When it comes to quick and easy dinner, we think shrimp gets a short shrift as a protein. But, when you think about it, shrimp is the perfect weeknight meal. It comes together in just minutes (not a half an hour), it doesn’t require any special equipment, and it lovingly takes on any flavor combination you can possibly throw at it.
Talk about a fantastic dinner partner! Thanks, (fresh or frozen) shrimp!
And this weeknight coconut ginger shrimp recipe has everything you can possibly want. It’s loaded with ginger and garlic, with a kiss of heat from the hot smoked paprika and cayenne.
We love to use frozen shrimp for pure, unadulterated, convenience, because you can find it shelled and deveined – which of course alleviates extra steps which could stand in the way of you and this succulent dish.
Shortcuts are good.
Shortcuts are wise.
Coconut ginger shrimp tip: This dish is definitely worth freezing! The trick is to place it in a resealable container, with a little bit of head room. (Because the sauce is well – saucy! You don’t want to overfill the container and worry about spillage.) To reheat, just put the shrimp and the sauce in a medium saucepan and heat it over moderate heat until completely warmed through. There is a small chance that the freezing and reheating may make the sauce a little grainy, but that’s a small price to pay for having liquid gold in your freezer when you want an even faster weeknight meal!
Creamy coconut ginger shrimp ingredients
- Shrimp. That one’s obvious, right? Buy deveined and peeled shrimp to save yourself time – the flavor will not suffer.
- Spices. Lots of spices. Make sure to have two kinds of paprika on hand – both sweet paprika and hot spiced paprika – along with cayenne, black pepper, salt, and dried basil. (You can also use fresh basisl if you want.)
- Coconut milk. It’s important to get the best coconut milk you can find so you get a good-quality, healthy recipe without lots of added chemicals and other nonsense. You can also use several substitutes for coconut milk, although of course those will change the flavor profile and you may need a little thickener.
- Onion, garlic cloves, and diced tomatoes. These aren’t optional, as they will be some of the strongest flavors and a fair amount of the sauce’s volume. If you don’t have diced tomatoes, try half of a can of whole peeled tomatoes and just chop them up with scissors as you pour them out.
FAQ
That sounds like a great idea! Especially if the tomatoes are farm fresh and summer kissed. The only drawback with that, would be that you’d want to reserve the tomato juice to use in other types of stews or soups. You could even go nuts and use tomato juice as a base for a vinaigrette! In this dish you mostly just want the delicious tomato flesh to shine through.
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Southwest Keto Baked Salmon Recipe
Keto Coconut Shrimp
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Weeknight Creamy Coconut Ginger Shrimp
When it comes to an elegant weeknight meal on the fly, you’re going to love our creamy coconut ginger shrimp! It’s loaded with deep and rich flavors, and comes together in a snap!
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 26 minutes
- Total Time: 31 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 lbs. frozen shrimp, thawed according to package directions, and patted dry
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
1 1/2 tablespoons freshly grated ginger
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon hot smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1 large yellow onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, diced
1 (14 oz.) can diced tomatoes, liquid drained
1 (13.5 oz.) can coconut milk
1/2 cup roughly chopped cilantro (including soft stems)
Instructions
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat until it shimmers.
Season the shrimp on both sides with ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper, and sweet paprika.
Add the shrimp to the pan, and cook for 1-2 minutes per side until just opaque.
Remove shrimp to a plate, and reserve.
Add the onion to the pan, and sauté for 5-7 minutes, or until softened.
Add the ginger, remaining salt and pepper, basil, hot smoked paprika, and cayenne.
Stir for 1 minute, or until fragrant.
Add the tomatoes, and cook for 5 minutes, or until warmed through.
Stir in the coconut milk and bring to a light simmer, approximately 5-7 minutes.
Add the shrimp to the pan and cook until warmed through, 1-2 minutes.
Garnish with cilantro.
Nutrition Facts
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 567
- Sugar: 7.6g
- Sodium: 945mg
- Fat: 34.4g
- Saturated Fat: 21.3g
- Carbohydrates: 17.5g
- Fiber: 4.8g
- Protein: 50.2g
- Cholesterol: 341mg
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