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If you have a bag of frozen shrimp in the freezer, you’re going to love these shrimp dinner ideas.

When I need a light meal, I often use shrimp as the base because it’s high in protein, low in calories, and super versatile for any night of the week.

image collage: four photos of dinner recipes made with shrimp

Shrimp is an excellent ingredient for making delicious mid-week dinners fast. I often use it in stir-frys, pasta, and tacos, all of which are healthy, satisfying, meals I can make in a pinch and include in my meal plans.

If you’re looking for an easy way to make fresh and healthy dinners like the ones below, without spending half the night in the kitchen, grab a free sample of my weekly meal plans. It’s a taste of what we do every week with family-favorite recipes, meal prep tips, and the completed shopping list to go along with it.

Watch this video for a peek of what you’ll find inside!

https://youtu.be/86_uW2JsjfU

Free Printable Meal Plan | Sample Family Meal Plan (https://youtu.be/86_uW2JsjfU)

Got your meal plan for the next week? Perfect. Now let’s back to these amazing shrimp meal ideas!

Shrimp Dinner Recipes

From the Best Chicken Dinner Ideas to Ground Beef Dinner Ideas, it’s about time I did one for shrimp! My kids aren’t thrilled about most seafood options, but shrimp is a different story.

It is bite-size, takes on different flavors, and cooks in less than 5 minutes, which makes it perfect when you need to put dinner on the table fast.

As with most of the recipes on my site, these shrimp dinner ideas are a complete meal made with simple ingredients and the busy mom in mind.

One quick tip before we get started: you can use either fresh or frozen shrimp. If using frozen, be sure to defrost the shrimp in lukewarm water before cooking. Now that’s out of the way, let’s get to the recipes!

What To Cook with Shrimp

From pesto pasta to Creole and Cajun dishes, you won’t be running out of ideas to make with shrimp anytime soon.

image collage: three photos of different shrimp dinners on plates

RECIPE: Shrimp Pesto Pasta
Cooked shrimp tossed with pesto, pasta, and cherry tomatoes for a satisfying meal your family will love. Make it with Homemade Pesto or your favorite storebought version. Either way, you can’t go wrong.

RECIPE: Cauliflower Shrimp Fried Rice
A grain-free version of our favorite takeout dish that’s so good you won’t even miss the rice! Not only is it low-carb, but it will satisfy those cravings without giving you an energy crash an hour later.

https://youtu.be/TIAB6-sAn6Q

Cauliflower Shrimp Fried Rice (https://youtu.be/TIAB6-sAn6Q)

RECIPE: Corn & Avocado Salad with Shrimp
This salad screams summer with fresh corn, avocado, tomatoes, and lime vinaigrette. The shrimp are a nice bonus and added protein along with the Queso Fresco. Whether you need an easy meal prep for lunches or side dishes, this is THE ONE!

RECIPE: Sweet & Spicy Mango Shrimp Stir-fry
I’ve found a new way to use up that ripe mango that doesn’t involve smoothies! This dish is a combination of spicy cooked shrimp with sweet mango that’s irresistible and comes together less than 20 minutes!

RECIPE: New Orleans Style Jambalaya
A simplified version of the New Orleans classic jambalaya that’s no less delicious and made with smoked sausage and shrimp.

RECIPE: New Orleans Shrimp Etouffee
Another New Orleans classic cooked down with shrimp, Cajun seasoning, tomatoes, and Holy Trinity veggies (bell pepper, onion, and celery). It’s delicious over hot cooked rice, and the leftovers taste better the second day!

RECIPE: Bang Bang Shrimp Salad
A crispy, crunchy salad made with fresh cabbage slaw, baked popcorn shrimp, and homemade Creamy Sriracha Dressing.

Shrimp Taco Recipes

Of course, I can’t make a collection of shrimp dinner ideas without including some of my favorite taco recipes made with shrimp! There are many reasons to love shrimp tacos, the most important being: they’re delicious and don’t require a lot of ingredients to hit the spot.

RECIPE: Shrimp Fajita Tacos
Easy baked fajitas with shrimp, bell peppers, and onions. This recipe has all the bells and whistles without any of the work, just throw everything onto the sheet pan, give a good toss with taco seasoning, and let the oven do the rest.

RECIPE: Pineapple Shrimp Tacos
Seasoned shrimp and fresh pineapple grilled a folded in a warmed tortilla- it’s light, refreshing, and made in 6 minutes- now, there is no reason you can’t squeeze in a taco night this week!

RECIPE: Easy Cajun Shrimp Tacos
Cajun seasoned shrimp with a black bean and avocado salsa. These tacos are a HIT! I could eat them for days, and the salsa is delicious all by itself, so make extra- you’re going to need it!

How to Meal Prep Shrimp

We often see chicken and beef meal prep ideas but not too many recipes for a shrimp meal prep. So how do you meal prep shrimp?

Simply prepare the recipe as directed, pack it into a lunch container, and allow it to cool down to room temperature before sealing and storing it in the refrigerator.

Out of all the recipes I’ve shared above, there are a few that are best for meal pepping compared to others:

Can you use Frozen Shrimp instead of Fresh?

Absolutely! Frozen shrimp will perform the same as fresh shrimp in any recipe. However, I highly recommend thawing them first, since frozen shrimp tend to hold a lot of water and will make your dish runny.

How to Defrost Shrimp

The best way to defrost shrimp is to let it thaw overnight in the fridge. For a quick thaw, take the shrimp out o fthe package, place them in a strainer, and run cold water into the bowl while the excess water goes down the drain.

From freezer to pan, frozen shrimp should be ready to cook in about 10 to 15 minutes.

I do not recommend thawing out shrimp in the microwave. The microwave will cook your shrimp and make them chewy.