To be completely honest, I’ve never been a huge shrimp fan. Great way to start a recipe off, right? But hey! Give me a little credit – my traumatic experiences with seafood started young (full story here), but I’ve slowly begun branching out to try new things. I’m a work in progress people! With that being said, I’m pretty particular with the way I eat shrimp. I’m not a huge fan of raw shrimp (like scampi), but I do crave battered or browned shrimp every once in a while. And when mama craves it, she craves it. So, I needed to come up with a recipe that was quick, easy and hit all my craving spots. Which include: tons of garlic, tons of spicy heat and caramelized and/or burnt goodness.
Fun fact about me, I love anything burnt. Like, really burnt things. As a kid I’d scrape the bottom of baking sheets, or pots and pans just to get at what was burnt to the bottom. I know, weird. I even use to order my steak well-well done, until one time in Vegas a Chef refused to recook my steak for the 2nd time. I know…. I can feel your judgemental thoughts as you read this. THIS WAS A LONG TIME AGO. What I don’t like however, is burnt tea towels. Which, I kid you not, happened while making this shrimp. My life flashed before my eyes as I realized how ironic my love of burnt things would actually be the death of me.
Anywho! Enough about the burnt tangent, and more about how I can only eat particular shrimp. Well buckle up betches, this’ll be your new favorite recipe when it comes to cooking shrimp. It’s sugar and spice and all that’s nice; even the pickiest of eaters will love this recipe. And it’s super easy to make.
What you need to make Spicy Shrimp and Basil
- Serrano peppers
- Garlic cloves
- Fish sauce
- Sugar
- Kosher salt
- Grapeseed oil
- Shrimp
- Basil
- Lime wedges (for serving)
*This dish can be served with quinoa, atop rice, or just by itself! Your call.
How to make Spicy Shrimp and Basil
First, in a blender, combine chiles, garlic, sugar, fish sauce, salt and 3 Tbsp. of grapeseed oil; blend until smooth. Once that’s complete, transfer the marinade to a medium bowl and add shrimp; toss to coat and let sit for 10 minutes.
Heat the remaining 1 Tbsp grapeseed oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high. I know the exciting time of tossing the shrimp in the skillet is upon us, however, take your time and be sure not to crowd the shrimp. With that being said, you may have to work in batches. Using tongs, carefully transfer shrimp to skillet – cook until deeply browned and their flesh is no longer transparent (roughly 1 minute for each side).
Remove pan from heat and add basil; toss until basil is wilted. Give yourself a high-five for the delicious meal you just created! And now grab your plates and transfer your shrimp mixture to the plates. Serve with quinoa, rice – or by itself! Lastly, garnish with lime wedges.
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Spicy Shrimp and Basil
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 2 1x
Ingredients
- 4 Serrano peppers, coarsely chopped
- 7 garlic cloves, smashed
- 2 Tbsp fish sauce
- 1/4 cup of sugar
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 4 Tbsp Grapeseed oil
- 1 lb. shrimp, deveined and peeled
- 1–2 cups of basil
- Cooked quinoa or rice, and lime wedges (for serving)
Instructions
- In a blender, combine chiles, garlic, sugar, fish sauce, salt and 3 Tbsp. of grapeseed oil. Blend until smooth.
- Transfer marinade to a medium bowl and add shrimp; toss to coat and let sit 10 min.
- Heat the remaining 1 Tbsp. oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high. Be sure not to crowd the shrimp, so you may have to work in batches. Using tongs, transfer shrimp to skillet; cook until deeply browned and flesh is no longer transparent (around 1 min. for each side).
- Remove pan from heat and add basil; toss until basil is wilted.
- Transfer shrimp mixture to plates; serve with quinoa or rice and limes.
- Category: Bites
Keywords: spicy shrimp basil
Spicy Shrimp and Basil
- Total Time: 20 Mins
- Yield: 4 Servings 1x
Ingredients
- 4 Serrano peppers, coarsely chopped
- 7 garlic cloves, smashed
- 2 Tbsp fish sauce
- 1/4 cup of sugar
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 4 Tbsp garpeseed oil
- 1 lb. shrimp, deveined and peeled
- 1–2 cups of basil
- Cooked quinoa or rice, and lime wedges (for serving)
Instructions
1. In a blender, combine chiles, garlic, sugar, fish sauce, salt and 3 Tbsp. of oil. Blend until smooth.
2. Transfer marinade to a medium bowl and add shrimp; toss to coat and let sit 10 min.
3. Heat the remaining 1 Tbsp. oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high. Be sure not to crowd the shrimp, so you may have to work in batches. Using tongs, transfer shrimp to skillet; cook until deeply browned and flesh is no longer transparent (around 1 min. for each side).
4. Remove pan from heat and add basil; toss until basil is wilted.
5. Transfer shrimp mixture to plates; serve with quinoa or rice and limes.
6. An instruction showcasing NOT to catch your tea towels on fire.
