Skillet Shrimp with Tomato Garlic Sauce

If you’re looking for a simple shrimp dinner that feels a little more special, this Skillet Shrimp with Tomato Garlic Sauce is one to try! Shrimp are tossed with grape tomatoes, shallot, garlic, olive oil, and black pepper, then cooked in a hot cast-iron skillet in the oven. Once the shrimp are cooked, the tomatoes, shallot, and garlic are pureed into a flavorful sauce and finished with fresh lemon juice and parsley. And then there’s the best part: the sauce is perfect for dipping bread! The shrimp make this a simple protein-packed meal, but that tomato-garlic sauce is definitely worth scooping up with some crusty bread.

Why I Love Cooking Shrimp This Way

I’ve always loved shrimp because they cook quickly, and this recipe is another example of why they’re such a convenient protein. Instead of standing over the stovetop and watching them cook, you preheat your cast-iron skillet, add everything, and transfer the skillet to the oven. This is similar to why I love roasting shrimp. I first made roasted shrimp in my Roasted Shrimp Sheet Pan Dinner a few years ago, and it quickly became one of my go-to methods. You can get the shrimp into the oven and move on to preparing the rest of the meal.

The one thing to remember with either method? Shrimp can cook REAL quick! Keep an eye on them toward the end of cooking. You want them opaque and cooked through but not overcooked and rubbery!

Shrimp and Cholesterol: What You Cook Them With Matters

You may have heard that shrimp contain cholesterol, and they do. But here’s where it gets a little more nuanced: shrimp are low in saturated fat, and saturated fat has a stronger relationship with raising LDL cholesterol than dietary cholesterol alone. The American Heart Association notes that shrimp and other shellfish are relatively low in saturated fat and can be a healthy alternative to many cuts of meat and poultry.

So when you’re thinking about shrimp and cholesterol, it’s worth looking at the whole meal and how the shrimp are prepared, rather than focusing on the shrimp alone. Shrimp cooked with ingredients like bacon, butter, and cheese can bring considerably more saturated fat to the dish. Here, the shrimp are cooked with extra-virgin olive oil, a source of unsaturated fat, along with tomatoes, shallot, garlic, lemon, and parsley. Olive oil is a heart-healthier fat choice when used in place of saturated fats such as butter.

Shrimp are also a lean source of protein, making them an easy way to add protein to a meal without relying on a higher-saturated-fat protein source. Of course, individual nutrition needs vary, especially if you’ve been advised to manage your cholesterol, so it’s always worth considering your overall eating pattern and talking with your healthcare professional about what makes sense for you.

Ingredients: Skillet Shrimp with Tomato Garlic Sauce

• Shrimp: You’ll need 12–16 shrimp, depending on their size. Peeled and deveined shrimp keep this recipe simple, but you can use whatever size you have on hand. Just remember that larger shrimp will take a little longer to cook.
• Grape Tomatoes: 8 ounces of grape tomatoes provide sweetness, acidity, and plenty of flavor. As they cook, they soften and release their juices, which become part of the sauce when everything is pureed.
• Garlic: You’ll need at least 4 garlic cloves. Feel free to add more. Garlic adds a savory, aromatic flavor that pairs beautifully with shrimp and tomatoes.
• Shallot: One shallot adds a mild onion flavor and becomes soft and sweet as it cooks alongside the tomatoes and garlic.
• Extra-Virgin Olive Oil: Use ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil. It helps coat the shrimp and vegetables during cooking and becomes part of the finished sauce.
• Black Pepper: Black pepper adds simple seasoning without competing with the other flavors. And as always, I leave the salt out of most of my recipes. You can always add just 1/8 of a teaspoon, but it was super flavorful without!
• Lemon Juice: Fresh lemon juice is added after cooking and helps brighten the rich, savory tomato and olive oil sauce.
• Fresh Parsley: Adds freshness and color to the finished sauce. I’m proud to say that I kept my parsley alive all summer long. However, I did just have to replant a new one for my winter months.

How to Make Skillet Shrimp with Tomato Garlic Sauce

1. Preheat the oven and skillet. Preheat your oven to 400°F. Place a cast-iron skillet in the oven while it preheats so the pan gets nice and hot.
2. Prepare the shrimp mixture. While the oven and skillet are heating, add the shrimp, grape tomatoes, garlic, shallot, olive oil, and black pepper to a bowl. Toss everything together so the shrimp and vegetables are well coated.
3. Add everything to the hot skillet carefully. Once the skillet is hot, carefully remove it from the oven and add the shrimp mixture. Spread everything out as evenly as possible.
4. Cook in the oven. Return the skillet to the oven and cook until the shrimp are opaque and cooked through and the tomatoes have softened. Keep an eye on the shrimp—they cook quickly! The exact cooking time will depend on the size of your shrimp, so use doneness as your guide rather than relying solely on the clock.
5. Remove the shrimp. Once the shrimp are cooked, transfer them to a plate and set aside. This allows you to finish making the sauce without continuing to cook the shrimp.
6. Puree the sauce. Transfer the cooked tomatoes, shallot, garlic, and olive oil from the skillet to a blender or food processor. Add a spritz of fresh lemon juice and parsley, then puree until smooth. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed.
7. Serve: Spoon the tomato-garlic sauce onto a serving platter or individual plates and arrange the shrimp on top. Finish with additional parsley and a squeeze of lemon, if desired. And don’t forget the crusty bread for dipping!

Don’t Let That Sauce Go to Waste

The shrimp are delicious, but I’m going to argue that the sauce is just as important to this recipe. The combination of roasted tomatoes, garlic, shallot, olive oil, lemon, and parsley creates a sauce that’s full of flavor. And because it’s pureed, you get a smooth, almost creamy texture without needing cream or cheese. Grab a piece of crusty bread and dip it right into the sauce. It’s one of those simple additions that makes the meal feel a little more special.

Tips for Cooking Shrimp

1. Don’t overcook the shrimp. Shrimp can go from perfectly cooked to overcooked very quickly, so keep an eye on them toward the end. We don’t want rubbery shrimp!
2. Use a hot skillet. Preheating the cast-iron pan helps everything start cooking as soon as it hits the skillet.
3. Pay attention to shrimp size. Cooking time will vary depending on whether you’re using small, medium, large, or jumbo shrimp.
4. Have everything ready first. Since shrimp cook quickly, I like to have all of the ingredients prepared before the skillet goes into the oven.
5. Be careful with the skillet. The cast-iron pan will be extremely hot, including the handle, so use an oven mitt and remember that the handle stays hot even after you remove it from the oven.

A Simple Way to Roast Shrimp

Roasting shrimp has been one of my go-to methods for years because of how little hands-on cooking it requires. My Roasted Shrimp Sheet Pan Dinner was one of the first recipes where I really started using this method, and it’s still a favorite when I want to get dinner on the table without standing over the stove. This recipe takes that same idea and gives it a slightly different spin. Instead of a sheet pan, everything cooks together in a cast-iron skillet, and the tomatoes, garlic, and shallot become a sauce after the shrimp are finished. It’s simple, flavorful, and gives you one more reason to keep shrimp in your dinner rotation. Just remember they cook REAL quick!

Other Shrimp Recipes

• Easy Shrimp Spring Rolls
• Easy Shrimp and Veggie Pasta
• Shrimp Tacos with Slaw & Salsa
• Hoisin Shrimp

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