This mouthwatering Sweet and Spicy Skillet Shrimp is a quick and easy dish that’s perfect for a weeknight dinner! It results in flavorful shrimp with a unique sweet and zingy flavor.
It’s beyond simple to prepare and cook, which makes it great for nights when you need a meal in a snap. The whole family will love this seafood dish that’s bursting with flavor!
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🩵 About This Recipe
This super easy sriracha shrimp dish is the perfect seafood dinner for a quick weeknight meal or Sunday dinner! Pan-seared to perfection, the shrimp is packed with bold and zesty flavor.
With just shrimp and 5 other ingredients, this is incredibly simple but boasts a unique sweet and spicy flavor. It's perfect to serve with rice or pasta, or could even be served as a tasty appetizer!
And if you can't get enough shrimp, try my Chipotle Shrimp Tacos or this One Skillet Shrimp with Couscous. Or make Grilled Shrimp Piccata for a quick and easy weeknight meal, or this incredibly buttery and flavorful New Orleans BBQ Shrimp!
🧂 Gather Your Ingredients
- Sriracha sauce - adds a fantastic spicy flavor that pairs perfectly with the shrimp.
- olive oil - helps the marinade coat the shrimp evenly.
- maple syrup - balances out all the savory heat with some natural sweetness.
- lemon juice - seafood is always better with a little pop of citrus flavor.
- garlic salt - for an added depth of flavor--you can add other seasonings as well if you like!
- shrimp - I like to buy peeled and de-veined shrimp for super easy prep, but any raw shrimp works just fine.
🔪 Let's Make Skillet Shrimp!
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Make Marinade
Combine all of the ingredients in a small bowl (except for the shrimp).
Marinate Shrimp
In a larger bowl, add the shrimp and coat with the marinade. Cover and let it sit in the fridge for at least an hour.
Cook Shrimp
Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat and add the shrimp in a single even layer.
Flip to Finish
Cook for 2-3 minutes on each side, then serve and enjoy.
For even cooking, be sure to cook the shrimp in a single layer in the skillet! You may need to cook your sriracha shrimp in batches to prevent overlapping.
❔ FAQs
This super tasty sauce comes from Thai cuisine and is made from chili peppers, vinegar, garlic, and a bit of sugar. It's a spicy sauce that enhances the flavor of a wide variety of dishes from proteins to pasta to dipping sauces!
I personally like to cook my shrimp in oil. It gives it the perfect sear and is a bit lighter than butter. In some dishes, adding a bit of butter at the end to add flavor to the sauce can also be a great finishing touch.
Because this shrimp has to marinate for an hour in the fridge, I recommend allowing it to thaw first so it can actually absorb all of those flavors! Generally it is possible to make pan seared shrimp right from frozen, as long as you add a couple of minutes of cooking time.
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💡 Expert Tips and Tricks
- You can use either tail-off or tail-on shrimp depending on your preference. Either way, I like to get them peeled and de-veined for easier prep!
- I recommend an hour of marinating time, but if you're in a rush, you could do as few as 15 minutes.
- Mix up the marinade the night before and keep it in the fridge until it's time to use it.
- For even cooking, use a large skillet and allow the oil to get nice and hot before you add the shrimp.
Packed with flavor, this is a great way to take simple raw shrimp and give it a bold and zesty flavor coating!
📝 Substitutions and Variations
- Instead of sriracha, you can also use another kind of hot sauce like chipotle sauce, sweet Thai chili sauce, or even something like Frank's RedHot.
- For some nutrition, add snap peas, bell peppers, or broccoli.
- You can also add seasonings like parsley, cilantro, cumin, or smoked paprika for additional flavor.
- Instead of syrup, use honey or agave nectar.
🥡 Storage and Reheating
Keep leftover skillet shrimp in an airtight container in the fridge for 2 to 3 days. To reheat, add a little bit of oil to a skillet and cook over medium heat. You can also microwave them if you need them reheated more quickly.
These pan seared shrimp also freeze fairly well. Just be sure to thaw them in the fridge before reheating!
🍴 What To Serve With This Dish
Serve this skillet shrimp over top of Lemon Dill Rice, Cilantro Lime Brown Rice, Slow Cooker Quinoa, or Instant Pot Quinoa! You could also whip up a quick veggie side dish like Air Fryer Broccoli or this Chipotle Lime Edamame.
😋 More Shrimp Recipes You'll Love
- Bang Bang Shrimp Tacos - If you like this sriracha shrimp, you'll also love these tasty shrimp tacos that are packed with flavor.
- White Wine Shrimp Pasta - An elegant 30-minute seafood dish that features healthy arugula.
- Shrimp Grilled Cheese - Add seafood to the classic sandwich for a fun twist!
- Shrimp and 4 Cheese Lasagna - This recipe from 12 Tomatoes is the perfect take on lasagna with shrimp and 4 melty cheeses!
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Pan Seared Sriracha Shrimp
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📋 Recipe Card
Sweet and Spicy Skillet Shrimp
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons Sriracha sauce
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 ½ tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 1 ½ tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon garlic salt
- 2 pounds fresh shrimp (cleaned and deveined)
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine all the ingredients except the shrimp and mix well to create the marinade.2 tablespoons Sriracha sauce, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 ½ tablespoons pure maple syrup, 1 ½ tablespoons lemon juice, 1 teaspoon garlic salt
- Place the shrimp in a large bowl, the add the marinade and toss to coat.2 pounds fresh shrimp
- Cover, refrigerate, and let marinate for about an hour.
- Heat a little bit of olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat, then add the shrimp in a single layer.
- Cook the shrimp 2-3 minutes on each side, until the shrimp become pink and opaque.
- Serve over rice or quinoa if desired. For a pretty presentation, garnish with pepper, paprika, and/or chopped parsley.
Notes
- Buy pre-peeled and deveined shrimp to save time on preparation. I like to use tail-off, but tail-on can be used.
- If you're short on time, let the shrimp marinate for 15 minutes instead of an hour.
- You can mix the marinade the night before and store it in the refrigerator, ready to use.
- Use a large skillet to cook all the shrimp at once, ensuring they cook evenly and quickly.
- You can substitute different hot sauces like Frank's RedHot or a chipotle sauce.
- Add bell peppers, snap peas, or broccoli to the skillet for a more balanced meal.
- Incorporate fresh herbs like cilantro or parsley, or add spices such as smoked paprika or cumin for extra depth.
- Swap maple syrup with honey or agave nectar.
- Serve the shrimp over cooked rice, quinoa, or couscous to soak up the flavorful sauce. Or toss the shrimp with rice noodles or pasta.
- Use the shrimp as a filling for tacos, adding avocado, coleslaw, and a squeeze of lime.
- Serve the shrimp over a bed of mixed greens with a light vinaigrette for a refreshing salad.
Video
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimate. The nutritional values for your final dish may vary based on measuring differences and products used.
Update Notes: This post was originally published in August 2014, and was republished with tips, step by step photos, and a recipe change in August 2024.
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Sarah @ The Chef Next Door
This looks absolutely phenomenal! I love shrimp but for some reason I rarely make them at home. I cannot wait to try this recipe!!
Kristin King
Thanks, Sarah! We love shrimp, too! 🙂
Mary Ellen
These look marvelous and the pictures are stunning! You had me with Sriracha sauce, I only recently started using it. I know, gasp! LOL... You're actually the one that convinced me I had to try it with all of your yummy recipes using it.
Kristin King
Oh cool, Mary Ellen! I started using it because of seeing recipes with it also, and then I got hooked! Thanks for stopping by!
Sandra - The Foodie Affair
Sriracha sauce is a staple in my house! My husband and son put it on everything, so I know they would love your grilled shrimp recipe!
Kristin King
My husband has been using Sriracha for a long time, too! I only recently came on board that wagon and I am wondering what took me so long! 🙂 Thanks, Sandra!
Marion@Life Tastes Good
This recipes sounds perfect! I am a big fan of Sriracha too!
Kristin King
Sriracha rocks, doesn't it?! 🙂 Thanks, Marion!
Sarah at the magical slow cooker
Oh I love sriracha, I bet these shrimp would be good over steamed rice. Such a easy and delicious meal!
Kristin King
Thanks, Sarah! This is definitely a favorite of mine. Thanks for stopping by!
Debi @ Life Currents
I love Sriracha! And these shrimpies look fabulous! Can't wait to hop over and check it out!
Kristin King
Thanks, Debi, hope you like it!
Shelby
I'm, I'm a little obsessed too :). Your shrimp looks amazing!
Kristin King
Thanks, Shelby! That Sriracha sauce is a little addicting, isn't it? Such a flavorful heat! 🙂
Marye
I love grilled shrimp but the rest of the family not so much.. this looks great.
Kristin King
Thanks, Marye! I appreciate you stopping by! 🙂
Platter Talk
This shrimp looks and sounds just wonderful; such a nice recipe and post, thanks so much for sharing!
Kristin King
Thanks for stopping by, Dan! 🙂
Michelle @ A Dish of Daily Life
Heading over now to check it out...your pictures look amazing! I love sriracha too!! So good!