Easy Healthy Lemon Garlic Shrimp (Print View)

Succulent lemon-garlic shrimp atop brown rice with crisp vegetables and fresh herbs.

# Components:

→ Shrimp

01 - 1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
02 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
03 - 3 garlic cloves, minced
04 - 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
05 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
06 - 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
07 - Zest and juice of 1 medium lemon

→ Rice and Vegetables

08 - 2 cups cooked brown rice
09 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
10 - 1 cup cucumber, diced
11 - 1 avocado, diced
12 - 1/4 cup fresh parsley or cilantro, chopped

→ Garnish and Sauce

13 - 2 tablespoons plain Greek yogurt
14 - Lemon wedges for serving

# Directions:

01 - Pat shrimp dry with paper towels. In a medium bowl, combine shrimp with olive oil, minced garlic, sea salt, black pepper, smoked paprika, lemon zest, and half the lemon juice. Toss until evenly coated.
02 - Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add shrimp in a single layer and cook for 2 to 3 minutes per side until pink and opaque. Remove from heat and drizzle with remaining lemon juice.
03 - While shrimp cooks, divide cooked brown rice evenly among 4 serving bowls. Top each bowl with cherry tomatoes, diced cucumber, avocado, and fresh herbs.
04 - Arrange hot shrimp over each bowl. Drizzle with Greek yogurt if desired and serve with lemon wedges on the side.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The shrimp cooks in under five minutes, which means you can have dinner ready faster than ordering takeout.
  • Every bite feels like a restaurant meal but costs a fraction of what youd pay, and tastes way fresher.
  • Its forgiving enough for beginners but satisfying enough that you'll make it again and again without getting bored.
02 -
  • Shrimp goes from perfectly cooked to rubbery in about thirty seconds, so setting a timer on your phone actually works better than trying to judge by eye and guessing.
  • The shrimp will continue cooking slightly after you remove it from heat from residual warmth, which is why you pull it when it still looks slightly underdone.
03 -
  • Buy your shrimp frozen and thaw it in the fridge overnight rather than at room temperature, because ice crystals breaking down slowly keeps the texture tender instead of turning it mushy.
  • Toast your garlic gently in the oil before adding shrimp so the garlic flavor deepens instead of staying sharp and raw-tasting on your palate.
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