[UPDATED July 1, 2012: This ain’t a new recipe (it’s from over a year ago), but it continues to be popular and the old photos were all kinds of horrible, so I updated this post with new pics. Enjoy (again!)]
Frozen shrimp can be a godsend when you don’t know what to cook for dinner. Tonight when I woke up, I putzed around the kitchen in a daze until I remembered I had a bag of frozen shrimp in the freezer. Bingo!
Ingredients (serves 2 people):
- 1 pound large frozen shrimp (21-25 per pound)
- 1 tablespoon Tabil seasoning (the recipe is available on my iPad app)
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons macadamia nut oil (or coconut oil), divided
- handful cherry tomatoes
- handful fresh basil leaves (optional)
Method:
Dump the bag of frozen shrimp in a colander and run cold water over them for around 5 minutes or until defrosted.
Peel the shrimp and devein them by cutting a shallow slit down the back and pulling out the icky black intestine.
Toss the drained shrimp with Tabil seasoning, salt, and a tablespoon of macadamia nut oil.
Heat up a large skillet on medium high and add the remaining tablespoon of macadamia nut oil.
When the pan’s hot, sear the shrimp in two batches making sure they aren’t overcrowded…
…about a minute on each side.
Remove the shrimp to a serving platter and toss the cherry tomatoes into the empty pan. Roll the tomatoes in the grease until they’re warmed through and add them to the shrimp.
Chiffonade the basil…
…and sprinkle it on the shrimp and tomatoes.
Didn’t I tell you this dish was simple?
Looking for more recipe ideas? Head on over to my Recipe Index. You’ll also find exclusive recipes on my iPhone and iPad app, and in my cookbooks, Nom Nom Paleo: Food for Humans (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2013), Ready or Not! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2017), and Nom Nom Paleo: Let’s Go! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2021).
PRINTER-FRIENDLY RECIPE CARD
Tabil Seasoned Sautéed Shrimp

Ingredients
- 1 pound shrimp (21-25 count)
- 1 tablespoon Tabil seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- 2 tablespoon coconut oil divided
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes
- fresh basil leaves optional
Instructions
- Dump the bag of frozen shrimp in a colander and run cold water over them for around 5 minutes or until defrosted.
- Peel the shrimp and devein them by cutting a shallow slit down the back and pulling out the icky black intestine.
- Toss the drained shrimp with Tabil seasoning, salt, and a tablespoon of coconut oil.
- Heat up a large skillet on medium high and add the remaining tablespoon of coconut oil.
- When the pan’s hot, sear the shrimp in two batches making sure they aren’t overcrowded. About 1 minute each side.
- Remove the shrimp to a serving platter and toss the cherry tomatoes into the empty pan. Roll the tomatoes in the grease until they’re warmed through and add them to the shrimp.
- Top the shrimp and tomatoes with chopped fresh basil.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.