15 Minute Cilantro Lime Shrimp

My homemade answer to Costco’s cilantro lime shrimp, with a full bunch of cilantro, garlic, and lime blitzed into a bright herb sauce for tender jumbo shrimp. Fifteen minutes, one pan, and great hot or cold.

This cilantro lime shrimp was inspired by Costco’s version, but I wanted one with a lot more cilantro flavor. The sauce uses a whole bunch of cilantro, stems and all, blended in the food processor with garlic, onion, lime, and olive oil. The jumbo shrimp cook in just a few minutes, the sauce goes in at the end, and it’s ready in 15 minutes.

The sauce is also a great way to use up leftover herbs before they go bad. I almost always have cilantro and parsley on hand, and for the batch in these photos I added a few sprigs of basil and parsley too.

It’s naturally low-carb, keto-friendly, and gluten-free, and it works just as well cold as it does hot. Pile it into tacos, spoon it over rice, toss it with a big salad like my rainbow cabbage salad, or tuck it into lettuce wraps. If you like quick seafood dinners, my spice-rubbed baked salmon is another fast favorite.

Why You’ll Love This Cilantro Lime Shrimp

• More cilantro flavor than the Costco version. A full bunch goes into the sauce, stems included, so the herb flavor is front and center.
• No chopping. Everything goes into the food processor whole.
• Fast. About 10 minutes of prep and 5 minutes of cooking.
• Flexible. Swap in whatever soft herbs you have, and add red pepper flakes or jalapeño for heat.
• Two recipes in one. Leftover cilantro lime sauce doubles as a marinade, dressing, or dip.

Ingredient Notes

Full list and amounts are in the recipe card below. These notes cover the ingredients that make the biggest difference.

• Cilantro, the whole bunch. The reason the recipe exists. Costco’s cilantro lime shrimp didn’t have as much cilantro flavor as I wanted, so this sauce uses a full bunch, about 1½ to 2 cups. The stems go in too. They’re tender enough for the food processor to break down, and they carry plenty of flavor. If you have other herbs to use up, add about ¼ to ⅓ cup of basil, parsley, scallions, or chives. They join the cilantro rather than replace it.
• Avocado oil and olive oil. Each oil has its own job. Refined avocado oil is neutral in flavor and has a higher smoke point than extra virgin olive oil, so it’s better suited to the hot pan. Olive oil goes into the raw sauce, where its flavor comes through instead of cooking off. Any neutral oil suited to medium-high heat, like canola or grapeseed, can stand in for the avocado oil.
• Jumbo shrimp. The cook times are written for jumbo shrimp. Smaller shrimp cook faster, so watch them closely and pull them as soon as they’re cooked through.
• Lime. The zest adds lime flavor from the peel’s oils, while the juice brings the acid. That acid is why seafood shouldn’t sit in this sauce as a marinade for more than 30 minutes; it starts to “cook” the shrimp. Lemon juice and zest can replace the lime.
• Garlic and onion. Both go into the food processor whole, so there’s no mincing or dicing.
• Heat. Red pepper flakes add heat without changing the sauce’s texture. A large jalapeño adds heat plus more fresh green bulk to the sauce, and deseeding it keeps the heat moderate since much of the heat sits in the seeds and membranes.
• Salt. The sauce is raw, so taste it after blending and adjust the salt and lime before it hits the pan.

How to Make Cilantro Lime Shrimp

1. Load the food processor. Add the cilantro (stems included), onion, garlic, lime juice and zest, salt, and any optional herbs or heat. Hold back the olive oil. No chopping needed; the processor does it.

2. Pulse until finely chopped. Pulse several times until everything is finely chopped.

3. Drizzle in the olive oil. With the motor running, slowly pour in the olive oil so it combines with the herbs into a sauce. Taste and add more lime or salt if needed, then set it aside.

4. Heat the pan. Set a pan over medium-high heat and add the avocado oil. Wait until the pan is hot before adding the shrimp.

5. Cook the shrimp. Add the shrimp and cook until they begin to turn pink, about 1 to 1½ minutes.

6. Add the sauce and finish. Add in as much cilantro lime sauce as you like and sauté together until the shrimp are cooked through, about another minute or two. The sauce goes in last so it only heats briefly.

7. Serve. Serve right away with extra sauce and lime wedges on the side, or chill to serve cold.

Variations

• Use what herbs you have. Basil, parsley, scallions, and chives all work alongside the cilantro.
• Make it spicy. Blend in a pinch of red pepper flakes or a deseeded jalapeño.

What to Serve With Cilantro Lime Shrimp

This shrimp is easy to build a meal around:

• Tacos or burrito bowls with your favorite toppings
• Pasta, tossed with extra sauce
• Salad, like my healthy Chinese chicken salad with the shrimp swapped in, or a crunchy rainbow cabbage salad
• Lettuce wraps for a low carb option
• Rice, served simply on the side
• A cold appetizer platter with lime wedges and extra sauce for dipping

How to Use Leftover Cilantro Lime Sauce

This sauce is so versatile that any extra is worth saving. It also makes an excellent dipping sauce and marinade.

• Marinade: Great with seafood, chicken, and beef. For seafood, keep it to 30 minutes or less, since the lime acid starts to “cook” it.
• Salad dressing: Whisk in some olive oil and vinegar.
• Creamy dip: Stir into mayo or sour cream.
• Sauce for grilled food: Spoon it over grilled proteins or vegetables.
• Cilantro lime rice: Mix a spoonful into cooked rice.
• Roasted vegetables: Toss vegetables in the sauce before roasting.
• Everyday add-in: Sandwiches, burritos, and scrambled eggs.

Storage

Store leftover shrimp in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. The fresh herbs lose some of their flavor over time, so it’s best eaten the day it’s made.

Frequently Asked Questions

Once you’ve made the sauce one time, you’ll start seeing that bunch of cilantro in the fridge differently. It turns leftover herbs into dinner in 15 minutes, and whatever sauce is left over gives you a head start on the next meal. If you make this, let me know in the comments what you served it with and which herbs went into your batch.

Looking for more quick dinners? Try my Thai peanut noodles, or make a batch of Thai peanut sauce for another sauce that works on just about everything.

I hope you enjoy this recipe!