Sautéed Shrimp With Lemon-Caper Dressing
Updated October 1, 2025
Total Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided (3 tablespoons for dressing, 1 tablespoon for sautéing)
¼ cup fresh lemon juice (from 1 large lemon)
2 very thin slices of lemon, deseeded and coarsely chopped (about 2 tablespoons)
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh dill
1 garlic clove, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon capers, rinsed and coarsely chopped (optional: rinse to reduce saltiness)
1 pound large shrimp (16–20 count), peeled and deveined
Kosher salt (to season shrimp)
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (adjust to taste)
Preparation
Prep the shrimp: Peel and devein the shrimp (use a small knife to make a shallow cut along the back and remove the dark vein). Rinse under cold water and pat dry thoroughly with paper towels to ensure even cooking.
Make the lemon-caper dressing: In a large bowl, whisk together 3 tablespoons olive oil, lemon juice, coarsely chopped lemon pieces, chopped dill, thinly sliced garlic, and coarsely chopped capers. Season lightly with a pinch of kosher salt (optional, as capers and lemon add saltiness). Set aside.
Season the shrimp: In a medium bowl, toss the dried shrimp with kosher salt and crushed red pepper flakes. Ensure even seasoning.
Sauté the shrimp: Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add the seasoned shrimp and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3–4 minutes. The shrimp will turn bright pink and develop light browning on the edges. Avoid overcooking to prevent toughness.
Marinate and serve: Transfer the cooked shrimp to the dressing bowl and gently toss to coat. For best flavor, marinate at room temperature for 10–15 minutes (or refrigerate up to 1 day for chilled serving). Serve chilled or at room temperature, paired with a light side salad (e.g., butter lettuce, cucumber-tomato mix) or over grains like Persian Dill Rice.
User Reviews
Why aren’t there more than 3 reviews?! Amazing recipe. Couldn’t be easier. Made exactly as written. Letting shrimp marinate in dressing while you do something else is key. Served with toasted Balthazar country white bread and olive oil. Simple salad of avocado, cucumber, tomato and onion. Next time will serve shrimp in bowl with all the dressing - like a soup! I ended up eating the leftover dressing with a spoon - too good to discard! Excellent meal.
I mistakenly added a ¼ cup of olive oil instead of 3 tablespoons for the lemon dressing, but otherwise followed the recipe to a T. I topped a bed of butter lettuce with the shrimp and a drizzled from my ample supply of dressing! It wasn’t clear to me whether the recommendation to “enjoy the shrimp with a light salad with butter lettuce” meant as a separate side salad, but I highly recommend serving the shrimp and dressing on top of butter lettuce. I’ll definitely make this again—excellent!
We happened on some key west wild shrimp - the fishmonger said they would be sweet - so I knew I wanted citrus and dill. Pulled up this recipe and holy smokes this recipe was fabulous! 1# equaled two medium servings for dinner and a tiny leftover smidge for lunch tomorrow. Served over the Persian Dill Rice (NYT) that we made a few days ago. YUM!!!!!!!!
Excellent recipie. Very tasty and easy to prepare.
Good stuff. I can’t tolerate raw garlic so I sautéed it with the shrimp. Used grated lemon peel rather than the slices. Otherwise great and love that I can have leftovers cold tomorrow.
Outstanding recipe and so easy and versatile! Since I’m not a huge fan of raw garlic, I lightly smashed the clove, left it in marinade for about 15 minutes and then removed it, no biting into raw pieces while retaining the flavor.
Note: Minor spelling/typo corrections (e.g., "can´r" → "can’t", "recipie" → "recipe") were made for readability while preserving user intent.
