Pan Seared Shrimp (Juicy and Tender)

Pan-seared shrimp in olive oil is one of the best ways to cook flavorful shrimp. Served simply with lemon and seasoned only with salt and pepper!

Pan-seared or pan-fried shrimp is the No.1 way Greeks prefer to eat fresh shrimp (or is it Shrimp Saganaki?). No2 is on the grill! And although in Greece we usually fry whole shrimp with the shells head and all, I figured out a way to eat cleaned shrimp with all the flavor of whole shrimp.

Because it's a fact that most of the shrimp flavor comes from the head and shells of the shrimp. Ready to see how to cook shrimp in a pan and make it taste amazing?

Table Of Contents

• Ingredients
• Pan-Fried Shrimp Taste
• Cooking Shrimp On Stove:
• How To Prepare Shrimp
• Shrimp Cook Time
• FAQS
• What To Eat With Shrimp
• Recipe

Ingredients

• Whole shrimp fresh or frozen medium to large-sized
• Olive oil
• Lemon juice fresh + lemons to serve with
• Sea salt (fine and ideally unrefined)
• Ground pepper

Pan-Fried Shrimp Taste

Pan-fried or pan-seared shrimp has a naturally sweet taste similar to that of caramelized onions with a fishy flavor and a meaty texture (something between fish and chicken). If you're into seafood then it's taste is very similar to that of crab.

If you cook whole shrimp the stronger its flavor is. And if you cook cleaned or frozen shrimp the less strong the flavor. So how can you enjoy cleaned shrimp without missing out on any of the flavor?

It's simple! Pan-fry the heads and shells of the shrimp separately from the cleaned shrimp bodies. The best way to pan-fry shrimp!

How To Prepare Shrimp

If using frozen shrimp thaw in the fridge overnight. To prepare shrimp first pull the head away from the body. Next, pull and remove the legs. Add both the head and legs (as well as the shells, that we will be removing in the next step) in a strainer.

Remove the shells. Use the opening where the legs were located to grab hold of the shells and remove them gently. Leave only one small piece of shell at the end to hold the tail in place. Or remove that as well if you like.

Remove the vein. To remove the little vein either use a toothpick and make a small incision at the top where the head was located and pull out the tip of the vein. Then with your hands and a gentle movement pull the vein upwards to come out all in one piece. Or use a small knife and make an incision all through the top and pull out the little vein.

Rinse the shrimp and then place them in a strainer to drain. Next pat dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper.

Shrimp Cook Time

How long to cook shrimp on stove will depend on its size and how strong your stove is. A rule of thumb is to pan-sear shrimp for 3 minutes overall for medium to medium--large shrimp. Turning the shrimp to get an even color and not letting it overcook on either side. It's important to avoid overcooking as this will make the shrimp rubbery. See more on FAQS below.

FAQS

• Q: Should I fry shrimp in butter or olive oil?
• A: You can use either butter or olive oil. Butter will give a stronger flavor slightly covering the fishy shrimp flavor (if you're not into it so much). Just make sure to use clarified butter for this.
• Q: How to make tender shrimp?
• A: To cook shrimp that's not rubbery but tender the most important is not to overcook the shrimp. It needs just a few minutes at a high temperature. But not too high as to drain it instantly. Keep the heat to medium-high instead of high or to medium on a glass stove.
• Q: How to cook shrimp that's not rubbery?
• A: Follow the tips on how to make tender shrimp above. Also, one easy way to know shrimp is ready and avoid overcooking is to watch it curl up together. The moment this happens the shrimp is done and you can safely remove it from the pan.
• Q: What does lemon do to shrimp?
• A: The citric acid in lemon juice denatures the proteins in seafood. It's used in cooking techniques like Ceviche (seafood cooked in acid). Though not actually cooked. More like brined/marinated and tenderized with a cooked look.
• Q: What's the difference between shrimps and prawns?
• A: Prawns are usually larger-sized shrimps with a slight difference in the length of their legs as well. For this pan-seared shrimp recipe, you can use either prawns or shrimp.

What To Eat With Shrimp

The foods that go well with shrimp are so many. I'm going to give you a few suggestions on what I like to eat best with shrimp. Fried potatoes or Greek Baked Potatoes Fries With Feta, Fava Dip (Greek split pea dip), with some side salad or even better a Greek Salad.

Other favorite side dishes for fried shrimp are Bouyourdi (baked feta dip), or Baked Feta Cheese In Foil, Feta Stuffed-Roasted Red Peppers, Healthy Greek Potato Salad, Skordalia (potato + garlic dip), or a Lemony Leek Rice.

Recipe