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Home » Seafood Recipes » Spicy Shrimp

Spicy Shrimp

A photo of Vered DeLeeuw.
by Vered DeLeeuwUpdated May 6, 2025
6 Comments
5 from 43 votes

Jump to Recipe Review Recipe

Bursting with flavor, these spicy shrimp are so easy to make. They're ready in 15 minutes! Serve them as an appetizer or as a main dish over cauliflower rice, or use them in salads and tacos.

Spicy shrimp are served on a black dinner plate, garnished with parsley.

I cook shrimp often. I always have a package of frozen shrimp in the freezer, so it's just a matter of remembering to defrost them the night before. I especially enjoy these spicy shrimp. It's such an easy recipe, and the seasoning mix, featuring chili powder, smoked paprika, and cayenne pepper, is incredibly flavorful. There's no need to marinate the shrimp! Simply add them to the skillet, add the spices, and cook until they're cooked through.

Ingredients and Variations

The ingredients needed to make spicy shrimp.

See the recipe card for exact measurements. Here are my comments on some of the ingredients.

  • Olive oil: You can also cook the shrimp in ghee or avocado oil.
  • To season: Kosher salt, chili powder, garlic powder, smoked paprika, and cayenne pepper.
  • Raw shrimps: Peeled and deveined. The tail can be on or off. While I typically use tail-off shrimp for ease of eating, the photo below, taken a few years ago, shows tail-on shrimp.
  • Parsley: Used for garnish, so if you don't have any on hand, you can skip it. Cilantro is a good substitute.
Tail-on shrimp on a plate.

Instructions

The detailed instructions and step-by-step photos are included in the recipe card. Here's a quick overview.

Your first step is to heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp and spices.

Raw shrimp and spices in a skillet.

Cook until the shrimp are cooked through and opaque, about 5 minutes.

Cooking the shrimp in a skillet.

Garnish with parsley and serve.

The shrimp are served.

5 stars rating. I made this shrimp recipe today for my husband and me. It was absolutely delicious! We love shrimp with a little zip. I wouldn't change a thing about it. Most of the ingredients I keep on hand anyway, so it is also budget-friendly. This recipe reminds me of shrimp on the barbie sold at Outback Steakhouse. This recipe is a keeper. Thanks so much for sharing.
Valerie Lunsford-Winbush
Read more comments

Recipe Tips

  1. If using extra-large shrimp, place them on the skillet in a single layer and cook them for 2-3 minutes per side. Smaller shrimp should be cooked for a total of about 5 minutes, stirring often.
  2. This recipe was written for raw shrimp. Pre-cooked shrimp would become overcooked if used in this recipe (even if cooked just briefly in oil and spices).
  3. We're using quite a bit of chili powder and cooking it over medium-high heat, so you can expect some chile fumes. If you're sensitive to those, you can mitigate them to some extent by opening your kitchen window and turning on the range hood fan. 
  4. You can make these shrimp as spicy or mild as you like. It all depends on how much cayenne pepper you add. I usually add ¼ teaspoon of cayenne for a subtle kick, but you can go up to ½ teaspoon or use just a pinch for minimal heat.
  5. Storage: You can keep the leftovers in a shallow, airtight container in the fridge for up to three days. I like to use them cold in a shrimp salad, but you can also gently reheat them in the microwave, covered, at 50% power.

Serving Suggestions

I usually serve spicy shrimp on plates with just about any side dish (microwave broccoli is especially easy). Sometimes, I serve them over cauliflower rice, mashed cauliflower, or on a bed of green leaves such as spinach or arugula, as shown in the photo below. You can also use them in salads, tacos, or wraps.

Spicy shrimp served on arugula leaves.

Recipe Card

Spicy shrimp are served on a black plate.
5 from 43 votes
Save this RecipeSaved! Rate this Recipe Print Recipe

Chili Garlic Spicy Shrimp

Bursting with flavor, these spicy shrimp are so easy to make. They're ready in 15 minutes! Serve them on cauliflower rice or use them in salads and tacos.
Prep Time10 minutes mins
Cook Time5 minutes mins
Total Time15 minutes mins
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Servings: 2 servings
Calories: 306kcal
Author: Vered DeLeeuw
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Video

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 pound raw shrimp - Extra-large, 21-25 per pound, peeled and deveined
  • ½ teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt - or ¼ teaspoon of any other salt, including Morton kosher salt
  • 1 tablespoon chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 2 tablespoons chopped parsley - for garnish

Instructions

  • Heat the olive oil in a large (12-inch) skillet over medium-high heat.
    Heating oil in a nonstick skillet.
  • Add the shrimp, kosher salt, chili powder, garlic powder, smoked paprika, and cayenne pepper.
    Raw shrimp and spices in a skillet.
  • Cook until the shrimp are cooked through and opaque, about 5 minutes. If using extra-large shrimp, place them on the skillet in a single layer and cook for 2-3 minutes per side. Cook smaller shrimp for a total of about 5 minutes, stirring often.
    Cooking the shrimp in a skillet.
  • Garnish with parsley and serve on cauliflower rice, mashed cauliflower, or a bed of green leaves such as spinach or arugula.
    The shrimp are served.

Notes

  • We're using quite a bit of chili powder here and cooking it over medium-high heat, so you can expect some chile fumes. If you're sensitive to those, you can mitigate them to some extent by opening your kitchen window and turning on the range hood fan. 
  • You can make these shrimp as spicy or mild as you like. It all depends on how much cayenne pepper you add. I usually add ¼ teaspoon of cayenne for a subtle kick, but you can go up to ½ teaspoon or use just a pinch for minimal heat.
  • You can keep the leftovers in the fridge in a shallow, airtight container for up to three days. I like to use them cold in a shrimp salad, but you can also gently reheat them in the microwave, covered, at 50% power.

Nutrition per Serving

Serving: 0.5 recipe | Calories: 306 kcal | Carbohydrates: 6 g | Protein: 32 g | Fat: 17 g | Saturated Fat: 2 g | Sodium: 1633 mg | Fiber: 2 g | Sugar: 1 g

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Comments

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    Recipe Rating




  1. Jerome says

    November 15, 2024 at 11:03 am

    5 stars
    Simple and sugar-free. Great recipe.

    Reply
    • Vered DeLeeuw says

      November 15, 2024 at 12:43 pm

      Yay! Glad you liked it, Jerome! Thank you for the comment.

  2. Kimberly Becerra says

    April 06, 2024 at 7:02 pm

    5 stars
    Made this yesterday and it was absolutely delicious. I loved everything about it. This is my absolute favorite.

    Reply
    • Vered DeLeeuw says

      April 06, 2024 at 9:48 pm

      I'm so glad you enjoyed this recipe, Kimberly! Thank you for taking the time to review it.

  3. Valerie Lunsford-Winbush says

    September 10, 2023 at 4:03 pm

    5 stars
    I made this shrimp today for my husband and myself. It was absolutely delicious! We love shrimp with a little zip. I wouldn't change a thing about it. Most of the ingredients I keep on hand anyway, so it is also budget-friendly. This recipe reminds me of shrimp on the barbie sold at Outback Steakhouse. This recipe is a keeper. Thanks so much for sharing.

    Reply
    • Vered DeLeeuw says

      September 10, 2023 at 7:26 pm

      You're very welcome, Valerie! Thank you for leaving a comment.

A photo of Vered DeLeeuw.

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Healthy Recipes Blog was founded in 2011 by Vered DeLeeuw. It features real food recipes with a focus on low-carb and gluten-free ingredients. All recipes are nutritionally reviewed by a Registered Dietitian. Contact us at HealthyRecipesBlog@gmail.com.

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