Let me show you how to make fresh chimichurri from scratch in this easy chimichurri shrimp recipe below. This must be hands down my favorite Cinco de Mayo recipe! What a treat.
Blimey!
Good news: for I think I have found this year’s Cinco de Mayo dinner favorite…
And it is this super delicious and easy chimichurri shrimp recipe from scratch!
Prawn Dinners
Look at those golden stir fried prawns piled up on my plate.
I put a wedge of grilled lime on the side together with a small cup of extra chimichurri dipping sauce for the sauce lovers.
That grilled lime is an idea that I picked up in New York a couple of years ago by the way. We had lunch in a little bar right next to the Brooklyn bridge.
Grilled prawns and lime. Yum.
Both the husband and I loved this easy chimichurri shrimp recipe to bits.
I put prawns on our menu regularly but I will be preparing this delightful prawn recipe more often from now on. This chimichurri sauce is to die for!
Cheap
Besides, here in Spain prawns are so cheap.
I think the last time that I bought a fair share of prawns I paid more or less 8 bucks for 2 kilos, that is about 4 lbs all in all.
What a bargain for such quality!
I remember that when we were still living in Belgium even looking at prawns could cost you a bunch of money! The prices there were at least 4 times higher.
I would only prepare prawns on special dinner occasions, not just any day during the week like here now in Spain.
Easy Chimichurri Shrimp Recipe
So… chimichurri it is!
Are you familiar with chimichurri?
Does it ring a bell?
It might look like a classic Italian green basil pesto but it is not (even though basil pesto would also be a wonderful match for these golden grilled shrimp).
Chimichurri is a Latin American sauce that consists of raw fresh herbs. I thought for a while that chimichurri was Mexican but turns out that this green pesto like sauce is actually from Argentina. Which brings me to…
Argentinian meat!
Chimichurri Steak
Yes indeed.
This chimichurri sauce is very often served with the most juicy and succulent grilled Argentinian beef. The thought of it makes me drool.
And yes, in fact I had some extra chimichurri sauce left after our prawn dinner so I served it over a delicious juicy steak for dinner the next day for dinner.
Finger licking good.
Great dish as well, check it out!
I decided to use it for prawns, that is how I came up with this easy chimichurri shrimp recipe.
Chimichurri Verde
Apparently there are two versions of chimichurri.
A green one (chimichurri verde) and a red one with tomatoes (chimichurri rojo). But let’s stick to the green one for now shall we.
So what goes into a green chimichurri then? The main ingredients are fresh parsley, garlic, oregano but also olive oil and vinegar.
Over the years I have come across many different versions of chimichurri, even my version below is my own favorite version.. It has got more than raw parsley: I also like to add fresh cilantro and mint.
That is the way I like my chimichurri.
Tacos
So I already mentioned my steak with chimichurri sauce.
Other recipes where you could add chimichurri to: chimichurri shrimp tacos, soups, salads and even grilled fish! You can replace the dried oregano and hot sauce in this recipe by homemade taco seasoning!
I also made this easy chimichurri shrimp recipe from scratch in my KitchenAid Cook Processor: scroll down to the second recipe below for that one!
Enjoy!
Easy Chimichurri Shrimp Recipe
This easy chimichurri shrimp recipe is my favorite Cinco de Mayo recipe!
- 12 fresh or frozen prawns thawed and peeled
- 1 handful fresh parsley
- 1 handful fresh cilantro
- 4 leaves fresh mint
- 1 small garlic clove peeled
- 1 tsp onion chopped
- hot chili sauce
- olive oil
- 1 tbsp lemon juice or lime juice
- ½ tsp dried oregano
- pepper
- salt
- Add the fresh parsley, the mint and the cilantro to a clean blender.
- Pulse for a couple of seconds until the fresh herbs are finely chopped up. Then add the raw onion and chopped garlic.
- Pulse again and add ¼ cup (60 ml) of olive oil, a drop of hot chili sauce, the dried oregano, the lemon or lime juice and a good sprinkle of salt. Pulse again into a well combined runny pesto.
- Add extra olive oil to taste if necessary. Check the seasoning and add extra salt, chili sauce or lemon juice to taste if necessary. Place the chimichurri in the fridge for now. Add a drizzle of olive oil to a large non-stick pan and place it over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the peeled prawns and season them with a pinch of pepper and salt.
- Stir fry the prawns for about 5 minutes. Then add 3 to 4 tablespoons of the chimichurri sauce to the pan.
- Stir fry the prawns for another 2 minutes. Check the seasoning of the prawns and add extra pepper or salt to taste if necessary. Scoop the prawns onto plates and serve with extra chimichurri sauce on the side.
Easy Chimichurri Shrimp Recipe
Shrimp, glorious shrimp!
Gosh how I adore shrimp.
I have made all sorts of shrimp recipes before. My easy chimichurri shrimp recipe from scratch prepared in my fabulous KitchenAid Cook Processor is next on the list for today.
Chimichurri, this green sauce kind of looks like pesto but it is a Argentinian type of sauce. My version contains as main ingredients fresh parsley, cilantro, raw onion, lemon juice and hot sauce or chili peppers.
KitchenAid Cook Processor
I also added some fresh mint to give it an extra flavor kick.
Do you like fresh cilantro?
The amount of chimichurri you get out of this easy chimichurri shrimp recipe is good for about 6 to 8 persons or portion servings.
If you want to make a smaller batch, you will have to use a smaller blender because the bowl of my Cook Processor is too wide and the blade will not be able to blend such a small amount.
I always make a large quantity of this chimichurri sauce and then store it in the fridge for up to a week.
Salad Dressing
You can use it as a fresh and light pasta sauce, drizzle it on to of salads as a dressing, use as a steak sauce, spread it on some grilled chicken or steak sandwiches, add it to vegetable soups…
You name it, chimichurri will find its way in many dishes. No chance that this large batch of this sauce will up in your garbage bin in the end.
Hey, you can also make chimichurri shrimp tacos with it!
Enjoy!
Easy Chimichurri Shrimp Recipe
This easy chimichurri shrimp recipe is my favorite Cinco de Mayo recipe!
- 12 fresh or frozen prawns thawed and peeled
- 2 handfuls fresh parsley
- 1 handful fresh mint
- 2 handfuls fresh cilantro
- 1 medium garlic clove peeled
- 1 tbsp onion chopped
- hot chili sauce
- ⅓ cup olive oil (80 ml)
- 1 tbsp lemon juice or lime juice
- olive oil
- pepper
- salt
- Add the fresh herbs, garlic and onion to the bowl of the Cook Processor fitted with the MultiBlade.
Close the bowl and press Pulse for 5 seconds. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and pulse again until finely chopped. Then add the lemon juice, ⅓ cup (80 ml) of olive oil, chili sauce to taste and some salt.
Close the bowl and press Pulse. Scrape down the sides and pulse again. Repeat until you get a runny pesto. Add extra oil if necessary. Don’t add water, it makes the chimichurri bland. In the end check the seasoning and add extra salt, chili sauce or lemon juice to taste.
Transfer the sauce to a cup. Rinse and dry the bowl. Add the StirAssist. Then add 3 tablespoons of olive oil and the peeled prawns.
- Close the bowl and select FRY P2. Adjust the time of Step 1 to 5 minutes (instead of 10 minutes) and press Start to activate the program. After that, add 3 to 4 tablespoons of chimichurri sauce to the bowl and a pinch of pepper and salt. Close the lid.
- Press Start to activate Step 2. Once the program is finished, press cancel to exit the keep warm mode. Check the seasoning of the prawns and add extra pepper or salt to taste.
- Scoop the prawns onto plates and serve with extra chimichurri sauce.
Bonus Recipe!
And last but not least…
Let’s close this page about my easy chimichurri shrimp recipe with yet another prawn recipe!
These spicy grilled prawn skewers are such a great appetizer or a main course to serve with a fresh green salad! If you are serving these prawns as an appetizer bite, then I suggest that you keep those grilled skewers small.
How about one to two prawns for each skewer?
That would make like 12 skewers in total.
That sounds like an edible little bite right there!
Juicy Spicy Prawn Skewers
I served these skewers as a main course for 4 people.
I added a crisp fresh green salad and a scoop of couscous. Everyone loved this dish, I saw only empty plates go back to the kitchen. Promise me one thing: don’t overcook these delicious prawns. Only a couple of minutes on each side is more than enough.
Don’t turn them into these dreadful rubber balls.
These prawns deserve so much better.
I hope you enjoy that spicy orange juice marinade! I also added some cumin to add extra earthiness to these prawn skewers.
Enjoy!
Easy Spicy Grilled Prawn Skewers Recipe
These spicy grilled prawn skewers are such a great appetizer or a main course!
- 24 raw prawns
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 2 tsp cumin seeds
- 4 tbsp orange juice
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp paprika powder
- 1 tbsp hot chili sauce
- salt
- Clean the prawns if that hasn’t been done yet. Remove the heads and peel them. Slice their backs open and remove the black vein. Place the peeled prawns in a large mixing bowl. Peel one garlic clove and crush it under the blade of your knife until mushy. Add the mashed garlic, brown sugar, paprika powder and cumin seeds to the bowl as well.
Stir the prawns and then pour in the orange juice and lemon juice. Season it all with a pinch of salt. Stir again.
Then add the hot chili sauce to the bowl.
- Stir the prawns and the spicy marinade well. Cover the bowl with some cling film and put it in the fridge to marinate for an hour until chilled well. Stir them regularly. Then in the meantime soak 8 wooden skewers in some water to prevent them from burning later on. Remove the marinated prawns from the spicy marinade and divide them over the skewers. Place them on a baking tray and drizzle with some of the remaining marinade.
- Grill the prawns under a hot grill for a couple of minutes until they are pink and cooked. Then turn the skewers over and grill the uncooked side of the prawns for another couple of minutes until the prawns are fully cooked through. Remove the skewers from under the hot grill and put them on a serving dish or plate. Serve the prawn skewers immediately while still hot.
I’m definitely going to be making this Chimichurri. Probably for steak first…i trust my steak cooking more than my prawn skills. LOL