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This pesto shrimp is a dinnertime win! Savory basil pesto is a natural pairing with juicy shrimp; serve with pasta or rice for an easy dinner idea.
Here’s an idea that has easy weeknight meal written all over it: pesto shrimp! Turns out this bright green, garlicky sauce is the perfect pairing for succulent shellfish. The two flavors go hand-in-hand.
Alex and I were inspired to make this recipe because of the bushy basil plant in our backyard. There’s no better use for a big patch of pesto than a pile of juicy shrimp!
How to make pesto shrimp—in 5 minutes
This is one of those 5-minute easy dinner ideas that saves us on busy weeknights. Every now and then, we like to eat healthy seafood like shrimp or salmon. What we love about shrimp is that it cooks so quickly! All you need is just a few minutes in a skillet and you’ve got dinner. Here are the basic steps to how to make pesto shrimp:
- Pat the shrimp dry. This is key before you start cooking: so there’s not too much extra liquid.
- Sauté the shrimp 1 to 2 minutes per side. Heat the olive oil, then pop in the shrimp and cook just 1 to 2 minutes per side.
- Add pesto for 30 seconds! This gets it beautifully bright green and coats the shrimp in a beautiful sauce. Do not cook any longer than that, or the pesto will darken and turn brown.
Use best quality pesto
The main thing to know about his shrimp pesto recipe:= is to use the best quality pesto! The best, of course, is homemade. But this requires fresh basil, which is not always available. If you can’t make homemade pesto, use the best quality brand you can find. The quality varies a lot between brands, so you may need some trial and error before you find your favorite pesto.
- Homemade pesto has the best flavor and color. Make a batch of fresh basil pesto if you can. Other options cashew pesto, walnut pesto or vegan pesto as a dairy-free option.
- Or try refrigerated fresh pesto, found in the produce section. In our taste tests, we’ve found this type of pesto tends has better flavor than pesto in jars. It’s often sold in tubes.
Think ahead: thawing frozen shrimp
You can use either fresh or frozen shrimp for this pesto shrimp recipe. Turns out, frozen shrimp can be just as fresh as shrimp from the fish counter at the grocery store! If you can, try to find wild caught shrimp: it’s usually a sustainable option. If you do use frozen, you’ll need to make sure to think ahead to thaw the shrimp before making the recipe. Here’s what to do:
- Day before: If you think ahead, simply place the frozen shrimp in the refrigerator overnight.
- Day of: Place the shrimp in a large bowl of very cold water for 15 minutes. Stir every 5 minutes to break up clumps that freeze together. The shrimp should defrost in about 15 to 20 minutes.
What to serve with pesto shrimp
Of course, this pesto shrimp isn’t a full meal in 5 minutes. But it gets you much closer to dinner! Here’s what we’d suggest serving with it to round it out into a meal:
- Rice: Make a pot of any type of rice, like white rice, basil rice, or coconut rice.
- Quinoa: Make a pot of quinoa.
- Pasta: Add noodles to make it a full meal; try adding linguine. Or make shrimp pesto pasta.
- Couscous or orzo: Couscous and orzo are types of pasta that cooks in just 10 minutes: try this couscous recipe or orzo recipe.
- Salad: Make a quick salad, like arugula salad, celery salad or Italian salad.
- Beans: Make 5 minute cannellini beans or white beans to add even more protein.
- Sauteed vegetables: Try ultra-quick peas with lemon, steamed green beans, sauteed green beans, sauteed broccoli or pan fried broccoli.
Dietary notes
This pesto shrimp recipe is dairy-free, gluten-free, and pescatarian.
Easy Pesto Shrimp
Pesto shrimp is a dinnertime win! Savory basil pesto is a natural pairing with juicy shrimp; serve with pasta or rice for an easy dinner idea.
- Prep Time: 0 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian inspired
- Diet: Gluten Free
Ingredients
- 1 pound large shrimp, deveined (peeled or unpeeled)
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ¼ cup basil pesto (homemade or purchased)
- Lemon, optional
Instructions
- If necessary, thaw the shrimp.
- Pat the shrimp dry.
- In a large skillet, heat the olive oil on medium high heat. Add the shrimp and salt. Cook the shrimp for 1 to 2 minutes per side until almost opaque, turning them with tongs.
- Just before shrimp are fully cooked, add the ¼ cup pesto and continue cooking for 30 seconds, stirring continuously.
- Serve immediately. If using storebought pesto, adjust lemon and or salt accordingly.
More easy shrimp recipes
There are lots more easy shrimp recipes that make for a fast dinner! Here are some of our favorites to try:
- This garlic butter shrimp has huge flavor in under 10 minutes.
- Shrimp stir fry and shrimp fajitas are two classic dinners that take 30 minutes or less.
- This BBQ shrimp is fast and easy; perfect for weeknights.
- This shrimp pasta or Cajun shrimp pasta are easy to make with big flavors of garlic, lemon, and Parmesan.
- Our favorite quick weeknight options are sauteed shrimp, Cajun shrimp or honey garlic shrimp.
- This coconut shrimp and shrimp cocktail are fun shrimp appetizers.
- Both cilantro lime shrimp and shrimp and broccoli make quick and easy meals.
This recipe is outstanding with wonderful flavor. We had pesto we had made a few days ago and never thought to use it on shrimp until I came across this recipe. Enjoyed it with a salad and homemade miso dressing. YUMMY!
Amazing! It was the easiest recipe we’ve made and definitely a weeknight dinner meal. We used the pesto made in the deli and refrigerated so it was really fresh and not too salty. It will be a weeknight staple at my house.
This was fantastic! I served it over linguine! I want to try it in a salad next and with some beans! I used Rana Pesto.