This easy cilantro lime shrimp recipe is a show-stopper, and it’s all thanks to my secret roasted garlic sauce with loads of Mediterranean flavors. Citrusy, perfectly garlicky and just enough spicy, this weeknight-friendly recipe takes just 20 minutes!

A hand holding a single cilantro lime shrimp.
Photo Credits: Suzy Karadsheh

Where I come from in Egypt, fresh herbs, garlic and citrus are three essential ingredients when it comes to flavoring fish. This goes for anything from simple baked cod and to shellfish like steamed clams and shrimp. In this cilantro lime shrimp recipe, we play up the same winning flavor combination but add a few guest-stars.

You can cook the shrimp any which way–cast iron skillet, indoor griddle, or grill–and it takes about 5 minutes. As soon as it’s done, you toss it in a delicious sauce made with a whole head of roasted garlic, fresh lime juice, a touch of spicy harissa (or chili paste), and cilantro or herbs of your choice. I have to say, the sauce is out of this world! 

Yes, you do use a whole head of garlic here, but don’t worry! Once roasted, garlic becomes soft, creamy, and delicately sweet. It’s not too overpowering–you’ll honestly have to stop yourself from eating it its own. The flavor is quite tamed and pleasant. 

This recipe is the perfect appetizer served with or atop crusty bread to make good use of the delicious sauce! But you can also turn it into a quick dinner with your favorite pasta or grain and grilled zucchini on the side. 

Table of Contents
  1. Ingredients and Substitutes for this Cilantro Lime Shrimp Recipe
  2. Ingredient Spotlight
  3. Can I Use Frozen Shrimp?
  4. How to Thaw Frozen Shrimp
  5. How to Make Cilantro Lime Shrimp
  6. Ways to Mix it Up
  7. What to Serve with Cilantro Lime Shrimp
  8. More shrimp recipes to try
  9. Try our Harissa Paste!
  10. Cilantro Lime Shrimp Recipe
Roasted garlic, chopped parsley and a lime half on a cutting board.

Ingredients and Substitutes for this Cilantro Lime Shrimp Recipe

You really can’t go wrong when you pair garlic and citrus with seafood. But I go a step further by adding loads of cilantro and a small amount of white wine and chili paste. We end up with a sauce that has an incredible depth of flavor, with very little work. You’ll need:

  • Garlic: Roasting a whole head of garlic from scratch makes a huge difference in terms of flavor, but you can use store bought in a pinch.
  • Cilantro: If you don’t like cilantro, basil works well with this recipe. (For more info on swapping fresh herbs, see our guide: These 12 Fresh Herbs Will Transform Your Simple Meals.)
  • Lime: Fresh lime juice adds the perfect zing to balance the sweet and savory garlic flavor. Lemon juice works as a substitute. 
  • Dry white wine: Adds a complexity to the acidic element of the sauce, but you can substitute with more lime juice.
  • Extra virgin olive oil: The base of the sauce, so a high quality extra virgin variety is essential. Our peppery Spanish Hojiblanca would be amazing.
  • Harissa adds to the bright and citrusy flavor while adding smokiness and a good heat (more below). 
  • Shrimp: Wild-caught jumbo shrimp (about 16 to 20 shrimp per pound) are a good option for this recipe; they will remain plump and juicy. 
  • Kosher salt and black pepper are the simple seasonings that give the flavor its full potential! If you food ever tastes flat or bland, you likely need to add a pinch more salt and taste again. 
Harissa paste by Villa Jerada.
Harissa Paste by Villa Jerada

Ingredient Spotlight

If you have yet to discover harissa, North Africa’s famous flavor-booster, you’re in for a treat. This incredibly complex chili paste has layers upon layers of flavor: lightly sweet, spicy, citrusy, with a hint of smoke. 

A close up of cilantro lime shrimp on a plate.

Can I Use Frozen Shrimp?

Most fish and seafood you buy at the fish counter was likely frozen and thawed out. And with advanced flash-freezing technology these days, a frozen bag of wild-caught shrimp may be better and taste more “fresh” than what you’ll find at the fish counter. So it’s fine to use frozen shrimp in this recipe. Just be sure to thaw it out properly first. 

How to Thaw Frozen Shrimp

You have two options to thaw shrimp: 

  • Put the frozen bag of shrimp into a bowl and leave it in the fridge overnight. 
  • Place the (sealed) bag of frozen shrimp in a bowl of water in your sink. Stir every 5 or so minutes to break up any ice. The shrimp should be thawed in about 20 minutes. Be sure to pat it dry thoroughly before cooking.
A close up of the cilantro lime shrimp on a plate.

How to Make Cilantro Lime Shrimp

Cooking shrimp is easy–it takes less than 5 minutes. But the secret to juicy, flavorful shrimp is in the sauce, and this is a particularly good one. Here are the steps:

  • Get ready. Preheat your oven to 400°F. 
  • Roast the garlic. Use a serrated knife to trim the top off the whole head of garlic (about ¼ to ½ inch from top), exposing the cloves but keeping the bunch intact. Set on a large sheet of foil, drizzle generously with olive oil, and close the foil to wrap. Roast in the heated oven for about 10 minutes or until slightly tender and fragrant, then remove from the oven and let cool briefly. 
  • Process the garlic. Once cool enough to handle, peel and crush or chop the roasted garlic as finely as possible.
  • Prepare the sauce: In a small bowl, combine the roasted garlic, 1 cup chopped cilantro leaves, juice from 1 lime, 1 tablespoon dry white wine (optional), 3 to 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, and 2 tablespoons harissa. Whisk together and set aside.
  • Cook the shrimp: Heat a grill, indoor griddle, or cast iron skillet over high heat. Pat 1 1/2 pounds of peeled and deveined shrimp dry and season with salt and pepper, drizzle a little extra virgin olive oil and toss. Arrange on the preheated surface and cook for about 2 minutes per side, or until the shrimp turns just pink. Even the largest shrimp will be ready within about 5 minutes, so be careful not to overcook it.A close up of shrimp being grilled.
  • Finish and serve. Immediately toss in the delicious sauce. Serve the cilantro lime shrimp immediately. 
A close up of the sauce for the cilantro lime shrimp in a bowl.

Ways to Mix it Up

The beauty of this cilantro lime shrimp recipe is that it can actually go with just about any sauce you like! Try tossing the shrimp in homemade Fresh Basil Pesto or 5-Minute Chermoula for something herby. If you want a more citrusy sauce, go for Ladolemono, aka a Greek salad dressing you’ll want to put on everything!

What to Serve with Cilantro Lime Shrimp

This cilantro lime shrimp recipe makes a mean appetizer for a crowd, on its own with toothpicks and a bowl of extra sauce on the side for dipping. 

For a full dinner, serve over Greek Lemon Rice or Couscous, or double the sauce and toss with a pound of cooked spaghetti or orzo. Or, for shrimp tacos with a Mediterranean twist, borrow the slaw and serving suggestions from my Salmon Tacos recipe.

You can also skip the starch and serve this easy shrimp recipe with something green like Grilled Zucchini or Lemon Broccoli.

More shrimp recipes to try

Browse all Mediterranean recipes.

Visit Our Shop.

Try our Harissa Paste!

Slightly sweet, smoky, and tangy with just the right amount of spice. The perfect addition to your Cilantro Lime Shrimp.

Harissa paste by Villa Jerada.
4.90 from 58 votes

Cilantro Lime Shrimp

Suzy Karadsheh of The Mediterranean Dish. In the kitchenSuzy Karadsheh
A hand holding a single cilantro lime shrimp.
All-star shrimp recipe, tossed in the best roasted garlic and herb sauce! Makes the perfect shrimp appetizer or with pasta for dinner. The sauce makes all the difference here, and if you don't like cilantro, simply try fresh basil, parsley, or mint.
Prep – 5 minutes
Cook – 15 minutes
Total – 20 minutes
Cuisine:
Mediterranean
Serves – 6 people (up to)
Course:
Appetizer

Ingredients
  

  • 1 small head garlic
  • 1 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
  • 1 lime, juiced
  • 1 tablespoon dry white wine (optional), or substitute with more lime juice
  • 3 to 4 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, plus more for coating the shrimp
  • 2 tablespoon harissa (or your favorite chili paste)
  • 1 1/2 pounds peeled and deveined large shrimp (pre-peeled thawed frozen shrimp work well)
  • Kosher salt
  • Black pepper

Instructions
 

  • Get ready. Preheat your oven to 400°F.
  • Roast the garlic. Use a serrated knife to trim the top off the whole head of garlic, exposing the cloves but keeping the bunch intact. Set on a large sheet of foil, drizzle generously with olive oil, and close the foil to wrap. Roast in the heated oven for about 10 minutes or until slightly tender and fragrant, then remove from the oven and let cool briefly.
  • Process the garlic. Once cool enough to handle, peel and crush or chop the roasted garlic as finely as possible.
  • Make the sauce: In a small bowl, combine the roasted garlic, cilantro, lime juice, white wine, extra virgin olive oil and harissa. Whisk together and set aside.
  • Cook the shrimp: Heat a cast iron skillet, grill, or indoor griddle over high heat. Pat shrimp dry and season with salt and pepper, drizzle a little extra virgin olive oil and toss. Arrange on the preheated surface and cook for about 2 minutes per side, or until the shrimp turns just pink. Even the largest shrimp will be ready within about 5 minutes, so be careful not to overcook it.
  • Finish and serve. Immediately toss the grilled shrimp in the delicious roasted garlic sauce and serve immediately.

Video

Notes

  • Shop this recipe: Visit our shop to browse quality Mediterranean ingredients including the olive oil and harissa paste used in this recipe.
  • To get ahead, roast the garlic ahead of time and keep it in the fridge. See this tutorial for how to roast garlic. You can also use store-bought roasted garlic in this recipe, if you must. 
  • You can cook the shrimp on a sheet pan if you prefer. Leave the oven at 400°F, toss the shrimp with about 1/4 cup of olive oil, a pinch of salt, and a pinch of pepper. Spread on a sheet pan and roast for 6 to 9 minutes.

Nutrition

Calories: 169.6kcalCarbohydrates: 2.5gProtein: 23.1gFat: 7.6gSaturated Fat: 1.1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.9gMonounsaturated Fat: 5.2gTrans Fat: 0.01gCholesterol: 182.6mgSodium: 203.7mgPotassium: 347mgFiber: 0.5gSugar: 0.9gVitamin A: 219.6IUVitamin C: 4.9mgCalcium: 80.2mgIron: 0.8mg
Tried this recipe?

*This post first appeared on The Mediterranean Dish in 2015 and has been recently updated with new information and for readers’ benefit.

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I’m Suzy; born and bred right on the shores of the Mediterranean. I’m all about easy, healthy recipes with big Mediterranean flavors. Three values guide my cooking: eat with the seasons; use whole foods; and above all, share! So happy you’re here…
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4.90 from 58 votes (1 rating without comment)

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Comments

  1. Sarah says:

    5 stars
    Didn’t have any shrimp on hand but used this on top of grilled salmon last night for dinner. It was easy, simple, and delicious! Thanks for this great recipe!

    1. Suzy Karadsheh says:

      Sarah, that is brilliant! This sauce is pretty versatile, I’m glad you liked it on the salmon. Stop by and see me again. Thank you!

  2. rheva says:

    Hi what kind of chili sauce I can use? is that the chili sauce the jar with name chili sauce? like the one you use for meat balls? o if will se the flakes is there any different of the taste??? I will make these, this coming Saturday for ester dinner. will try to grill it with the bamboo stick like shrimp kabob… can I use any white wine??? can I use lemon instead of lime????

    Im excited for the outcome!!!!

    thanks
    rheva

    1. Suzy Karadsheh says:

      Hi rheva. Thanks for stopping in. Yes, the chili sauce from the jar is what will work. Any kind as long as it is not a sweet chili sauce will work. Or, chili flakes, but go easy starting with a little amount and building from there. Since the sauce adds a little more liquid, if you use the flakes instead, you might add more liquid using the oil or lime/lemon juice and wine. Yes, lemon will work. You can certainly make the sauce your own and test as you go. Hope you’ll enjoy this recipe. Let me know how it turns out.

      1. Brandon says:

        2 stars
        Where in the market can you find this type of chili sauce? I used sweet Asian chili sauce, and it turned out good, but I really want to use the original recipe.

      2. Suzy Karadsheh says:

        Brandon, if there is a Mediterranean or Eastern European market near you, you can find a spicy chili sauce there. Otherwise, I would check Wholefoods or World Market. Look for a chili sauce that is not sweet; although it sounds like that worked out fine as well. The chili sauce in this Amazon link has worked well for me in the past http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000LO25RG/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000LO25RG&linkCode=as2&tag=themedidish-20&linkId=JYXZMAUMNOFGNP67

  3. Maria-Lucia says:

    Hi Suzy,
    I have prepared your recipe for prawns today, for lunch! It was an amazing success. Everyone was delighted and asked me for the recipe.
    I made tagliatelle with creamy sauce with blue cheese and it was a great combination. Tank you and I will follow you on Pinterest.
    Hugs from Colombia
    Maria-Lucia

    1. Suzy Karadsheh says:

      Maria-Lucia, I am so glad to hear that you made my shrimp (prawns) recipe, and that it was a success! It gives me such joy to hear it! Thank you so much for taking the time to stop in and tell me. The sauce you made sounds delicious. Looking forward to seeing you here again. Hugs.

  4. Lillian says:

    5 stars
    This looks so yummy, can’t wait to try it this weekend. Can the shrimp be cooked in a skillet rather than grilled? Do you think that would alter the taste too much? Thanks!

    1. Suzy Karadsheh says:

      Hi Lilian! Sure, you can go ahead and cook the shrimp in a skillet! The second time I made it, I did in fact use my skillet. It was fine. Enjoy and let me know how it turns out!

  5. Heather says:

    I really don’t want to use a whole head of garlic is there another way is just use some garlic. I really want to make this recipe.

    1. Suzy Karadsheh says:

      Hi Heather! Great question. Sure, you can reduce the amount of garlic. One thing to note, the garlic here is roasted, so it’s taste is tamed. We are not all garlic lovers, so start with an amount you are comfortable with and go from there. The cilantro, lime, white wine and chili sauce all add good flavor as well.

  6. Michelle says:

    5 stars
    I don’t know why more people haven’t rated this recipe. It is DELISH!! Thanks for sharing. I made it with roasted red pepper hummus, pita and a greek salad. All of my kiddos (2, 10 and 19) and husband tore it up. Thanks!

    1. Suzy Karadsheh says:

      Thanks so much, Michelle! Sounds like you put together a winning menu! Glad your family enjoyed it, and thanks so much for taking the time to tell me.

  7. Letty Peña Blanchard says:

    I made this about a week ago and it was delicious!!! And so easy to make. Will definitely be making this one often! Thank you!!

    1. The Mediterranean Dish says:

      Great, Letty! I am so glad you liked it, friend.

  8. Jean says:

    5 stars
    Thank you so much for this shrimp recipe, l’m going to do a surf & turf for Valentines Day & my husband is turf & l’m the surf (l think l’m coming out ahead on this one:), can’t wait to make it.

    1. Suzy Karadsheh says:

      Jean, that is great to hear! I hope you enjoy this shrimp. Happy Valentine’s day!

  9. Jenna says:

    Never mind, I read the recipe wrong and thought it was the shrimp that was roasted instead of the garlic. Sorry!

  10. Jenna says:

    I’m confused, Why is this called grilled shrimp when it is roasted in the oven? Either way this looks yummy and I am going to try it. 🙂

    1. Suzy Karadsheh says:

      Jenna,thanks for stopping in. The shrimp is grilled on a cast-iron grill (see in the step-by-step pictures below). Only the garlic is roasted in the oven 🙂

  11. Kristen Goldkamp says:

    I am excited to make this! I am wondering what kind of chili sauce you used? Is it Sriracha or Franks Hot sauce or something more like the Heinz chili sauce? Thanks so much!

    1. Suzy Karadsheh says:

      Hi Kristen, thanks for stopping in! Great question on the chili sauce in the shrimp recipe. No, I did not use Sriracha. From your local grocery store, you might find something like Huey Fong Chili Sauce like in this link below, I think it’s closer to the one I used. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000LO25RG/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000LO25RG&linkCode=as2&tag=themedidish-20&linkId=LWEMK5LDM7BWJ36U
      Also, Whole Foods or World Market might have other options for you. You might like to start with a smaller dose of chili, since not all chili sauces are created equal in terms of hotness. You can always go up 🙂

  12. TJ says:

    Any suggestions for what to serve with this? I am doing a dinner and I want more than just shrimp. Healthy is always a +

    1. Suzy Karadsheh says:

      TJ, thanks for stopping in. Great question.
      I have served this shrimp for dinner with plain rice or couscous, green beans (broccoli or another vegetable dish would work too) and a simple Mediterranean green salad. You could also use the shrimp in a pasta! Make more of the sauce (double or triple the amount) and toss it into cooked warm pasta. The recipe is written as a small dish/appetizer, so depending on how many people you are serving for dinner, you may want to adjust the portions if you use it as a main course.
      I have served it also tapas style next to other small plates like this easy roasted red pepper hummus https://www.themediterraneandish.com/roasted-red-pepper-hummus-recipe/ and tomato bruschetta https://www.themediterraneandish.com/easy-bruschetta-recipe-middle-eastern-style/
      Hope this helps! If you have more questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

  13. Lauren says:

    This looks so good! What do you pair the shrimp with? pasta, rice?

    1. Suzy Karadsheh says:

      Lauren, thank you for stopping in! Great question. Either a simple rice or pasta would work great with this shrimp recipe. In fact, if you do pasta, I imagine you could double the roasted-garlic cilantro sauce in this recipe so you can toss the pasta with that as well.

  14. Heather H says:

    unfortunately I’m not big on fish or seafood. Do you think this may work for chicken?!?? Love garlic, cilantro, lime!

  15. renee lalane says:

    this sounds yummy and I bet this recipe would be great on the BBQ too!

    1. Suzy Karadsheh says:

      Renee, good to see you here again! Yes, once the weather warms up, you bet I’ll try this on the BBQ.

  16. Frank says:

    Why is no garlic listed in the ingredients?

    1. Suzy Karadsheh says:

      Frank, good catch! It’s a main ingredient as u see in the pictures! There is 1 small head of garlic in the sauce. I have updated the ingredients. Really appreciate you pointing that out!