Sautéed shrimp with coconut aminos, garlic, butter, and lemon is ready in 15 minutes. Coconut aminos gives the sauce a lightly sweet, savory flavor. I use Key West pink shrimp and serve it over rice to soak up the buttery sauce.
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What Are Coconut Aminos?
Coconut aminos are a popular condiment used as a substitute for soy sauce.
Made from coconut blossom sap, coconut aminos has a sweet, salty flavor similar to soy sauce.
Coconut aminos is often used in paleo, gluten-free, and soy-free diets.
Coconut Secret Organic Coconut Aminos contains coconut and sea salt. Other brands have similar ingredients.
You can find coconut aminos in the ethnic foods aisle of your grocery store, near the soy sauce.
Defrosting Frozen Shrimp
Almost all the shrimp sold in the USA is frozen.
To defrost your shrimp, submerge them in a big bowl of cold water for about 15 minutes. Drain and pat dry.
How To Use Coconut Aminos
Coconut aminos can be used as a 1:1 substitute for soy sauce in most recipes. Use it in stir-fries, marinades, sauces, dressings, and soups to add flavor in place of soy.
I've even used it to deglaze a pan after cooking a steak.
If coconut aminos is new to you, taste a little first. It has a sweeter, less salty flavor than soy sauce.
Ingredients
I'm using Key West Pink Shrimp for this dinner. Look for wild-caught shrimp sourced from the USA for optimal quality.
I finish the shrimp with black and white toasted sesame seeds for extra texture and flavor.
- Large or extra-large shrimp, peeled and deveined
- Coconut aminos (you can sub soy sauce or tamari gluten-free soy sauce)
- Olive oil or coconut oil
- Garlic
- Unsalted butter
- Lemons
- Chopped parsley
- Toasted sesame seeds (optional topping)
- Kosher salt and black pepper
See recipe card below for amounts.
How To Cook Shrimp On The Stove
Shrimp cook quickly, so prep the garlic, lemon, and garnishes before heating the skillet.
Have your rice or other sides ready so you can serve the shrimp as soon as they're cooked.
- Peel and devein the shrimp, rinse with cold water, and pat dry with paper towels. Season lightly with salt.
- Zest the lemons, avoiding the bitter white pith, then cut them into wedges. Reserve the zest for serving.
- Heat the olive oil or coconut oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic before the pan gets hot and sauté for about 30 seconds, until fragrant.
- Add the shrimp in a single layer. Cook for 1-2 minutes per side, until opaque.
- Add the butter, coconut aminos, and juice of half a lemon.
- Toss for another 30 seconds to coat the shrimp in the sauce. Taste and add salt and pepper if needed.
- Serve over rice and spoon the sauce over the shrimp. Sprinkle with lemon zest, chopped parsley, and sesame seeds. Serve with lemon wedges.
What Goes with Sautéed Shrimp?
Serve the shrimp over steamed white rice or toss it with pasta to soak up the garlic-butter sauce. I like to make Caesar Salad with fresh ingredients and use the shrimp in place of croutons.
For a vegetable side, try Roasted Broccoli and Carrots or Steamed Brussels Sprouts. Lemon Asparagus Rice or a crisp Mixed Green Salad also works well.
Storage
Store the shrimp in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
Shrimp with Coconut Aminos FAQ
To devein shrimp, use a small knife or a deveining tool to make a shallow slit along the back of the shrimp. You can then remove the dark vein with the tip of the knife or rinse it out under cold water.
Make sure your pan is hot before adding the shrimp and use enough oil or butter to coat the bottom of the pan.
Coconut aminos is made from coconut blossom sap and salt. Check the label for the ingredients in your brand.
If you need a substitute for coconut aminos, try soy sauce, tamari, or Bragg Liquid Aminos for a similar savory flavor. You can also make a simple substitute by diluting Worcestershire sauce with water.
Sautéed Shrimp with Coconut Aminos
Ingredients
- 1 pound large or XL shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 2 lemons zested and cut into quarters
- 1 tablespoon olive oil or coconut oil
- 2 cloves minced garlic
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons coconut aminos
- 1 tablespoon parsley, finely chopped
- black and white sesame seeds for garnish
- kosher salt and black pepper
Instructions
- Peel and devein the shrimp. Rinse with cold running water and pat dry with paper towels. Season lightly with salt.
- Using a zester or fine grater, make lemon zest by gently scraping the yellow rind of a lemon, avoiding the bitter white pith underneath. (This will be used for extra flavor in the finished dish.) Slice the lemon into quarters for serving.
- In a large skillet, heat the olive oil or coconut oil over medium-high heat. Add garlic before the pan gets hot so it doesn't burn.
- Sauté garlic for about 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Add the shrimp to the skillet in a single layer. Cook for 1-2 minutes on each side, or until shrimp turn white and opaque.
- Add the butter, coconut aminos, and the juice of half a lemon over the shrimp.
- Cook for an additional 30 seconds, stirring constantly, allowing the coconut aminos to slightly caramelize and coat the shrimp. Add salt and pepper to taste if needed.
- Serve the sautéed shrimp over a bed of rice. Sprinkle lemon zest, chopped parsley, and sesame seeds over the top. Serve with lemon wedges.
