Easy Harissa Shrimp

Name: Easy Harissa Shrimp
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 8 min
Total time: 23 min
Cuisine: North African
Ingredients: 1 lb raw shrimp, peeled and deveined (I use 26-30 pieces per pound); 1 tbsp avocado oil; 2 tbsp harissa paste (I used this Belazu rose harissa); 2-3 cloves garlic, minced or grated; ½ lemon, zested and juiced; ¼ tsp fine sea salt; 1 tbsp unsalted butter; 2 tbsp water; 2 tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley (plus more for serving); For serving: Moroccan couscous, Tzatziki Cucumber Salad, and Quick Pickled Red Onion

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These Harissa Shrimp are packed with flavor; they're a little spicy and ready in just 20 minutes! The recipe has rose harissa, garlic, lemon, and lots of fresh parsley. It's a delicious, easy dinner or lunch for any time of the year! I served the shrimp with simple couscous and Tzatziki-inspired cucumber salad.

Bright orange harissa shrimp in a beige bowl atop Moroccan couscous, with creamy cucumber salad and pickled red onion.

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Why You'll Love These Harissa Shrimp
Ingredients
Variations and Substitutions
Step-by-Step Instructions
Tips & Tricks!
Serving Suggestions
Storing and Reheating
FAQs
Other Shrimp Recipes
📖 Recipe

Why You'll Love These Harissa Shrimp

Simple, but amazing flavor - I use a rose harissa for this recipe, and it's the star of the show. It has garlic, chili peppers, spices, lemon juice, and rose petals. It gives the shrimp a ton of flavor on its own, but when you add fresh garlic, parsley, lemon juice, and a little butter, it's a 10/10 every time! Serve the shrimp over couscous and a cooling Yogurt Cucumber salad as I did here to turn them into a meal!

Easy dinner - Shrimp are one of the quickest things to cook, and this recipe is no different! You'll let them sit in the marinade for 10-30 minutes, but the actual cooking takes only about 8 minutes! You can make your couscous and salad (or any other side) while the shrimp marinate!

Bright orange sauteed harissa shrimp with finely chopped fresh parsley.

Ingredients

Raw shrimp - I always buy frozen shrimp to make sure they're fresh because the refrigerated ones have been defrosted as well (unless you live by the ocean). I get a pound of raw, peeled, and deveined shrimp with the tails still on. I like 26-30 count per pound. They're the perfect size for most recipes. The higher the number, the smaller the shrimp.
Harissa paste - Every brand will have a slightly different flavor and spice level. My all-time favorite brand is this Belazu Rose Harissa Paste. It's a mix of paprika, red chili peppers, oil, garlic, salt, chilli, dried spices, rose petals, and lemon juice. It has a ton of flavor; it's spicy, but not too much. If you use a different brand or have a low heat tolerance, be sure to taste it first to adjust the amount if needed.
Garlic - I made a mistake and doubled up on the garlic when I was taking the photos and used both fresh garlic and garlic powder, but this is totally optional and not necessary. I recommend grated garlic for a better flavor, but either works great. If you really like garlic, you can use both. I did and it was delicious!
Butter - A little bit of butter (salted or unsalted) works wonders here to make the sauce extra luscious. You can skip it if you prefer, but once you add water to the pan, it really helps to emulsify and thicken the sauce.
Cooking oil - I chose pure 100% avocado oil for the marinade here because it's one I always have on hand and use for practically everything, including baking. You can use any other neutral oil with a high smoke point.
Lemon - The marinade has both fresh lemon zest, and freshly squeezed lemon juice. I recommend using organic lemons for zesting whenever possible.
Fresh parsley - While you could use dried parsley, I highly recommend fresh. It adds much more flavor and a nice bright green color.

Raw shrimp in a white bowl, harissa, oil, and spices in small glass bowls, fresh parsley, garlic, and lemon all laid out with text overlay.

Variations and Substitutions

Different herbs - If you don't have fresh parsley, you can swap it for fresh cilantro, chives, or even thyme. You could also add dried herbs like dried parsley, thyme, or oregano into your marinade if you're not using fresh ones. I like parsley the best because it doesn't overpower the other flavors but complements them well.
Cumin - If you really like cumin and want to enhance that flavor in the sauce, add a dusting of ground cumin when you're tossing the shrimp in the marinade.
Grill the shrimp - You can use the same marinade for grilling the shrimp instead of cooking them on the stove! Just soak your wooden skewers in water and thread your marinated shrimp on them. Once they're on the grill, brush them with any remaining marinade.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Pat your shrimp dry with a paper towel and place them in a medium bowl.
Add avocado oil, harissa paste, minced or grated garlic, lemon zest, fresh lemon juice, and fine sea salt.
Toss to coat evenly and marinate for 10 minutes or for up to 30 minutes in the fridge.

Raw shrimp tossed with harissa paste, grated garlic, lemon zest, and spices in a white bowl before and after tossing together.

Heat a large pan over medium-high heat.
Add the shrimp to the pan, including all the marinade. Spread them out so they’re not overlapping.
Cook the shrimp for 2 minutes on one side, flip, and cook for another 2-3 minutes.

Raw shrimp with harissa marinade cooking in a large stainless steel skillet.

Add the butter and allow it to melt as the shrimp continue to cook for 1 more minute.
Add a splash of water (2-3 tbsp). Use a rubber spatula to scrape all the flavor stuck to the bottom. The butter, together with the water, should create a luscious sauce. Toss the shrimp with it gently.

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Shrimp cooking in orange harissa sauce in a large pan with added butter slowly melting.

Add chopped fresh parsley and toss again.
Take the pan off the heat and serve the shrimp over rice or couscous with a side salad.

Cooked harissa shrimp in a pan with added chopped fresh parsley before and after tossing together.

Tips & Tricks!

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Serving Suggestions

I served the shrimp with plain couscous and my Tzatziki Cucumber Salad here because the cooling Greek yogurt pairs really well with the spicy harissa. I also topped them with some Quick Pickled Red Onions. There are a ton of ways you can serve these though! Below are a few more ideas:

Grains - They would be delicious with any rice (basmati, jasmine, brown rice, or a wild rice mix), quinoa, or other grains. Try them with my Herb and Garlic Rice!
Side salad - If you don't have cucumber, you can swap it for this Tomato and Onion Salad or this Greek Beet Salad with Yogurt. You can serve the shrimp with rice and a fresh salsa like this Black Bean Mango Salsa or this Peach Pico de Gallo! This Arugula and Spinach Salad would also be a great side.
Roasted vegetables - You can serve them with practically any roasted veggies! Think bell peppers, zucchini, red onion, eggplant, cauliflower, broccoli, or sweet potatoes. Try my favorite Roasted Eggplant with Tahini Sauce!
Salads - You can add the shrimp to practically any salad. They're delicious in this Cucumber Couscous Salad or this Caesar Pasta Salad. I also have a Shrimp Caesar Salad where you can just swap those shrimp for these.
Wraps - You could take all the same sides and just put them all in a tortilla wrap instead of on a plate! Try it with rice or quinoa, pickled red onion, avocado, my Roasted Garlic Hummus (or any hummus), and chopped lettuce. For this, I recommend taking off the tails so the shrimp are easy to eat.

Low bowls with harissa shrimp atop Moroccan couscous, with creamy cucumber salad and pickled red onion.

Storing and Reheating

Store any leftover shrimp in an airtight container in the fridge for 1-2 days.

The best way to reheat the shrimp is in a nonstick pan on the stove with a splash of water for a few minutes or until warmed through. Reheating them in the microwave might make them more rubbery.

FAQs

What is harissa?

Harissa is a chili sauce condiment native to North Africa, specifically Tunisia, but there are various versions of it in countries of the region like Morocco or Algeria. It can vary in flavor and how spicy it is based on where it's from or what brand you use. I really like Belazu rose harissa with rose petals.

What's a good substitute for harissa?

The flavor of harissa is very specific, so there's nothing that can really substitute it. You can use sambal oelek or chili garlic sauce, which will have a similar texture, but you'll also need to add some ground cumin and coriander. Some people also add ground caraway seeds, tomato paste, smoked paprika, and especially olive oil.

Bright orange harissa shrimp atop Moroccan couscous, with creamy cucumber salad and pickled red onion.

Other Shrimp Recipes

If you want to try other shrimp recipes, below are a few of my favorites you can serve for dinner just like these. To see all the latest ones, head over to fish and seafood recipes!

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Have you tried these Harissa Shrimp? Please leave a star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below!

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