Dinner doesn’t get any simpler or more elegant than shrimp piccata ~ my classically inspired shrimp in a lemony caper sauce is a company worthy meal that cooks in just minutes!
With every year that passes I get a little more careful about what I eat. It makes sense, we only have so much time to make healthier choices. But I’m a procrastinator, so…baby steps! Lemony shrimp piccata helps me in my effort to eat less red meat and to lean into a Mediterranean diet, which has always been my natural inclination. Piccata sauce is useful for so many different types of seafood from cod and salmon to scallops and shrimp. Sometimes I’ll sub olive oil for the butter, or cut it with white wine. The flavor is so good!
related: lemon caper sauce
what you’ll need to make shrimp piccata
- shrimp
- use any shrimp you like, I used 16/20 count shrimp, also known as colossal shrimp which average about 16 to 20 shrimp per pound. You will get 4-5 shrimp per serving. I like to leave the tails on when I peel and devein my shrimp because I love the way they look and it makes them easy to eat by hand if you want to.
- butter
- I use salted butter.
- garlic
- I use 2 cloves, minced. Go up or down from that as you please.
- lemon juice
- capers
- Capers are little unopened flower buds of the caper bush, which is native to the Mediterranean region. They’re usually picked by hand, sun-dried, and then pickled in vinegar, brine, or salt. They’re one of the defining flavors in piccata sauce.
- parsley
- salt and pepper
shrimp piccata in 5 easy steps
- Peel and rinse your shrimp. I like to leave the tail shells on, but that’s optional. Dry on paper towels.
- Toss with olive oil and sea salt.
- Sauté, in batches, in a medium hot skillet for about a minute per side, until the shrimp curls slightly, feels firm, and is opaque. Set aside.
- Make quick piccata pan sauce in same skillet (details in the recipe card below.)
- Nestle shrimp back into the pan and gently heat through. Your shrimp piccata is done!
got questions?
Yes, you can make shrimp piccata with frozen shrimp.
- Thaw it first: Method #1: place the frozen shrimp in a bowl or on a plate, cover them, and let them thaw in the refrigerator overnight (or for about 8-12 hours). Method #2: place the frozen shrimp in a colander or strainer and run cold water over them for about 10-15 minutes, moving them around occasionally to ensure even thawing.
Need an alternative to capers?
- Capers are a unique ingredient, but if I had to substitute I’d suggest green olives.
Can you make piccata sauce ahead?
- Yes, keep it chilled and then rewarm it in your skillet very gently when ready to serve.
What else can I use this sauce for?
- We love it with cod, or salmon. Any fish, really. And of course it goes great with chicken ~ I sometimes use it to jazz up frozen breaded chicken cutlets. Pork tenderloin is a good choice. Piccata sauce can be used as a pasta sauce, or over veggies like carrots, asparagus, or baked potatoes.
menu planning with shrimp piccata
Bread is a good companion to this dish since there will be buttery lemon caper sauce to soak up. A simple baguette from the supermarket is great.
Salad, of course, and you might keep it in the Mediterranean theme…
- Chopped Italian Salad Recipe
- Chopped Asparagus Salad Recipe
- French Carrot Salad
- Mediterranean Bean Salad
Side Veg
Pasta
- Giada’s Lemon Spaghetti ~ a no cook sauce!
- Pasta with Oil and Garlic
- Pesto Pasta with Ricotta and Tomatoes
- Easy Pasta Alla Checca
Shrimp Piccata
Equipment
- medium skillet
Ingredients
piccata sauce
- 1/2 cup salted butter, cut in pieces
- 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice, fresh squeezed
- 4 Tbsp capers, drained
- 2 Tbsp parsley, finely minced
- sea salt to taste
Instructions
- Dry your shrimp on paper towels to remove excess moisture. Toss the shrimp with olive oil and sea salt.
- Heat a medium skillet over medium heat. Sauté the shrimp, in batches, for about a minute per side until the shrimp curls slightly, feels firm, and is opaque. Set the shrimp aside on a plate.
piccata sauce
- Melt the butter over low heat in a small skillet.
- Add the garlic and sauté gently for a minute. You don’t want to brown the garlic, you are merely infusing the flavor into the butter and taking the raw edge off.
- Whisk in the lemon juice and capers and let the sauce gently simmer for another minute or so.
- Add the parsley and season with salt if needed.
- Add the shrimp back into the pan with the sauce and heat through very gently. Serve with more parsley and freshly cracked black pepper.
I made this using a bag of pre-cooked shrimp I had in the freezer. The shrimp was thwed and ready to go,so I made the sauce and tossed in the pre-cooked shrimp and heated gently for 2-3 minutes. II also cut the capers in half as my husband is not a big fan. served it with linguini and it was delicious. The next time, I will use fresh shrimp, but the recipe was a good use for something I had on hand.
I agree, fresh shrimp really tops frozen, but the sauce is good enough to lift up the frozen ~ glad you tried it Sandy!