sauce, lemon wedges, and naan bread on the side. Enjoy immediately.
Notes
- Reduce crushed red pepper flakes to ¼ teaspoon for a non-spicy chimichurri sauce.
-
Need to Scale the Recipe? Hover your mouse over the number of servings in the recipe card. You'll see a sliding scale pop up, you can use that to scale the recipe up or down as needed.
-
Got questions? I've got answers! If you ever run into an issue, have a question, or need any clarification - please feel free to drop them in the comments section. I'm happy to help when I can!
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and the nutrition facts are an estimate based upon 4 servings. Exact information will depend upon the brands of ingredients and precise measurements used.
Nutrition
Calories: 408kcal Carbohydrates: 6g Protein: 16g Fat: 36g Saturated Fat: 5g Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g Monounsaturated Fat: 25g Trans Fat: 0.01g Cholesterol: 143mg Sodium: 721mg Potassium: 274mg Fiber: 2g Sugar: 2g Vitamin A: 1297IU Vitamin C: 31mg Calcium: 95mg Iron: 2mg