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This chimichurri shrimp is ready in minutes and works on the grill, a skillet, or baked. The garlicky herb sauce and a squeeze of lemon makes it taste better than a restaurant!
Here’s a recipe you can make where you don’t have to compromise too much time out of your day. It stars one of my favorite sauces, chimichurri, along with my favorite quick-cooking protein: shrimp!
I first made it with grilled shrimp and it came out fantastic, but if you don’t have a grill I included sauteed shrimp and baked shrimp methods too. Add rice, quinoa, or farro and it’s a deliciously fast dinner that my whole family loves!
Why You’ll Love This Chimichurri Shrimp
- It’s fast. It takes only 5 minutes to cook the shrimp, so just add 10 to 15 minutes to make the chimichurri and you’re done.
- It tastes as good as a restaurant. The chimichurri sauce is full of bold flavor and makes anything it touches taste incredible.
- It’s flexible. I’ve made this over charcoal in July and on the stovetop in the winter.
- It’s a healthy dinner. Shrimp is a low calorie lean protein that’s Mediterranean diet friendly.
What Makes The Chimichurri Work
This recipe is built around chimichurri sauce, an Argentinian raw herb sauce that’s made with parsley, garlic, vinegar, and oil. I also love it with my mint chimichurri! A few notes on the ingredients in this healthy dinner idea:
- Start with salted water. Dissolving the kosher salt in warm water is the secret to a flavorful sauce. I learned this tip from Argentinian chef Francis Mallman.
- Chop the herbs by hand. Hand-chopping makes the texture loose and the color bright.
- Parsley and oregano are traditional; mint is the wild card. Italian parsley plus fresh oregano is my standard recipe, but I also really love a full mint chimichurri too (a variation I make when I have lots of garden mint).
- Red wine vinegar, not lemon, in the sauce. This adds an intense brightness to the sauce.
How To Cook The Shrimp (3 Ways)
I love the flexibility here. I don’t always feel comfortable grilling (my husband Alex is the grill master), so I added a few more methods. I most often make them sauteed. Here are the options:
- Grill: Here’s my favorite method of the three, for when it’s grilling season (see How To Grill Shrimp). Preheat to medium-high, 375 to 450°F and cook the shrimp 1 to 2 minutes per side, until bright pink.
- Sauté: My other favorite is this Sauteed Shrimp method. This is my fastest method: heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat and saute the shrimp 1 to 2 minutes per side.
- Bake: If you’re not comfortable with sauteing, try Baked Shrimp – it’s totally hands off. Bake the shrimp at 400°F on a parchment-lined sheet pan, 4 to 6 minutes total.
Ways To Serve Chimichurri Shrimp
Chimichurri shrimp is one of my favorite fast and easy dinner ideas. Here are some ways to turn it into a meal:
- Bowls: Over cilantro lime rice, seasoned quinoa, or farro with cherry tomatoes, cucumber, and avocado, plus extra chimichurri as the dressing.
- Tacos: Warm tortillas, cilantro lime slaw, and extra chimichurri. It’s similar to my grilled shrimp tacos!
- Pasta: Toss with hot linguine and a splash of pasta water, kind of like this shrimp linguine.
- With grilled sides: Try it with grilled asparagus or grilled corn salad, or more ideas in my side dishes for shrimp.
Variation: Protein Swap
Of course, chimichurri works great with many different proteins! Try it with grilled chicken thighs or grilled halibut, or make my Sheet Pan Chimichurri Chicken or Chimichurri Salmon.
Storage And Make-Ahead Notes
Cooked shrimp are best the day of, but leftovers keep up to 2 days refrigerated. Usually I don’t love next-day shrimp but these actually taste pretty good especially if they’re grilled.
The chimichurri stays up to 2 to 3 weeks in the fridge, though keep in mind the parsley version stays the greenest (the mint gets darker over time but still tastes great!).
Dietary Notes
This chimichurri shrimp recipe is gluten-free, dairy-free, and pescatarian.
Chimichurri Shrimp
This chimichurri shrimp is ready in 20 minutes or less, and works on the grill, in a skillet, or in the oven. The garlicky herb sauce and a squeeze of lemon makes it taste better than a restaurant!
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Baked, Grilled, Stovetop
- Cuisine: Argentinian, Mediterranean
- Diet: Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, Pescatarian
Ingredients
For the shrimp
- 1 pound large shrimp, tail-on and deveined
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon each garlic powder and onion powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 lemon, cut into wedges
For the chimichurri (makes ½ cup) — or see Chimichurri or Mint Chimichurri
- 1 ½ tablespoons warm water
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- ⅓ cup finely chopped Italian parsley plus 2 tablespoons fresh oregano (or ½ cup finely chopped fresh mint)
- ⅛ to ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes, plus more to taste
- 1 ½ tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
Instructions
- Make the chimichurri: In a large bowl, stir together the warm water and kosher salt until the salt dissolves. Stir in the garlic, herbs, red pepper flakes, red wine vinegar, and olive oil. Taste and add more red pepper flakes if desired. Serve immediately, or store refrigerated for 2 to 3 weeks.
- Season the shrimp: Place the shrimp in a bowl with 1 tablespoon olive oil, dried oregano, garlic powder, onion powder, kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper. Mix until the shrimp are evenly coated, then cook using one of the three methods below.
- Cook the shrimp:
- To grill: Preheat a grill to medium-high heat (375 to 450°F). Place the shrimp directly on the grates and cook for 1 to 2 minutes per side, until bright pink and cooked through. Remove from the grill, spritz with fresh lemon juice, and top with chimichurri.
- To sauté: Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp and cook for 1 to 2 minutes per side, turning them with tongs, until just opaque and cooked through. Spritz with fresh lemon juice and top with chimichurri.
- To bake: Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the shrimp on the baking sheet in an even layer and bake until juicy and opaque, about 4 to 6 minutes depending on the size of the shrimp. Spritz with fresh lemon juice and top with chimichurri.
Notes
Storage: Cooked shrimp are best the day they’re made, but leftovers last up to 2 days refrigerated. The chimichurri stores up to 2 to 3 weeks in the refrigerator; bring it to room temperature and stir before serving.
Serving ideas:
- Chimichurri shrimp bowls: Serve with rice or quinoa and cherry tomatoes, cucumber, and avocado.
- Skewers: Thread the shrimp onto soaked wooden or metal skewers before grilling for easier flipping. See my grilled shrimp skewers.
- Chimichurri shrimp tacos: Add the shrimp to warm tortillas with cilantro lime slaw, a squeeze of lime, and a drizzle of chimichurri.
- Shrimp and pasta: Toss the cooked shrimp with hot linguine, a splash of pasta water, and the chimichurri.
