Stir fried shrimp is one of my fav seafood appetizers! It’s super quick, very easy and you can change it up by adding different variety of spices every time. With zingy Lemon Aioli, this stir-fried shrimp turns into finger licking good.
You can serve this as an appetizer or toss some veggies, add some noodles or left-over rice, and turn into a meal.
All it takes it just 15 minutes!
I prepare stir fried shrimp quite frequently and the trick is to NOT OVERCOOK it. If you have a cast iron pan, definitely use that. It gives the best char and cooks evenly, keeping the shrimp tender and perfectly cooked.
Spices I used for this Stir-Fried Shrimp:
I used Spice Tribe MOMBACHO CAFÉ. A brilliantly flavored spice mix. It has roasted garlic, citrus zest with a hint of espresso.
As soon as you open the bottle, the aroma comes though right away, and you can’t help but dip your finger and taste the spice.
This spice mix worked perfectly with stir-fried shrimp.
The spice mix also works great on beans, pork chop or you could make flavored butter too for grilled meat.
How to prepare the Stir-Fried Shrimp
There are of course several different ways you can stir fry seafood.
This is how I do it:
Marinate the shrimp with the spice, little oil, salt and I added little paprika powder too. Leave it aside for 15 minutes.
Then heat a cast iron skillet at medium high heat and brush little oil.
Once the skillet it hot, layer the shrimp in one layer. Let it cook for about 3 minutes. I used medium size shrimp. It will take more time if you use large size shrimp.
Then flip and fry for few more minutes.
The shrimps will get cooked through and remain tender inside.
Drizzle some lemon juice and serve right away.
How to prepare Lemon Aioli
Aioli is very much like mayo which can be flavored up the way you like.
You could use store bought mayo and add lemon juice, zest, grate a garlic clove, little Dijon mustard if you have at home. Give a mix and it’s ready.
Different ways to serve
- My personal fav is as an appetizer.
- It goes great in Taco
- Inside Bao Buns with a sticky sauce.
- With rice or noodles.
I have also fried some red onion in the skillet to serve along with the stir-fried shrimp, but it is totally optional.
This is not a dish you want to reheat. You want to make it fresh and serve right away!
Stir Fry Shrimp with Lemon Aioli
Stir fried shrimp is one of my fav seafood appetizers! It’s super quick, very easy and you can change it up by adding different variety of spices every time. With zingy Lemon Aioli, this stir-fried shrimp turns into finger licking good.
Ingredients
- 1 lb medium size shrimp, shell removed, deveined and cleaned. Tail intact or removed.
- ½ medium size red onion, thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons Spice Tribe MOMBACHO CAFÉ
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- 1 tablespoon oil plus little more to brush on the hot skillet
Instructions
For the lemon aioli
Mix mayo with lemon zest, lemon juice, dijon mustard if you have at home and 1 garlic clove, grated.
For the pan fried shrimp
- In a mixing bowl, marinate the shrimo with the spice mix, salt, paprika and oil. Leave it aside for 15 minutes.
- Heat a cast iron pan and brush little oil.
- Fry the slcied onion for few minutes. Then take it off to a serving plate.
- Brush little oil on the same skillet and layer the shrimps. Let it cook for about 3 minutes. Then flip and cook for 3 minutes. (Keep in mind if the shrimp are very large, you will need more time and if small then less time)
- Once done, take it off and layer on top of the fried onion.
- Serve right away with the lemon aioli.
Notes
Remember to put shrimp on the pan only when the pan is hot enough or else, it will stick to the pan.
Avoid cooking shrimp for too long, as it will become rubbery and chewy.
62 Comments
Sublime Palate
May 15, 2012 at 10:02 PMThat looks YUM! I am picky about my prawns and I think the spices need to be just right. Simplicity is key. You just nailed it in this recipe! The combo: beer + these prawns! Sounds just my kinda thing!:)
Notyet100
May 15, 2012 at 11:01 PMUmm I don’t have mustard sauce any substitute for that ,platter looks yum..
Kankana Saxena
May 16, 2012 at 2:41 PMI wish, I could provide you with a substitute! It’s optional for me as at times, I may not wish to use it. It adds little heat to the sauce. I guess some spicy sauce can work too! I just used the store bought mustard sauce.
Spandana
May 15, 2012 at 11:10 PMYumm.. love shrimps.. and this looks absolutely delicious!!!! So simple yet so very yummy!!
Nandita
May 15, 2012 at 11:30 PMJust loved the presentation and the props. That serving bowl looks so very rustic. Great job Kankana 🙂
Nami | JOC
May 16, 2012 at 1:03 AMYou two are so cute. I can imagine you are enjoying these delicious shrimps in your PJ! =D I wish my Fridays are like yours – fan, relaxing & delicious! He’s really sweet that he tried eating shrimp. I will not eat oyster even my husband asked me to have it with him. Heehee. Your photos especially styling is beautiful. I always struggle with cloths/fabric and I love how you used it in dynamic way!
Kankana Saxena
May 18, 2012 at 10:47 AMThanks Nami 🙂 Yeah .. I struggle too while working with fabrics but these days I am loving it!
nisha
May 16, 2012 at 2:35 AMi can so empathise with arvind, because i totally cannot stand anything fishy and its recently that shrimp became an ok thing to eat, that too if i masala-fy it and make sure it doesnt taste fishy at all 🙂
I rembr eating aioli in a restaurant and gosh the garlic taste was sooo overpowering and pungent, it kinda burnt my mouth. I would like to blame the restaurant for this and not the dish in itself.
This is a perfect appetizer idea..shrimp and mayo is a perfect combo i feel, so aioli would just take it a notch higher.
Deeps @ Naughty Curry
May 16, 2012 at 2:43 AMthe aiolo looks awesome, cant wait to try it! lovely pics
Krithi
May 16, 2012 at 3:02 AMThis looks super inviting Kankana… With a dish made this attractive, I wouldnt have the patience for the clicks 😉
Nancy/SpicieFoodie
May 16, 2012 at 3:23 AMYour Fridays sound like ours. My husband is a shrimp fanatic. He would love this! I’m glad to hear that your husband loves these, they look too good to pass. Beautiful shots.
Arch
May 16, 2012 at 4:52 AMBeautiful clicks and those shrimps look so good !! Would love to make this…Your friday evening sounds so perfect 🙂
Debjani
May 16, 2012 at 6:10 AMYou have a way of torturing your kind blog patrons with pictures that jump out of the screen saying, “come get me”. I know I’m hallucinating at 10 am.
Thanks for the very easy recipe for indulgence. 🙂
Poornima
May 16, 2012 at 7:08 AMThat looks awesome!! Love the simple preparation! I remember such friday nights from a couple of years back, a simple dinner and a fun movie!
Rosa
May 16, 2012 at 9:20 AMThose look amazing! The kind of food I could eat every weekend. A great flavor combination.
Cheers,
Rosa
Joyti
May 16, 2012 at 9:22 AMI don’t eat shrimp, but this looks like a delicious and easy dish. I do love aioli, and always have some pre-made in my fridge too.
Namitha
May 16, 2012 at 9:23 AMLovely ! Love your version with a lemony tangy twist ! Great combination 🙂
My lil girl is just like Arvind,though she loves shrimp she hates the fishy smell 🙂
Priscilla M
May 16, 2012 at 10:00 AMAbsolutely stunning!
kale
May 16, 2012 at 1:19 PMThese shrimp look so delicious. I was thinking they looked grilled! But it must be the cast iron pan you used. There’s nothing like cast iron!
lisa
May 16, 2012 at 2:36 PMhow do you make the mustard sauce? or is it something you can buy at the market?
Kankana Saxena
May 16, 2012 at 2:42 PMHi, thanks for dropping by. I used a store bought mustard sauce. Forgot to add that in the note. It’s updated now 🙂
lisa
May 16, 2012 at 2:47 PMthank you!! one last question, where do you get curry leaves? i googled it and looks like indian markets carry it? can’t wait to try this.
Kankana Saxena
May 16, 2012 at 2:52 PMYes, you should easily find it in Indian stores. You can however use any other herbs you like or have easy access to 🙂
Eha
May 16, 2012 at 5:30 PMOh, Kankana, those prawns [remember I speak that ‘other’ English!] and aioli look so moreish and so very easy to make, have just pushed my planned menus around a bit 🙂 !
Reema
May 16, 2012 at 6:36 PMUhmmm cannot stop to try it!!!
Tina
May 16, 2012 at 7:06 PMLovely clicks and shrimp..
Baker Street
May 16, 2012 at 11:02 PMThe lemon aioli sounds fantabulous and so perfectly paired with the shrimp. Love it. 🙂
Sylvie @ Gourmande in the Kitchen
May 17, 2012 at 3:00 AMSounds like my kind of evening! I like to get comfy in my pjs and just chill at home too.
Jill~a SaucyCook
May 17, 2012 at 9:12 AMYUM!! I just adore the sound of the spices you used with the shrimp and it just so happens I have a big ‘ol cast iron skillet! Sadly, my hubby, is also shrimp adverse and has not been converted as easily as yours! That said, he is also willing to try things and perhaps if I offer this up with a couple of other finger foods to his liking….hmmm, worth a shot! We also stay home most Friday nights, but our voyeurism entices us to watch those murder mysteries! We love the music on them…dadadata…..!!!! P.S. Your photography is wonderful.
torviewtoronto and createwithmom
May 17, 2012 at 4:53 PMlooks fabulous delicious pictures
Rose ( Magpie's Recipes)
May 17, 2012 at 5:11 PMSo pretty as usual Kankana! Thanks for all the tips on the wood. Must try making my own board sometime too 🙂
Reem | Simply Reem
May 17, 2012 at 5:41 PMFabulous!!!
You know I can eat shrimp day n nite… My kids too. But when it comes to my hubby is only eats shrimps cooked in particular recipes…
I have to try this one…
B/W I”ll email you the links tonite,SURE. From past 2 days I have been not much on system. I will do it to nite…
Reeni
May 17, 2012 at 5:52 PMWhat a nice little treat for movie night! I am drooling over them! I love the brightness of the aioli with the spicy shrimp. Perfection. And you are so right about the cast iron pan! I use mine almost everyday – it adds such great flavor.
myfudo
May 17, 2012 at 11:12 PMMy husband is out of the country every few months or so. During the times that he is away from us, we still make it a point to Skype and enjoy a dinner or a lunch date even just in front of our respective laptops. Now that I cannot cook for him, what I do is to send him recipes, (sometimes I simplify them for him 😉
so he can still enjoy good food even without me doing the cooking for him. He loves shrimps and adores seafood dishes. I am sure he will be trying this recipe real soon…Sending this recipe to him now =)
Kankana Saxena
May 18, 2012 at 10:48 AMCUTE 🙂 We used to do the same before our marriage, when I was in India and he was here in US 🙂
Alisa
May 18, 2012 at 3:30 AMThat lemon aioli looks perfect with the shrimps and some crabs perhaps? I’ll save this recipe for the weekend.
Roxana GreenGirl { A little bit of everything}
May 18, 2012 at 8:07 AMFriday night out are overrated 🙂 It’s usually a pizza night in our house and we get as comfy as possible waiting for the timer to beep so we can have dinner and watch a movie.
Sandra's Easy Cookin
May 18, 2012 at 8:54 AMGreat photos, Kankana! Making me dig in through the screen! We are shrimp crazy, my whole family is, and we love spending time like your two as well! just good food, pj’s and some great movie! Thanks for sharing, can’t wait to try this recipe! Have a lovely weekend!
mjskit
May 18, 2012 at 9:28 AMYour Friday nights sound exactly like ours! We call them date nights, but we stay at home and have dinner and a movie. This does look like the perfect meal for date night! Tasty without all the fuss and cleanup! Totally agree about using castiron for something like this!
DB-Foodie Stuntman
May 18, 2012 at 11:16 AMI will have to try the aioli. Looks good all around.
Alya
May 18, 2012 at 1:43 PMOh goodness! The shrimp look sooo enticing, but what I’m really digging is the lemon aioli. I love all things lemon. Will definitely try this out soon. Thanks for sharing!
nipponnin
May 18, 2012 at 9:22 PMI love love shrimp! Aioli sauce is new to me but I’m going to try it. Nice story, good food, great photos!
the good soup
May 19, 2012 at 2:10 AMHi dear Kankana, it’s been awhile since I’ve wondered round to my favourite blogs, as life outside of computer land is taking over! (in a nice way). I just wanted to say, your blog looks DIVINE. I love the work Arvind’s done. and your photos just keep getting better. you’re an inspiration. xx angela
Magic of Spice
May 20, 2012 at 1:24 PMDelightful balance of flavors…perfect for a lazy evening for sure!
sally
May 20, 2012 at 2:02 PMWhat a great looking dish! The lemon aioli sounds fantastic.
Laurie
May 20, 2012 at 10:45 PMI love this recipe.. It sounds and LOOKS amazing!! The lemon aioli is an amazing touch with the shrimp.
Vijitha
May 20, 2012 at 11:02 PMAwesome! You should make this for me. I love shrimp and love the creamy aioli to go with it. Yum! and as always brilliant pictures. I like the addition of curry leaves and that’s my most favorite herb.
tigerfish
May 21, 2012 at 6:45 PMI love love shrimps, just that local farmed ones are seasonal and hard to find. Love your spice mix on the shrimps and the creamy aioli dip! Scrumptious!
Alya
May 21, 2012 at 7:56 PMHello! I’ve nominated you for the NEW Food Stories Award for Excellence in Storytelling. Go to the award site for all the details!:
http://foodstoriesblog.com/food-stories-award/
Thanks for writing!
Anzz
May 22, 2012 at 6:54 AMLooks lovely.Absolutely delicious..1
IshitaUnblogged
May 22, 2012 at 1:11 PMI love shrimps. Loving it actually. Specially the twist with the chilli flakes and mustard. I love the tray – seems like you’ve painted it right? Half my furniture looks like this – painted white or other colours (depending upon what my mood was at that point in time!) with the brush strokes showing through…
Do you blur the bg over photoshop or are the photographs taken like these?
Kala
May 22, 2012 at 3:01 PMAll of your images are wonderfully composed with excellent DoF! And the recipe sounds delicious.
Jennifer (Delicieux)
May 22, 2012 at 4:27 PMHehe you two sound exactly like my fiance and I. We love nothing more than spending time together, doing things such as cooking and sharing a simple meal at home.
Your images in this post are just stunning, as usual. You really have a great talent for telling a story with food and capturing it at it’s best.
Ira Rodrigues
May 22, 2012 at 10:12 PMI love your dipping sauce recipe and since my son really devoted to fish, i will try to work with it 🙂
Ms. Becky
May 23, 2012 at 7:09 AMyour photographs are amazing! and the shrimp looks divine. I’m trying that sauce. happy day to you.
Nidhi
May 23, 2012 at 7:28 AMFirstly, please accept my compliments on your blog.The photography is awesome and the food looks extremely inviting. I came across your blog through Foodbuzz when your Khandvi recipe was featured as one of the top nine..Well Done and Congratulations!
Yadsia @ShopCookMake
May 23, 2012 at 10:52 AMLemon aioli equals yummyness!
Sukanya
May 23, 2012 at 1:04 PMthe wooden bowl captivates me looks so ravishing… and coming to shrimp well am such a seafood fanatic, i can gobble them ny way, but lemon ailoli sounds great.
[email protected]
May 26, 2012 at 12:06 AMThat’s our way of spending a Friday night too. The only difference is we don’t wear PJs, but just regular home clothes. Haha! Yummy stir-fried shrimp. Sounds even better with lemon aioli. I like your idea of having these bites as your finger food. Some beer please!
Shobha
May 28, 2012 at 4:33 AMLoved this shrimp recipe and the lemony sauce…as I am a gr8 fan of prawns, will try this out.
Manju
May 31, 2012 at 9:09 AMWow Kankana,
I loved this post…My hus is allergic to shellfish, so I do not prepare shrimp at home , but I did make once when my in-laws were here…I loived this flavor combo of urs and I love aioli sauce 🙂 Pics as usual are simply perfecto!!
Do stop by my space when time permits…
Regards,
Manju
http://manjuseatingdelights.blogspot.com
Kiran @ KiranTarun.c
June 6, 2012 at 12:30 AMAnything acid (lemon) would definitely help remove a lot of the fishyness from seafood.
Lemon aioli shrimp looks darn delicious 😀