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This Tequila Lime Shrimp is packed with flavor, easy to make, and is a perfect way to serve shrimp! It’s ready in under 15 minutes and is budget-friendly, gluten-free, low-carb and paleo friendly!
Quick and Easy Tequila Shrimp
This Tequila Shrimp recipe is one of those dishes that can be whipped up pretty quickly when you don’t have much else on hand.
If you are like me, you’ll likely have some frozen shrimp hanging out in your freezer that can be defrosted quickly and the whole thing cooked up from start to finish in about 20 minutes. Serve this shrimp recipe with your favorite side dish, I love this over rice or rice noodles, but see more serving ideas below!
Tequila Lime Shrimp Ingredients
Here’s a list of what you need. Scroll for the full recipe.
- Butter or oil
- Garlic cloves
- Yellow onion
- Raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
- Salt and pepper
- Clear tequila
- Lime
- Fresh cilantro
Frozen Shrimp Versus Fresh Shrimp
I buy both! Actually, like many things, unless you know you are getting fresh-off-the-boat shrimp, frozen shrimp is a great buy! I always have shrimp in my freezer.
What shrimp do you buy?
Personally I buy wild-caught MSC-certified shrimp!
How can you defrost frozen shrimp quickly?
Place the frozen shrimp in a bowl with cold water for about 5 minutes. Drain in a colander and rinse under water for a minute and the shrimp will be ready to go!
Does the alcohol cook out of the dish?
Yes, in general when a recipe calls for cooking with alcohol, the alcohol evaporates, or burns off, during the cooking process!
How do I Know If My Shrimp Is Done?
You’ll want your shrimp to turn completely opaque to be done! Typically, shrimp take around 2-3 minutes to cook completely. Jumbo shrimp could take 4-6 minutes.
What Can I Serve It With?
Tequila shrimp is versatile and you can serve it with so many different sides:
- Cauliflower rice
- The Best Rice Ever (Stove Top or Instant Pot)
- Spaghetti Squash
- In tortillas
- Spiraled Zucchini Noodles
- Pasta of choice
- Rice Noodles
- Over Leafy Greens
If You Like This Shrimp Recipe, Try These Others:
- One-Pan Shrimp and Green Beans in Chinese Garlic Sauce
- Easy Shrimp Curry
- Spicy Shrimp and Citrus Salad
- Tropical Mango Shrimp Ceviche
- Spicy Shrimp and Citrus Salad
Watch the video:
Tequila Lime Shrimp
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter or oil
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 onion minced
- 1 pound uncooked shrimp peeled and deveined, (15-20 shrimp)
- Pinch of fine sea salt
- Pinch of black pepper
- 1/2 cup clear tequila
- 1/3 cup fresh lime juice about 3 limes
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves roughly chopped
Instructions
- In a large skillet heat butter over medium heat. Once hot and garlic and onions for 2-3 minutes until flagrant, taking care not to burn the garlic.
- Increase heat to medium high and add in the shrimp and season with salt and pepper. Let cook for 2 minutes until they start to turn pink, turning the shrimp as needed.
- Add in the tequila, lime juice, and cilantro and let cook until shrimp is opaque, about 3 to 4 minutes.
- Season to taste and serve immediately.
Another awesome recipe! Added rice noodles at the end, and it was delicious. Will definitely be making again.
This dish is delicious! In fact, it’s on regular rotation. Everyone loves it. I’ve even made it with a bit more liquid so we can eat it as soup. So, so good!!
I agree that the Tequila Lime combo is amazing! I have not tried anything similar to this recipe so this was a first for me. Thank you for the unique combo here…very tasty and satisfying! 🙂
So happy you enjoyed!
Can amber tequila be substituted for clear?
It probably will change the taste of the final dish. If you like the taste of it, then maybe?
Dumb question? Can kids eat this?
Yeah! Alcohol cooks out when cooking it.
Made this tonight. It was quick to make and it had a wonderful flavor. I love the combination of the shrimp and cilantro. I just feel sorry for people that don’t like cilantro. It just sets off so many different cuisines. Served with some cilantro lime rice. Delish. Thanks for sharing.
This looks great. I suggested your recipe as a recipe to try at La Gringa Cooks, http://Www.Whatsfordinnerdoc.com
Thank you,
Tracey
This came out great! Quick and easy to make. Because I was in a rush, after they were done cooking, I just put the shrimp over spinach and drizzled with pan drippings. Yum!
Can anything be used in place of butter or is it needed for taste in this recipe?
You can use oil but it will change the taste slightly!
Looks Lovely – what would you serve it with?
Delicious served with white rice or cauliflower rice!
LEX!!! This dish looks so delicious! I love shrimp (and tequila!!) so I’m totally going to try this.
LOVE! Tequila and lime is such a perfect combo and shrimp is one of my favorite things EVER. So basically this is the recipe of my dreams! Haha thanks for sharing Lexi!
YESSSSS!