4 Minute Broiled Shrimp with Harissa Lime Sauce

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This is a great broiled shrimp recipe. Use it as a guide or jumping off point and experiment with your own sauce creations. Definitely steal the concept of heating the baking sheet, laying down the shrimp, dousing them with some sort of sauce, and broiling them. You may never boil shrimp again.

Shell on, shell, off – it’s completely up to you. The original recipe called for shell on, and I think shrimp tastes better when cooked with their shells – it’s the beef equivalent of cooking with the bone in. My people (sadly) hate peeling their own shrimp, so when I’m feeling generous and benevolent, I peel and devein the shrimp up front for them – even though I know it diminishes the flavor ever so slightly.

The buttery sauce is smokey, earthy, and packs just enough heat. It wants to be sopped up with a firm, crusty bread. It was my husband’s idea (the delicate one who needs his shrimp peeled) to serve this broiled shrimp with homemade guacamole, and I gotta say: He was right. It’s a stellar pairing.

4 Minute Broiled Shrimp with Harissa Lime Sauce

Burntporkchops.com

Thaw 2 pounds frozen shrimp. (Peel and devein it if you want.) Put a foil-lined baking sheet in the oven and turn on the broiler. Make the butter sauce. Place the shrimp in a single layer on the baking sheet, pour the butter sauce over, broil 4 minutes. 

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 4 minutes mins

Total Time 20 minutes mins

Course dinner, Entree, Lunch, Main Course, meal prep

Cuisine American

Servings 4

Ingredients

  

For the Shrimp

• 2 pounds 16/20 Shrimp Thawed, shell on or off - it does not matter.
• 1 1/2 tsp Kosher Salt
• 1/2 tsp Freshly ground pepper Use a mortar and pestle if you have it. It really is better than a pepper grinder.

For the Beer/Butter Sauce

• 1 bottle of whatever beer you have on hand
• 1/2 - 1 stick butter
• 1 whole lime, juiced and zested In a pinch you can use 2 T of frozen lime juice concentrate
• 2 tsp cumin seeds
• 2 tsp dried Harissa mix Available online or specialty spice stores
• 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 cloves garlic, minced

Instructions

 

• Thaw the shrimp if frozen. Use the directions on the back of the bag or fill your sink with cold water, place a colander in the sink and put the shrimp in the colander. It will take 10 - 20 minutes.
• Adjust top oven rack so it is 2 rungs down from the top. Line a baking sheet or 2 half sheets with foil and place in the oven. Turn the oven on to heat at 400, then midway through the prep turn the oven to broil. The intent here is to heat the baking sheets so the shrimp cook on the bottom as well as the top.
• Pour the beer into a saucepan, turn the heat to medium high and begin to reduce the beer by half. 
• Peel and devein the shrimp during this time. Put the shrimp in a medium bowl and sprinkle with 1 1/2 tsp Kosher salt and 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper.
  
• When the beer is reduced, add the butter and let it melt. Remove from heat and stir in the lime, spices, and minced garlic. If you have any fresh herbs, throw some of those in, too.
• Let the sauce cool just a few minutes then pour it over the shrimp. Stir.
• Remove foil-lined baking sheet from the oven, and place shrimp in a single layer. Pour sauce over the shrimp. Broil 4 minutes. Set a timer and make sure the rest of your meal is ready before broiling the shrimp.

Notes

This meal just needs bread and a green salad or a simple veggie.

There are two variations of shrimp pictured in this post. One has the shell on, and one without. Also, the shell on variation was made with a 3 oz jar of prepared harissa paste instead of the dried spices.

I love my half sheets. I use them for prep, baking, transporting things, you name it. It’s just a way more convenient size than a full baking sheet.

Here’s a link for the dried harissa and one for the jarred version.