Learn how to cook shrimp on the stove with this easy to follow step by step photo instructions. Great juicy shrimp cooked in the pan. You won’t believe how easy this can be. Get it right first time and every time.
Nothing is better than perfectly cooked shrimp. How many times have you stood at the stove cooking shrimp? If you are like me, cooking shrimp is not something you do frequently. This post is less of a recipe but mostly instructions about techniques. Cooking shrimp is so easy if you just know how.
How to shop for shrimp in the supermarket
Most shrimp is frozen soon after being caught, so the freshest-tasting shrimp is the kind you buy in the freezer aisle rather than the thawed stuff at the supermarket fish counter. Because shrimp is highly perishable, and you don’t really know how long the thawed stuff has been thawed. Therefore, never, I repeat, NEVER buy shrimp that is not frozen.
How to thaw frozen shrimp
If you buy frozen shrimp, you can thaw it yourself just before you need it. I never let it thaw overnight in the fridge because it will accumulate too much histamine that way. Histamine is the stuff that makes you sneeze and have watery eyes, it can also cause mild to severe digestive issues.
What I usually do is take the shrimp out of its package, put it in a bowl or colander in the sink, and run cold water over them for about 5 minutes. Toss the shrimp occasionally to make sure they are all exposed to the cold water. You will know that the shrimp is thawed and ready when they are no longer frozen solid but soft, easily bendable, and slightly translucent. This will only take a few minutes. Pat the shrimp dry with a paper towel.
Here’s a quick cooking lesson on how to cook shrimp perfectly on the stove top.
- First things first, put shrimp in a mixing bowl and rub them in seasoning mixture. Mix well to make sure shrimp is coated well in sea salt, Italian seasoning, paprika, and red pepper flakes. Shrimp have a mild flavor so they take on whatever flavor you’re serving them with. Yummy!
- Next turn the stove on and heat the oil or butter over medium-high heat. I usually tilt the pan as the oil warms to coat the bottom of the pan.
- When the butter is melted or the oil moves around the pan easily, add the shrimp to the hot pan. If they don’t sizzle on contact, warm your pan a little longer next time.
- Cook the shrimp for 2-3 minutes on each side, flipping only once midway. Depending on the size of your shrimp and how many you have in the pan, this will usually take 4 to 6 minutes.
- Lastly, transfer to a serving dish. Serve seared shrimp immediately with pasta or rice. May I suggest Creamy Cajun Shrimp Pasta and Instant Pot Shrimp and Orzo for your enjoyment?
How do I know When Shrimp Is Done
Keep in mind that shrimp cook very quickly – don’t take your eyes off of them otherwise they can overcook. Undercooked shrimp look like a wide and flexible “U” shape, while overcooked shrimp form an”O” shape. Perfectly cooked shrimp are pink with bright red tails and look as a “C” in shape and ready to eat! One minute they’re a bit odd-looking and unappealing, and the next minute it’s hard to keep from eating them directly from the pan. There’s absolutely no guesswork involved.
How to make Shrimp into Dinner
While I could probably be perfectly happy with a bowl of shrimp and nothing else, most of the time shrimp needs some accompaniment, usually carbs, to make it a meal. Let me introduce you to Pesto Shrimp Pasta – an amazing combo of pesto, fettuccini white wine, and Italian seasoning. I am also partial to using red wine when cooking shrimp, as I did in this Garlic Shrimp Pasta. Because shrimp is used in almost every world cuisine, you can add it to pretty much anything! Serve shrimp over rice or orzo, eat it over a bed of greens, or with some roasted vegetables on the side. What’s your favorite way to have shrimp for dinner?
How to cook shrimp on the stove
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil, (or butter)
- 1 lb. shrimp, (defrosted and deveined)
Seasoning Mixture:
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
- Put shrimp in a mixing bowl and rub in seasoning mixture. Mix well to make sure shrimp is coated well.
- Add shrimp to the hot pan and cook for about 2-3 minutes on each side, turning once midway, until shrimp is pink and cooked through. Remove shrimp from the skillet.
- Serve immediately.
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy only. This information comes from online calculators. Although whatsinthepan.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates.
I just made this for dinner tonight. Except, I didn’t add anything to it! I followed your recipe to the letter and it was AWESOME! So good I took the first batch to the neighbors across the street and made a second batch for me. They loved it as well.
Very simple to make and very easy to clean up afterwards too.
Thank you
Daniel – sounds like you nailed it, and I am glad that the neighbors enjoyed it!
Quite delicious! I added garlic right before adding shrimp to the pan as per another commenter. I also added lemon juice. Combined it with jasmine rice, carrots, and English peas. Will make again. Thanks!!
That sounds like such a lovely combination!
Sounds awesome!! I can’t wait to try it. I didn’t see this until today, but I made shrimp alfredo last night, for the first time in my life! And I’m 60. LOL. It turned out great! But it was kinda a “cheat” method, not totally homemade. I started with cooking the shrimp in a skillet with just salt & pepper (not knowing I was missing out on those good seasonings you mentioned here. Removed them from the skillet, set aside (hard to not eat them just like that, I ate 1,) lol, (all chefs have to taste their food.) Then I took a shortcut by using 2 pkgs of Knorr Alfredo broccoli pasta, cooked as directed on the package, at the last 5 mins of cooking time, I added some halved grape tomatoes, fresh baby spinach and returned the shrimp to the pan, and about 4-5 Tbs. of parmesan. Let that cook about 5 mins to wilt the spinach, and kinda cook the tomatoes. Turned out delicious! I got the recipe from the Knorr site. But I’m looking forward to trying a bunch of your recipes! Thanks! I’m giving 5 stars although I haven’t really tried it yet, as you said, it’s more of an “how to”, but I’m gonna go right now and check out & save your recipes on Pinterest. Thanks!
Thank you Peggy! Perfect combo with spinach and parmesan! I’m glad you found my recipes – please come back.
I buy my shrimp from great alaska seafood. comes Fex next day frozen. Pay a little more but you no it is fresh.
Yes for flash frozen shrimp! That’s perfect.
I just wanted to make sure my shrimp was good. I try my best to cook them the way I can.
Let me know how it comes out!
Just made this about 1/2 hour ago so this review is very current. Delicious! I added minced garlic to the Italian seasoning and coated the previously frozen giant shrimp, then sauteed them about 3 min per side in 2 TB unsalted butter and about 1 TB EVOO. Added them to tomato/feta ravioli, light tomato basil sauce over the whole dish, a side of crusty French bread and YUM!
Sounds divine Elena!
Great seasoning for shrimp! I added minced garlic to the butter just before adding the seasoned shrimp to the pan.
Thank you Rachel! Love well seasoned shrimp AND garlic!
I quit scrolling when you made the statement that frozen shrimp was fresh. Anything that is frozen is not fresh. It has to come straight from the ocean to the skillet sorry.
Let me know how that works for you in the middle of the country, when you’ve recovered from whatever food born illness you’ve contracted.
Probably doesn’t live on the ocean. The shrimp I buy in Wisconsin can either have been frozen and I’m buying it thawed (who knows how long it’s been thawing) or frozen and I thaw it myself then cook it immediately. The writer obviously (to most of us) was making the point there is a difference in quality depending on how long the shrimp has been thawed.
well it’s not like it went through a processing plant like most foods
Something can be freshly caught and then frozen… they are not mutually exclusive. Nice try though, rage on
David,
👍👍
yeah you know I love it I read all these comments are people are talking about how you encourage them and then you’ve got a couple Kathy’s that come along and I quit scrolling when I read I quit blah blah blah when I read I find it hilarious that you literally that person had nothing better to do than to tell you how inconvenienced they were by the way you wrote something like I’m sorry Karen not everybody has a beach house in Maine I can’t afford shrimp right off the boat but flash frozen is pretty much is close to fresh as you’re going to get at the grocery store or the market anyways just wanted to say thank you and my shrimp turned out beautifully I’m having a little surf and turf Medium rare steaks garlic butter rosemary and tossed in the shrimp and do what was left of the garlic butter and a little extra garlic little extra butter and I am currently to sit down and eat an entire placed plate of steak and shrimps to my face, anyways keep doing what you’re doing love your recipes
This recipe was excellent ! Don’t skimp on any of the seasonings. I made it as a starter for Xmas dinner.
What brand is the Italian seasoning? It is not linked to the product for purchase.
You can use many brands. Actually any grocery store italian seasoning will be great here!
Excellent recipe