Chimichurri Shrimp Recipe

Bright vibrant sizzling Chimichurri Shrimp is a delicious 20 minute recipe!

Make a quick batch of our authentic herby, garlicky Chimichurri Sauce and add sautéed jumbo shrimp for a perfect meal

If you’ve never made authentic Argentinian Chimichurri sauce before then now is the time! Pop over to our easy 5-minute recipe, whip up a batch and let’s get cooking. Chimichurri is a vibrant green herb sauce made with parsley, cilantro, olive oil, red wine vinegar, and garlic. It makes everything from steak to veggies to shrimp taste better!

Ingredients for Chimichurri Shrimp

This recipe is super simple and you just need a few ingredients

• Extra Jumbo Shrimp, peeled and deveined, but tail left on
• Olive Oil for sautéeing
• Red Chile Flakes for extra flavor (optional)
• Chimichurri Sauce

How to select shrimp:

It would be great if we could buy fresh shrimp, but the reality is that shrimp is caught and then immediately frozen to lock in quality and freshness. So, even the shrimp or prawns you buy raw at a fish market or grocery store have been individually quick-frozen (IQF) and then thawed out.

I actually prefer shrimp frozen in the bag because I know I will be the only one defrosting it when I’m ready to use it. I choose shrimp with the shells on and then remove before cooking because the shells help protect the shrimp during freezing.

The best shrimp to buy (in the U.S), in our opinion, is white wild shrimp from the U.S. Gulf of Mexico. Wild shrimp have a sweeter flavor and firmer texture than farm-raised shrimp. Unless you live on the Gulf you will need to buy it frozen.

Understanding shrimp sizing:

So what exactly do all the sizing numbers mean when shopping for shrimp? Shrimp are listed in numbers, such as 16/20 or U/15.

Basically, 16/20 means there are between 16-20 shrimp per pound. If you see U in the number it indicates that there might be slightly “under” that number per pound.

As the numbers get bigger the shrimp get smaller, and vice versa. They are often referred to by name, as well, but the number reference is more reliable For this recipe we use 16/20’s, also known as Extra Jumbo.

Here is a quick breakdown on sizes and names for reference:

• Small = 51/60
• Medium = 41/50
• Medium Large = 36/40
• Large = 31/35
• Extra Large = 26/30
• Jumbo = 21/25
• Extra Jumbo = 16/20
• Colossal = U/15

How to make Chimichurri Shrimp

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• Peel shrimp but leave tails on. Rinse and pat dry. Dry shrimp will yield a better sear so don’t skip this step
• In a large heavy bottomed pan heat the olive oil until it is shimmering. (We like to use a cast iron pan)
• Add shrimp in a single layer to the pan and sear for about 2 minutes. Resist the urge to turn before this because then the shrimp will stick and you will lose all of the lovely sear on them
• Turn shrimp and cook on the other side for 1-2 minutes, or until golden. Shrimp can overcook in a flash so keep an eye on them.
• Remove pan from the heat and drizzle Chimichurri sauce over the shrimp. The goal is to warm the sauce but not cook it. You may not need the entire one cup, depending on how saucy you want the end result.
• Toss shrimp and sauce a few times in the pan to make sure it is well coated
• Sprinkle with the red chile pepper flakes (optional)
• Serve warm

How to serve Shrimp with Chimichurri

These tasty shrimp are great on their own and only have about 200 calories per serving. They are also gluten-free and keto friendly with a lots of protein. If you want to make a complete meal we suggest serving the shrimp over rice, cauliflower rice, quinoa, couscous, polenta or grilled vegetables.

Add one of our terrific salads to round out your meal:

• Simple arugula is elevated when tossed with our tangy Lemon Vinaigrette or classic Champagne or Balsamic Vinaigrette
• Our Strawberry Spinach Salad is a refreshing side salad
• Sunny Tricolore Salad with Oranges is perfect with shrimp
• The Arugula Beet Salad with Goat Cheese and Candied Pecans is a filling side dish