Pesto Shrimp

Pesto Shrimp made with homemade pesto is the easiest and most flavorful shrimp with an herby, Parmesan flavor and it looks so impressive!

We love easy shrimp recipes like Shrimp TempuraEasy Honey Garlic Shrimp, and Kung Pao Shrimp and this Pesto Shrimp is no different.

Pesto Shrimp in Pan
 Pesto Shrimp

Pesto Shrimp is a “pantry” recipe you can keep in your back pocket for anytime you need a 15 minute meal. If you have a favorite Pesto recipe (see below) or love your favorite jarred variety you just need a few minutes and you’ve got an easy dinner or the beginning of a fantastically easy pasta recipe.

Let’s discuss the ways you can enjoy this recipe.

Grilled Pesto Shrimp:

Marinate the shrimp in the pest for 15 minutes and skewer the shrimp onto a soaked wooden skewer. Since the shrimp will cook in just 1-2 minutes on each side you can also skewer cherry tomatoes on the skewer to add more freshness and flavor to your skewers. If you would like to serve over pasta the charred tomatoes also add a great flavor addition to some pesto pasta.

Baked Pesto Shrimp:

Once the shrimp is done marinating add the shrimp in a single layer on a sheet pan and bake in a pre-heated 425 degree oven for 5 minutes before tossing with some shaved Parmesan cheese and serving.

Creamy Pesto Shrimp:

Once the shrimp is done marinating add the shrimp to a hot skillet and cook for 1-2 minutes on each side before removing it from the pan. Add in the remaining pesto that you added to the shrimp along with 1 cup seafood or chicken broth, 1/2 cup heavy cream and 4 ounces of cream cheese. Stir the mixture until thickened and creamy before adding the shrimp back into the pan and garnishing with Parmesan cheese.

Easy Pesto Shrimp

What to serve with Pesto Shrimp?

We love enjoying this shrimp with Garlic BreadOlive Garden Italian Salad, and Rainbow Roasted Vegetables.

Homemade Pesto Recipe

1/4 cup pine nuts
3 cups basil leaves
4 cloves garlic
3/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1/2 cup olive oil

Add the pine nuts to a small pan on medium heat and let toast until you can just smell them.
Add all the ingredients to a small food processor until smooth.

Pesto Marinade over Shrimp

Can you freeze Pesto Shrimp?

YES, but don’t freeze it after cooking. Add the pesto to the shrimp with a bit more olive oil in a large ziploc bag and make sure you squeeze out all the air before closing the bag and freezing. When ready to cook just defrost fully submerged in cold water for 1 hour before cooking the shrimp.

Can you swap the shrimp for chicken?

Yes, you can absolutely swap the shrimp for chicken, scallops, fish or pork. If you’re using chicken make sure you score the chicken through the fat or through the coating on boneless skinless chicken breast so that the marinade can flavor more of the chicken.

If you use fish or chicken instead of shrimp make sure you cook it on a high heat for just a few minutes on each side. If you can cook it in the oven instead of the skillet it’ll keep the pesto from getting overcooked.

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Pesto Shrimp in Pan
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Pesto Shrimp

Pesto Shrimp made with homemade pesto is the easiest and most flavorful shrimp with an herby, Parmesan flavor and it looks so impressive!
Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Keyword basil, parmesan cheese, Pesto Shrimp, shrimp
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings 6 servings
Calories 268 kcal
Author Sabrina Snyder

Ingredients

  • 1 cup pesto , divided
  • 1 pound shrimp , peeled and deveined
  • 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

Instructions

  1. Add the shrimp to the pesto (reserve two tablespoons) and let sit for 15 minutes.

  2. Heat a large skillet over medium high heat and add the shrimp (scrape off the pesto) to the pan, cooking on each side for 1-2 minutes.

  3. Transfer to a bowl and toss with the remaining pesto and garnish with Parmesan cheese before serving.

Nutrition Facts
Pesto Shrimp
Amount Per Serving
Calories 268 Calories from Fat 162
% Daily Value*
Fat 18g28%
Saturated Fat 4g25%
Cholesterol 199mg66%
Sodium 1107mg48%
Potassium 68mg2%
Carbohydrates 3g1%
Sugar 1g1%
Protein 20g40%
Vitamin A 900IU18%
Vitamin C 3.1mg4%
Calcium 275mg28%
Iron 1.9mg11%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

About the Author: Sabrina Snyder

Sabrina is a professionally trained Private Chef of over 10 years with ServSafe Manager certification in food safety. She creates all the recipes here on Dinner, then Dessert, fueled in no small part by her love for bacon.

Dinner, then Dessert, Inc. owns the copyright on all images and text and does not allow for its original recipes and pictures to be reproduced anywhere other than at this site unless authorization is given. If you enjoyed the recipe and would like to publish it on your own site, please re-write it in your own words, and link back to my site and recipe page. Read my disclosure and copyright policy. This post may contain affiliate links.

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Comments

  1. 1 cup pesto’ divided
    Please explain what is done w/the other half of the pesto?
    Thank you

    1. Thanks for catching that. You want to reserve about 2 tablespoons to toss the cooked shrimp in before serving.

  2. Oh, my! Those shrimps look so delicious. I love pesto on anything and I live for shrimps, can’t wait to try this recipe!

  3. Going to get some shrimp, and make this tomorrow. Sounds like something my family will love. I’ll serve the shrimp over angel hair pasta, with a great big tossed salad on the side. YUM!