Pan Grilled Greek Shrimp with Tzatziki Sauce

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This Garlic Pan Grilled Greek Shrimp recipe with Tzatziki Sauce is an easy, healthy, and delicious dinner! To save time, Shrimp are ‘grilled’ in a pan or skillet on the stove with garlic and lime juice. It’s an easy 30-minute dinner.

I love to combine big bold flavors with cool, refreshing flavors.  Enter THIS flavorful Garlic and Lime Pan Grilled Greek Shrimp with a bright and delicious Tzatziki Sauce.  The shrimp are tossed with fresh garlic, olive oil, lime juice, salt, and pepper and then seared in a pan rather than grilling to save time.  The Tzatziki Sauce has cool and creamy yogurt with fresh cucumber, lime zest, garlic, and scallion.  Serve with Cilantro Lime Quinoa and you have a complete and delicious meal!

Shrimp: A Lean, Healthy, & Fun Protein

I have to be honest, we don’t eat a ton of seafood in our house. When we do, it tends to be a more meaty white fish like cod, or shellfish like scallops or shrimp.  Shrimp is definitely a favorite in our house.

After receiving my Certification in Nutrition and Healthy Living, I am always looking for foods that can boost our nutrition consumption. Shrimp has many healthy benefits.  It’s low in calories and a good source of protein, Vitamin B12, Iron, and Magnesium.  Shrimp, like fish, also contains Omega-3 Fatty Acids, which are important for promoting heart health and help to prevent heart disease.

Shrimp is both good for you and fun to eat (especially for kids) since you can pick it up with your fingers by the tail in many dishes.  A favorite in my house is 30-Minute Baked Coconut Shrimp for an appetizer or main dish.  We also love Grilled Shrimp Tacos with Mango Salsa & Chipotle Crema.

Finally, a Southern classic that I made a bit more kid-friendly by toning down the spice is Family Cajun Shrimp and Grits Recipe.

So let’s get cooking…!

Quick note!  This post contains affiliate links, which means I earn a commission (at no extra cost to you) if you purchase from them.  This commission is what helps me keep this blog afloat :).  But, I also share these links because I have used the products, genuinely love them, and want you to know exactly what I used. 

Simple Ingredients for Greek Shrimp with Tzatziki

Shrimp

• Raw Shrimp, 31-36 per pound, Cleaned (frozen or fresh)
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Garlic cloves
• A Lime (or lemon)
• Salt and Ground Black Pepper

Tzatziki Sauce

• English Cucumber
• Plain Greek Yogurt
• Scallion (green onion)
• Garlic clove, minced
• Zest from Lime (same Lime used for the shrimp)
• Salt and Ground Black Pepper

Time Saving Prep-Ahead Steps for Grilled Greek Shrimp with Tzatziki

We are all extremely busy and making dinner during the week can be overwhelming. Here are the steps you prepare in the day(s) in advance and store in the fridge as your meal Kit… (See the recipe below for more details) 

For this recipe, you can make the Tzatziki Sauce almost entirely ahead and prepare the ingredients for the shrimp.  Then on the night you want to eat this yummy dish, you only spend about 10-15 minutes cooking the shrimp and giving the sauce a final mix!

So, starting with the Tzatziki Sauce… Zest the Lime and add it to the yogurt.  Then store the zested lime in sealed container in the fridge.

Mince the 3 cloves garlic and store 2 for the shrimp in the fridge in a storage container until ready to use. Add the third 1 minced clove to the yogurt.  FREEZER HACK: I mince a ton of fresh garlic in a mini food processor and then store it in the freezer so it’s always ready for me!

Also finely chop the scallion and add that plus salt and pepper to the yogurt.  Then mix the ingredients into the yogurt. Cover and store in the fridge.

If you use an English Cucumber, you can keep the skins right on and the skin has more of the nutrients and vitamins than the inside.  Use the medium grate size to grate the cucumber. 

TIP: I like to grate right over a paper towel or clean towel so that you can squeeze the water out of the cucumber and can strain it out.

Wrap the cucumber up in the towel and squeeze all of the water out. You can mix it with the yogurt mixture now if you are eating now, but if not, then I store the cucumber in a separate bowl lined with more towel to soak up any additional water.

Cooking Steps for this Garlic Pan Grilled Greek Shrimp

To a large bowl, add the 2 cloves of minced garlic, olive oil, and then salt pepper.

Take the shrimp out and make sure they are all cleaned, meaning there is no dark line down the center of the back. If there is, simply scrape it out with a small paring knife.  Add the shrimp to the Garlic mixture, the lightly mix to coat the shrimp completely.  Squeeze half the lime over the shrimp right before you are ready to sear and mix to coat the shrimp.

To a preheated skillet, add the shrimp and spread them out into a single layer. Cook them for 3-5 minutes until the shrimp start to curl and turn pink around the edges.

Then flip the shrimp over and cook the other side for another 3 minutes.  To finish the shrimp, squeeze the remaining half of lime over top, give them a stir, and turn off the heat.

Finish the Tzatziki sauce by mixing the shredded cucumber to the yogurt and mix to combine. Serve with the shrimp and ENJOY!  😍 Carrie

Garlic Lime Greek Shrimp Recipe FAQs

What kind of Shrimp should I buy for this Greek Shrimp Recipe?

For these pan-grilled Greek shrimp, you can use either fresh or frozen shrimp. See below for frozen shrimp. The best size is either large shrimp or extra large shrimp. Shrimp are sold by size, but size is indicated by the number of shrimp per pound. So, large shrimp are generally 32-35/36 shrimp per pound. Extra large shrimp are generally sold in 25-30 shrimp per pound. You can also use medium large shrimp at 36-40 shrimp per pound. I do not recommend smaller than that or Jumbo shrimp.

Can frozen shrimp be used for this recipe?

Yes, you can use fresh or frozen shrimp. The key is to ensure that they are cleaned of the digestive tract along the back and that the tail is pinched off. You could cook this recipe with the tails on, but it’s more difficult to eat as you have to bite off the tail and discard. It’s really a personal preference. If you use frozen shrimp, you want to thaw them in the fridge overnight or under running (not standing) cold water.

Can I remove the tails from the raw shrimp for this Greek shrimp recipe?

To remove the tails from raw shrimp, hold the shrimp in one hand and place fingers from the other hand on the start of the tail shell and pinch to push out the shrimp meat.

Can I substitute Lemon Juice or wine for Lime?

You can substitute white wine, lemon zest and lemon juice for the lime in both the shrimp recipe and the tzatziki sauce.

How do I grill these Shrimp instead of Pan searing?

To turn this into an actual grilled shrimp recipe, you will want to grill shrimp skewers so that the shrimp do not fall through the grate. For the skewers, I like metal ones vs. wood so that you don’t have to worry about them burning up. Long skewers are best. Look for 14″ or longer so that whether you want to grill a little or a lot of food, you have the space on the skewer. Here are some skewers that I really like! Place the greek shrimp skewers on the grill on high heat and cook for 2 minutes on the first side, then flip and grill for another 1-2 minutes on the second side.