Shrimp and Vegetable Skillet is a healthy dinner that is easy to make. It has bell peppers and zucchini along with juicy seasoned shrimp that are cooked together for a dinner that is ready in less than 30 minutes.
For a light and healthy dinner, I like making shrimp skillet recipes. The flavor combinations are endless, especially when you cook some shrimp with vegetables.
Once you have a base recipe down, it’s fun to make changes to create all-new meals. This shrimp and vegetable skillet recipe that I’m sharing can be easily adjusted to create different flavors, but it’s really delicious just the way it is.
Skillet shrimp cook fast, making them an excellent protein choice for weeknight dinners. Season them with smoked paprika, cumin, salt, and pepper to give them lots of flavor, and combine them with some fresh vegetables. In this case, I use red bell pepper and zucchini because they cook fast and pair well with the shrimp.
Serve this dish over cooked rice for a quick dinner that’s ready in less than 30 minutes. It’s a go-to dinner at our house, and the flavors never disappoint.
Table of Contents
Ingredients for Shrimp and Vegetables
- Shrimp – I use frozen shrimp for this recipe because they are so convenient. All you have to do is thaw them. You can use fresh ones, but you will need to peel and devein them and remove the tails.
- Seasoning mix – smoked paprika, cumin, minced garlic, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper.
- Sliced bell peppers – I like red ones, but feel free to use your favorite bell pepper color.
- Cubed zucchini – no need to peel it, you can leave the skin on.
- Lime juice
- Olive oil
How to Cook Shrimp with Vegetables
The first step is to do a quick marinade for the shrimp. They will marinate while you cook the vegetables.
In a large bowl, combine the olive oil, cumin, garlic, red pepper flakes, salt, pepper, and paprika. Add the shrimp and lightly toss them to coat them in the seasonings. Set them aside.
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the red bell pepper and cook them in the oil for a couple of minutes. Add the zucchini and cook it with the peppers for three to five minutes or until the peppers are softened.
Take the vegetables out of the skillet and set them aside. In the same skillet, cook the shrimp for a few minutes or until they are pink and cooked through. Add the veggies back to the pan and stir to combine them with the shrimp.
Once everything is warmed through, it’s ready to serve.
Recipe Tips and Variations
You can serve this shrimp and vegetables recipe on its own or serve it over cooked brown or white rice.
As far as vegetables, there are a lot of swaps you can make. This is a great dish to use up what’s in the refrigerator. Here are some other vegetables you might like to try. Just keep in mind the cooking time might vary depending on what you use.
- Add some sliced red onion or white or yellow onion.
- Snow peas, asparagus, or even fresh green beans would work well.
- Add some heat with different chile peppers like jalapeno, poblano, or serrano chiles.
- Fresh greens like spinach or kale work well, too. Just saute them in the pan like the other veggies to cook them down.
- Try adding a fresh garnish like sliced green onions or chopped herbs like parsley, cilantro, or chives.
You can also try different seasonings to give this shrimp and vegetable dish a different flavor. Try using lemon pepper, taco seasoning, or a combination of dried herbs to give the shrimp a different taste. Whichever way you decide to put your spin on it, I think you’re going to enjoy this dish. You can create your own shrimp recipes with vegetables with a bit of creativity! Or, stick with the base recipe – you can’t go wrong with that combination of flavors.
Other Healthy Dishes You’ll Enjoy
Shrimp and Vegetable Skillet Recipe
Ingredients
- 12 ounce bag medium frozen shrimp deveined (frozen should already be deveined), thawed and peeled (including the tail)
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- Pinch red pepper flakes
- 1 red bell pepper sliced
- 1 large zucchini cubed
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a large bowl combine 2 tablespoons olive oil, cumin, garlic, red pepper flakes, salt, pepper and paprika. Place the shrimp in the bowl and combine the marinade with the shrimp.
- Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to a large skillet and heat to medium heat. Add red pepper stirring occasionally for about 3 minutes. Add zucchini and cook another 3-5 minutes. Peppers should have softened, and zucchini should be cooked through but still be somewhat firm. Set vegetables aside.
- Add shrimp to the skillet and saute until cooked through and are pink, 2-3 minutes. Add vegetables back and stir just until vegetables are heated, 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat and serve.
Recipe Notes
- Add any vegetables you enjoy. Onions, asparagus, some chilies, etc. You can create many different flavors.
- This dish would go well over rice.
Recipe Nutrition
Shrimp and Vegetable Skillet has bell peppers and zucchini along with juicy seasoned shrimp. They are all cooked together for a dinner in under 30 minutes!
Good Combination Thank You
Where does the lime juice listed in the ingredients come in?
Enjoyed this recipe. We used more seasoning than what the recipe calls for, though. We did zucchini, summer squash, orange bell pepper, yellow onion, lots of fresh garlic, and broccoli (and shrimp of course)…and put it all over cauliflower rice with avocado and hot sauce. Yum!
How much garlic?
Hi, this is an awesome recipe. I served mine over brown rice. When do you add the lime juice? I added it in the marinade but wasn’t sue. Thanks!
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