Want Some Amazing Shrimp? Try One of These 10 Healthy Recipes

Written by Michael Matthews

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Shrimp is one of the leanest sources of protein available. Four ounces of shrimp–which is about 12 medium or 6 jumbo shrimp–packs 24 grams of protein into just 112 calories!

Although it can seem like a lot of work to peel and devein shrimp, don’t let the tails scare you away from preparing this delicious form of protein. If you’re new to the process, start with shrimp that you can pick up prepared from the grocery store. You’ll get more meat per ounce that way too!

Once you try a couple of these shrimp recipes, you’ll be motivated to learn how to tackle the messy prep work. Enjoy!

Healthy Shrimp Taco Salad

Adding meat is a great way to amp up the protein in any dish, like this shrimp salad. By using taco seasoning to make the sautéed shrimp, you can satisfy cravings for Mexican food without going overboard with the carbs in tortillas.

Mix in your favorite fresh taco toppings, like cabbage and cilantro, and drizzle with a tahini-lime dressing that only takes seconds to make.

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Coconut Shrimp Thai Soup

You can replace fried coconut shrimp with a baked variety for that crispy texture. But if it’s flavor you’re after, nothing beats this Thai-style soup.

It’ll remind you of coconut milk soup that your order for takeout, but it has reduced fat thanks to the light coconut milk and minimal amount of oil. This shrimp soup is healthy, delicious, and it takes only 10 minutes of standing at the stove.

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Spicy Shrimp Fried Quinoa

Of course you can use brown rice to make this into a healthy shrimp fried rice instead, but there are a couple reasons to go with quinoa as your main grain.

There’s more protein – quinoa has about 50% as much protein as brown rice – and on top of that, quinoa beats rice when it comes to iron, zinc, and fiber too.

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Creamy Shrimp & Mushroom Pasta

Creamy and rich, it’s hard to believe this plate of pasta is a healthy shrimp alfredo that you can make at home. There’s enough Parmesan, mozzarella, and heavy cream (well, half and half) to ensure nobody’s missing out on the comfort factor.

Then, for added nutrition and yummy umami flavor, a couple handfuls of fresh mushrooms are sautéed to stir right in.

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Pale Ale Beer-Battered Shrimp

Sometimes we all just have to have something that’s fried, and when the craving hits, shrimp is a good way to go.

As long as the fried shrimp is sizzling, it’s expelling steam and not absorbing oil. So in the end, this appetizer is more protein than fat – especially with a couple eggs added to the beer batter mixture.

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Healthy Shrimp & “Grits”

This is a Southern staple for good reason. Although a lot of grits come with heaps of cheese and are studded with bacon bits, this recipe is made low-fat by leaving out all that – including the grits themselves!

Instead, the Cajun shrimp is served on a bed of pureed celery root, which is simply seasoned with salt and pepper.

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Healthy Shrimp Scampi

Looking for a healthy way to plate up shrimp pasta? Scampi is often made with equal amounts of olive oil and butter, which can add up to a whole stick of butter per recipe.

This recipe not only cuts the fat in half, but it integrates a few handfuls of spinach for added nutrition. Complete the picture by choosing whole-wheat noodles, or gluten-free brown rice pasta, for slow-digesting complex carbs.

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Shrimp Ceviche de Cameron

When you need to make an appetizer in a few minutes, it’s quick to throw together a shrimp cocktail. Of course you can pick up a party tray with premade sauce and precooked shrimp, but if you have 10 minutes to spare, you can make this from-scratch shrimp ceviche instead.

The prep time required is only as long as it takes to dice tomatoes, an onion, and a jalapeno. Let it chill for an hour in the fridge, and its ready to serve.

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Easy Shrimp Broccoli Stir Fry

Beef and broccoli is one of the most popular Chinese take-out items. But for a lighter stir fry – in terms of both flavor and fat content – swap out the protein for plump, juicy shrimp.

Once you have the shrimp and broccoli, you can use pantry staples to make the stir fry sauce. The only thing you might not have on hand is oyster sauce, which can be found in Asian markets. For a substitute, try mushroom stir fry sauce.

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New Orleans Style Barbecue Shrimp

Shrimp has a fairly mild flavor compared to other seafood, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be finger lickin‘ good. For shrimp that has rich flavor that satisfies cravings for down home comfort food, fire up the barbecue to make this Cajun shrimp.

Aside from the protein in the shrimp, there’s hardly any calories in this dish – just a little butter. The rest of the ingredients are all about adding flavor.

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