Harissa Shrimp Skillet
Harissa Shrimp Skillet is an easy, one-pan recipe made with succulent shrimp sautéed with fresh garlic and onion in butter, spicy harissa and fresh herbs! Perfect for tacos, over rice, or right out of the pan with a loaf of crusty bread!
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Harissa Shrimp Skillet is a pan of buttery, spicy, garlicky, sautéed shrimp and aromatics that’s as tasty as it is colorful!
You could serve this with noodles or a loaf of crusty bread, but my favorite vehicle for these shrimp is Herbed Butter Garlic Rice.
My husband likes to make tacos with the shrimp and put jalapeno coleslaw on top.
What is Harissa?
Harissa, a paste-like condiment made with red peppers, garlic, spices, and oil, is a staple in Tunisia and a couple of its neighboring countries.
It’s used with grilled meats and vegetables, swirled into soups, and served alongside rice and other sides.
Ingredients needed for this recipe (scroll down to recipe card for complete recipe):
- Shrimp
- Harissa
- Onion
- Garlic
- Butter
- Olive oil
- Fresh parsley or cilantro
- Salt & pepper
Me + Harissa, another condiment
My husband started calling me Condiment Queen eons ago. It’s a title I acquired for two different reasons.
1) I like “saucy” foods. Let’s say I’m making curry, pasta, or Slow Cooker Pepper Steak, I want my meal covered in ALL the saucy goodness.
I get a spoon and drizzle it all over my food, where my husband literally avoids putting too much sauce on his dinner. Whatever, weirdo!
2) I kind of collect sauces and condiments, especially spicy ones.
As for my collection, I have more bottles of hot sauce than what will fit in my cupboard, and we haven’t even gotten into refrigerated sauces yet, which is where I keep my harissa!
How spicy is harissa?
I’ve tried several brands of harissa, and each has their own flavor profile and heat level.
Some aren’t very spicy and some are super spicy, like Trader Joe’s Tunisian Harissa, as mentioned in My 10 Favorite Products at Trader Joe’s.
My entire family loves spicy food, so I tend to opt for Trader Joe’s harissa, but you could use any harissa that you can get your hands on.
If the one you end up with isn’t as spicy as you want it to be, just throw a jalapeno or another spicy pepper in the pan with the onion and garlic.
What else can you make with harissa?
If you make Harissa Shrimp Skillet and then ask yourself what the heck you’re going to do with the rest of the jar, here are other harissa recipes:
Avocado Toast with Harissa Scrambled Eggs, an excellent easy breakfast that comes together in only 10 minutes!
Harissa Garlic Hummus Is a flavorful chickpea dip that is perfect for dipping veggies or spreading on wraps, and Slow Cooker Harissa Chicken Soup is an easy dinner!
How to serve Harissa Shrimp?
- Serve family style in the skillet with a loaf of crusty bread and a side salad.
- Tapas style with other small bites.
- Make harissa shrimp tacos, top with coleslaw, shredded cabbage, chopped avocado, sour cream, etc.
- Serve shrimp on a bed of Habanero Garlic Rice.
- For a low-carb option, serve over cauliflower rice or zucchini noodles.
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Harissa Shrimp Skillet
Equipment
- large skillet
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion diced
- 5 garlic cloves minced
- 3 tablespoons harissa more or less to suit your tastes
- 1 pound jumbo shrimp deveined, tails optional
- salt & pepper
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro or parsley garnish
Instructions
- Add butter and olive oil to a large pan/skillet. Sauté onion in butter/oil for a couple minutes, and when the onion starts to soften, add garlic and harissa.
- Sauté onion and garlic for a minute or two then add the shrimp and salt & pepper, making sure the shrimp are laying flat on their sides. When the bottom of the shrimp turns pink, flip each shrimp over and cook for another 2 minutes, or until fully cooked and no longer gray.
- Generously sprinkle fresh herbs over the shrimp and serve! Great in tacos, over rice, or as an appetizer with crusty French bread. Enjoy!
Notes
- Harissa is available is mild and spicy. Use what suits your tastes.
- Leftover shrimp can be kept in an air-tight container in the refrigerator and used within 3-4 days.
I sautéed zucchini, yellow squash, onion, mushrooms, and broccoli in the oil and butter first. Then added the harissa at the end with the garlic and shrimp. I finished it with about a 1/4 cup of plain Greek yogurt and juice of a lemon and we ate it like fajitas. It was great!
Your skillet sounds wonderful!
It’s great that this very quick and easy shrimp dish was also very tasty. Next time, I’ll use a bit less butter & oil. Thank you!
We loved this recipe. Tonight, I’m going to cook this, except I will be trying it with a cod filet instead of shrimp. ??
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! I hope the cod is just as delicious. :)
Substituting cod sounds marvelous! We use cod for fish tacos but wanted shrimp instead. I usually make a lamb Harissa marinade which turns out heavenly and the best lamb chops EVER!! Getting some Harissa paste next. While up north, I discovered Harissa Olive Oil and it’s simply divine!
Why is this recipe not on the list of favorites?
Good grief! It is awesome!
Thank you so much! You made my day! :)
I too have made this several times and it’s simply mouth-watering! It prompted me to make my own harissa. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
I’m so glad you enjoy it! Thank you for taking the time to leave a review! Making your own harissa sounds awesome!
This is fabulous! I’ve made it a half dozen times and it doesn’t disappoint! Eat it with crusty bread, over rice, or add canelli beans and top with feta! Be sure to use quality harissa, it makes all the difference!!
So glad you enjoy this recipe! Thank you for taking the time to leave a rating, I appreciate that! I agree, a good harissa is important! I love the one at Trader Joe’s ;)