America's Test Kitchen LogoCook's Country LogoCook's Illustrated LogoAmerica's Test Kitchen LogoCook's Country LogoCook's Illustrated Logo
Mastering Shrimp
Recipe
1 hr

Pan-Seared Shrimp with Peanuts, Black Pepper, and Lime

(326)
142 Comments
Loading...
Pan-Seared Shrimp with Peanuts, Black Pepper, and Lime
Author: Andrew Janjigian

Recipe By Andrew Janjigian

Published on June 2, 2025

Shrimp cook so quickly that it's difficult to brown them before they become dry and rubbery. That's why we start them in a cold skillet and sprinkle them with sugar.

Time

1 hr

Yield

Serves 4

Why This Recipe Works

Shrimp are so small that it's hard to brown them before they overcook. We started by briefly salting them so that they retained moisture even as they were seared over high heat. Sprinkling sugar on the shrimp (patted dry after salting) and waiting to add the sugar until just before searing them boosted browning and underscored the shrimp's sweetness. To cook them, we arranged the shrimp in a single layer in a cold skillet (nonstick or carbon-steel to ensure that the flavorful browning would stick to the shrimp, not the pan) so that they made even contact with the surface. They heated up gradually with the skillet, so they didn't buckle and thus browned uniformly; slower searing also created a wider window for ensuring that they didn't overcook. Once the shrimp were spotty brown and pink at the edges on the first side, we removed them from the heat and quickly turned each one, letting residual heat gently cook them the rest of the way. A flavorful spice mixture for seasoning the shrimp came together in the same pan used to cook them.

Ingredients

1 ½ pounds extra-large shrimp, peeled, deveined, and tails removed
1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
2 teaspoons coriander seeds
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
1 teaspoon paprika
1 garlic clove, minced
1 ⅛ teaspoons sugar, divided
⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes
4 teaspoons vegetable oil, divided
½ cup fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems, chopped
1 tablespoon lime juice, plus lime wedges for serving
3 tablespoons dry-roasted peanuts, chopped coarse

Instructions

Cook along with these step-by-step instructions

step 1 imagestep 2 imagestep 3 imagestep 4 image
  1. Toss shrimp and ½ teaspoon salt together in bowl; set aside for 15 to 30 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile, grind coriander seeds and peppercorns using spice grinder or mortar and pestle until coarsely ground. Transfer to small bowl. Add paprika, garlic, 1 teaspoon sugar, pepper flakes, and remaining ½ teaspoon salt and stir until combined.
  3. Pat shrimp dry with paper towels. Add 1 tablespoon oil and remaining ⅛ teaspoon sugar to bowl with shrimp and toss to coat. Add shrimp to cold 12-inch nonstick or well-seasoned carbon-steel skillet in single layer and cook over high heat until undersides of shrimp are spotty brown and edges turn pink, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove skillet from heat. Working quickly, use tongs to flip each shrimp; let stand until second side is opaque, about 2 minutes. Transfer shrimp to platter.
  4. Add remaining 1 teaspoon oil to now-empty skillet. Add spice mixture and cook over medium heat until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Off heat, return shrimp to skillet. Add cilantro and lime juice and toss to combine. Transfer to platter; sprinkle with peanuts; and serve, passing lime wedges separately.

Ask ATK

Have a Question?

We’d love to hear from you! Drop us a message anytime and we’ll get back to you. We’re here to help!

Recipe FAQs

My Rating

Up Next

Crispy Fried Shrimp
Recipe1 hr 10 min

Crispy Fried Shrimp

Pan-Seared Shrimp with Peanuts, Black Pepper, and Lime

Recipe By Andrew Janjigian

Published on June 2, 2025

Time

1 hr

Yield

Serves 4

Pan-Seared Shrimp with Peanuts, Black Pepper, and Lime

Ingredients

1 ½ pounds extra-large shrimp, peeled, deveined, and tails removed1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided2 teaspoons coriander seeds1 teaspoon black peppercorns1 teaspoon paprika1 garlic clove, minced1 ⅛ teaspoons sugar, divided⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes4 teaspoons vegetable oil, divided½ cup fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems, chopped1 tablespoon lime juice, plus lime wedges for serving3 tablespoons dry-roasted peanuts, chopped coarse

Instructions

  1. Toss shrimp and ½ teaspoon salt together in bowl; set aside for 15 to 30 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile, grind coriander seeds and peppercorns using spice grinder or mortar and pestle until coarsely ground. Transfer to small bowl. Add paprika, garlic, 1 teaspoon sugar, pepper flakes, and remaining ½ teaspoon salt and stir until combined.
  3. Pat shrimp dry with paper towels. Add 1 tablespoon oil and remaining ⅛ teaspoon sugar to bowl with shrimp and toss to coat. Add shrimp to cold 12-inch nonstick or well-seasoned carbon-steel skillet in single layer and cook over high heat until undersides of shrimp are spotty brown and edges turn pink, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove skillet from heat. Working quickly, use tongs to flip each shrimp; let stand until second side is opaque, about 2 minutes. Transfer shrimp to platter.
  4. Add remaining 1 teaspoon oil to now-empty skillet. Add spice mixture and cook over medium heat until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Off heat, return shrimp to skillet. Add cilantro and lime juice and toss to combine. Transfer to platter; sprinkle with peanuts; and serve, passing lime wedges separately.
This is a members' feature.