Lemon Pepper Shrimp

This Lemon Pepper Shrimp recipe is perfectly seasoned with tangy lemon and the best blend of spices. From there, the succulent shrimp is drizzled in a zesty lemon butter sauce for mouthwatering flavor. Serve it over pasta, salads, or with your favorite side dishes. We provide three different cooking methods to ensure this dish will elevate your next meal.

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Why You Will Love This Recipe

• Bold Flavor: Lemon pepper seasoning adds a burst of zesty citrus flavor and aromatic pepper to the shrimp, creating a bold and delicious taste experience.
• Quick and Easy: This dish is quick and easy to prepare, making it perfect for busy weeknights or last-minute meals.
• Versatile: It can be cooked in a variety of ways, including air fried, baked, or pan seared, and it pairs well with a wide range of side dishes, salads, or pasta.
• Light and Healthy: Shrimp is low in calories and fat but high in protein, making it a nutritious option for those looking to maintain a balanced diet.
• Easy to Customize: You can easily customize the shrimp to suit your taste preferences by adjusting the amount of lemon pepper seasoning or adding other complementary ingredients like garlic, herbs, or vegetables.

What Type of Shrimp to Use

There are several types of shrimp available: raw, pre-cooked, raw and frozen, deveined, tails on, tails off, etc. I grab wild-caught deveined shrimp.

Pre-cooked shrimp lacks quality in terms of overall taste. The shrimp is cooked and then frozen and you have to cook it/warm it up again. This usually overcooks the shrimp.

Deveined shrimp is simple to work with. The black vein that runs along the back of the shrimp is the digestive poop in the intestinal tract. You can buy shrimp with the vein and remove it using a sharp paring knife to make a slit along the back and lift out the vein with the tip of the knife.

Check out tips on How to Peel and Devein Shrimp here. As for sizing, I prefer large shrimp and 15-20 count packages.

Frozen Shrimp

If you want to use frozen shrimp check out my Air Fryer Frozen Shrimp Recipe. You can use the same spices and lemon butter sauce noted in this recipe.

How to Season the Shrimp

You will need to use quality lemon pepper seasoning to actually add flavor to the fish. I also love the Lemon Garlic Seasoning from Trader Joe’s.

Once the shrimp is cooked (you can bake, sear, or air fry it), I love to drizzle it in a lemon butter sauce for even more flavor.

Do You Leave the Tails on the Shrimp?

This is completely up to you and is a matter of preference. Often the tails are left on for presentation purposes only. The shrimp simply looks nicer and will have a nice curve to it when the tails are left on.

Breaded Shrimp

If you want breaded shrimp, you will need fish fry breading mix. You can make your own using 1/2 cup yellow corn meal and 1/4 cup all-purpose flour. If air frying, be sure to spritz the shrimp with oil after breading, and spray any white spots to ensure proper crisping.

Shrimp with No Breading

You can make this recipe without breading by adding spices to the shrimp and then air fry, sear, or bake and drizzle the shrimp in lemon butter sauce.

How to Make Lemon Pepper Shrimp

1. Pat the shrimp dry.
2. Season the shrimp with lemon pepper, smoked paprika, salt, and fish fry breaded (for breaded shrimp).
3. Air fry, bake, or sear.
4. Combine lemon juice, lemon zest, and butter in a saucepan on medium-high heat.
5. Drizzle over the cooked shrimp.

Lemon Butter Sauce

The homemade lemon butter sauce is what takes the fish to the next level. You can dip the cooked fish in the sauce while serving, or glaze the fish in the sauce.

How to Zest a Lemon

I use this lemon zester from Amazon. You can also use a box/cheese grater. If using the zester hold it one hand and the lemon in the other. Graze the lemon over it, away from you and back and forth. You can read more about How to Zest a Lemon here.

Overcooked Shrimp

If your shrimp is dry, rubbery, or mushy, you cooked it too long. Shrimp cooks fast, it’s another reason why it’s one of my favorites for quick meals. The key is to remove them from the heat right when the flesh is uniformly pink. Watch shrimp closely as it cooks, do not wander away, especially if you are cooking it in a pan and searing it on the stove.

How to Reheat

The best way to reheat leftover shrimp is in a pan on medium heat with butter or oil. You can also reheat in the air fryer on 350 degrees until warm. Be careful, because the same rules regarding overcooking apply. If you heat it for too long it will be rubbery. I avoid the microwave for this reason.

How to Store Leftovers

Leftovers can be stored in the fridge tightly covered and sealed for 3-4 days.

Freezer Tips

You can freeze leftovers tightly sealed and covered for up to 3-4 months. Defrost in the fridge overnight and follow the steps above to reheat.

Pair With These Recipes

Roasted Ranch Potatoes
Air Fryer Green Beans
Green Goddess Cobb Salad
Bow Tie Pasta Salad
Broccoli Salad With Cheese
Creamy Lemon Chicken Pasta
Shrimp Burger Recipe

More Lemon Pepper Recipes

Lemon Pepper Chicken Wings
Hot Lemon Pepper Wings
Lemon Pepper Fish
Lemon Pepper Steak