This easy spicy chili shrimp recipe is so quick and simple. A quick marinade, a few minutes in a pan and you’re ready to serve.
Chili shrimp is one of those afterthought dishes. I’m usually halfway through a meal when I realize I’m craving some shrimp. Luckily it defrosts in no time and the marinade is so simple.
When I have the foresight to make this dish I do marinate the shrimp otherwise I coat it in the marinade and toss it into the pan.
The best part about this shrimp is that it goes with everything. When I need protein in a salad. A simple craving satisfaction like I mentioned above. To get away from meat for a meal. It really serves many purposes.
Preparing Easy Chili Shrimp
Ingredients
Garlic: Garlic is a bulb that is edible and is grown in soil. Though the green shoots it sprouts, called garlic scapes, are also edible, we are referring to the actual bulb that the scapes grow from. Garlic bulbs are made up of multiple cloves and depending on the variety you may have anywhere from 4 to 10 cloves, if not more.
Chili paste: Chili paste is a simple blend of fresh chilies, salt and vinegar with some preservatives. Its bring red in colour and you can see the chili seeds in it so it’s not all ground to a pulp. It’s a spicy paste so use it with caution.
Onion: Onions are an important addition to this recipe. I like to use red onion which has a nice mild flavour both in its raw form and cooked.
Lemon: Lemons are a citrus fruit loaded with vitamin C. These somewhat oval, yellow fruit are packed with flavour. They are sour and sometimes tart and add freshness to recipes. For this recipe we are using the juice of a lemon.
Olive Oil: I use olive oil for this recipe because of its mild flavour. Olive oil is the fat extracted from olives. The least processed is extra virgin olive oil, which I use in this recipe.
Shrimp: Shrimp are shellfish that have long bodies, skinny legs and a shell all around their bodies. They are swimmers and can be found in both fresh and salt water. We use small shrimp for this recipe. If you are using jumbo shrimp or giant prawns you will need to adjust the recipe accordingly. Either use less shrimp or make more marinade.
How to Make Spicy Chili Shrimp
Start by peeling the garlic. Next, peel and dice the onion.
Press the garlic into a small bowl. Then add all of the remaining ingredients except the shrimp and stir.
Add the shrimp to the bowl and mix to coat it. If you have the time, marinate the shrimp for 30 minutes (or longer) in the fridge. If not, move on to the next step.
Pan-Fried Method
Heat up a small pan. Once hot, add the shrimp and all of the marinade to the pan. Cook the shrimp for two to three minutes
per side, depending on the size. It should be pink on the pan side before you flip it.
Once it’s pink all the way through, you are ready to serve.
Grilled Method
If you are using a wooden skewer, soak it in water for at least 15 minutes before cooking.
Put the shrimp on the skewer by poking the skewered through both the tail and head of the shrimp (or just under where the head would be).
Heat up the grill on high, to at least 400°F. Place the skewer on the grill and cook for 2-3 minutes. Once the shrimp starts turning pink, flip the skewer and grill for another 2-3 minutes.
Once it’s pink all the way through, you are ready to serve.
Substitutions
Chili Paste: If you don’t like spicy, use sweet chili paste instead.
Shrimp: This marinade is great on white fish or scallops.
Serving Spicy Chili Shrimp
When I say it’s good with everything, I mean EVERYTHING! Here are some examples:
- On a salad
- In a wrap
- As a main protein
- In a rice/quinoa bowl
- In tacos
- On their own as a snack
Here we have chili shrimp with a side of macaroni and cheese, peri peri chicken and green beans.
The possibilities are endless. I’d love to hear how you served these easy chili shrimp. Let me know in the comments below.
Here are some other delicious BBQ dinner ideas:
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Easy Chili Shrimp Recipe
Equipment
- small bowl
- Small pan
Ingredients
- 1 garlic clove
- ½ tsp chili paste
- 1 tsp red onion
- Squeeze of lemon
- ½ tbsp olive oil
- Pinch of salt and pepper
- 6-8 shrimp
Instructions
- Peel the garlic and peel and peel and dice the onion.1 garlic clove, 1 tsp red onion
- Press the garlic into a small bowl. Add the chili paste, onion, squeeze of lemon, oil and salt and pepper. Mix everything together.1 garlic clove, ½ tsp chili paste, 1 tsp red onion, Squeeze of lemon, 1/2 tbsp olive oil, Pinch of salt and pepper
- Add the shrimp to the bowl, toss in the marinade and move to the fridge for 3 minutes or so. If you don’t have time to marinate, skip the fridge and go to the next step.6-8 shrimp
- Heat up a pan on medium-high heat. Once warm, add the shrimp with the marinade to the pan.
- Cook the shrimp for 2 minutes on each side. Once completely pink it’s ready to serve.
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