This easy one pot Creamy Parmesan Shrimp with Peppers & Spinach is perfect for busy weeknights but delicious enough for date night too. Ready in just 20 minutes, shrimp, peppers and spinach are simmered in a flavor packed creamy parmesan cream sauce. Plus there's just one pan to wash.

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We eat a lot of shrimp in my house as they are so quick to cook. If you buy them ready peeled they require zero prep. They're healthy yet also somehow still feel like a treat.
Plus kids seem to love them, and I’m always into any recipe that gets children excited about eating fish or seafood.
This recipe was inspired by a fabulous fellow blogger, Meghan, over at Fox & Briar. I added some more veggies to my version (always) plus I changed up the sauce a little. But I love this idea for it's one pot ease.
Jump to:
- Why You'll Love This Creamy Parmesan Shrimp Recipe
- Creamy Parmesan Shrimp Ingredients
- How to Make Creamy Parmesan Shrimp
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Variations & Substitutions
- Expert Tips & Tricks
- How to Serve
- Reheating
- Can You Freeze Creamy Parmesan Shrimp?
- Pin This Creamy Parmesan Shrimp Recipe For Later
- What Do You Think?!
- More Easy Recipe Ideas
- Printable Recipe
- Creamy Parmesan Shrimp with Peppers & Spinach Recipe
- Reader Comments & Ratings
Why You'll Love This Creamy Parmesan Shrimp Recipe
- Shrimp (or prawns as they're called in the UK) are the ultimate fast food, easy to cook and full of flavor.
- With only 10 minutes prep time, this easy shrimp dish can be cooked and on the table in just 30 minutes.
- This dish is full of flavor as the shrimp and remaining ingredients are all cooked in one skillet, keeping all the flavor in the dish.
- Try some of my favorite seafood recipes:
Creamy Parmesan Shrimp Ingredients
Find the full list and quantities in the recipe card below.
Shrimp - for this recipe I like to use fresh peeled shrimp with the tail still attached.
White Wine - use a good quality white wine in this recipe, something you would be happy to drink a glass of yourself as it will make a difference to the flavor of the finished dish. It's also fine to leave the wine out if you prefer.
Broth/Stock - I've opted to use a light chicken stock in this recipe, you could also use vegetable stock.
Cream - heavy cream gives the sauce a rich velvety texture. You could use half and half if you prefer a looser and lighter sauce.
How to Make Creamy Parmesan Shrimp
Find the full printable recipe below.
Sauté the shrimp over a medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes until cooked. Remove and set aside on a plate.
Reduce the heat to medium low and sauté the onions for 5 minutes in the same pan, season with sea salt. Add the red peppers and sauté for 5 minutes then stir in the garlic.
Deglaze the pan with the wine and cook to allow the alcohol to burn off. Add the chicken stock whilst stirring, then stir in the cream. Next stir through the parmesan cheese until melted.
Stir in the spinach until wilted, add the chopped basil and season again.
Gently mix the shrimp back into the sauce and reheat them gently.
Frequently Asked Questions
What kind of shrimp to use?
I like to use fresh shrimp, opting for peeled shrimp with the tail still attached. You could also use frozen shrimp, just set aside in the refrigerator until defrosted.
I don't like using precooked shrimp in this recipe, as it's already cooked it is very easy to overcook and the shrimp can become rubbery.
Does Parmesan go with shrimp?
Yes, Parmesan cheese works really well with shrimp and you don't need to much cheese to flavor the sauce. Parmesan also works really well other flavors in this dish, including the garlic and white wine.
Variations & Substitutions
I've used shrimp in this recipe but you can swap for other seafood. This creamy spinach and garlic sauce would work equally well with white fish like cod, or try it with an oil fish like trout or salmon filets.
If you prefer a no-alcohol sauce you can leave out the wine and just stick with the chicken stock, and perhaps add a splash of lemon juice for acidity.
Swap spinach for other leafy greens like chard or kale.
Add extra veggies to the sauce, try some green beans or fresh tomatoes.
Swap fresh basil for other fresh herbs, try parsley or thyme.
For dairy free garlic shrimps, swap the butter for olive oil, heavy cream for a plant based alternative (you could also use coconut cream), and Parmesan cheese for a plant based cheese.
Expert Tips & Tricks
Try not to overcook the shrimp or they will become tough! They should be pink on the outside and slightly opaque in the middle.
I used ready peeled shrimp with their tails on for ease and convenience. But feel free to shell them at home if you prefer. Equally, fully peeled shrimp would also be fine.
This dish is also great for entertaining a crowd. You can easily double this recipe up if you have a large skillet to make it in.
How to Serve
I like to serve this dish with pasta or steamed white or brown rice. I also like to add some extra veggie sides, like my Easy Charred Broccolini, Green Beans with Lemon & Almonds, or my Easy Buttered Kale.
For a relaxed dinner I like to add a side of crusty bread to mop up those delicious juices. It's also wonderful with my ever popular Mashed Potato.
For a lower carb dinner, swap rice and pasta for zucchini noodles or cauliflower rice.
Reheating
This is definitely a dish that is best served fresh from the pan. Reheating seafood, particularly shrimp, can cause the shrimp to overcook and become rubbery.
Can You Freeze Creamy Parmesan Shrimp?
As the sauce contains heavy cream I prefer not to freeze this dish. Cream can split during the freezing and defrosting process, which will split the sauce.
Pin This Creamy Parmesan Shrimp Recipe For Later
What Do You Think?!
I'd love to know what you think about this recipe! I'd be so grateful if you scroll down to the bottom of the page and leave a star rating and comment.
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More Easy Recipe Ideas
Printable Recipe
Creamy Parmesan Shrimp with Peppers & Spinach Recipe
Ingredients
- 1½ lb Shrimp - ready peeled, tail on or off
- 2 tbsp Butter
- 2 cloves Garlic - crushed
- ½ Red Onion - finely chopped
- 1 Red Pepper - finely sliced
- ½ cup White Wine
- ½ cup Chicken Stock
- 1 cup Heavy Cream (Double Cream)
- 1 cup Grated Parmesan
- ½ cup Fresh Basil
- 2 cups Spinach - packed
- Sea Salt and Black Pepper
Instructions
- In a medium frying pan sauté the shrimp over a medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes until cooked. Remove and reserve on a plate
- Reduced the heat to medium low and sauté the onions for 5 minutes in the same pan. Season generously with sea salt
- Add the red peppers and sauté for a further 5 minutes then stir in the garlic
- Deglaze the pan with the wine (pour it in and scrape the bottom of the pan) and cook for a couple of minutes to allow the alcohol to burn off
- Add the chicken stock whilst stirring. Then stir in the cream
- Next stir through the parmesan cheese until melted
- Stir in the spinach until wilted. Stir in the chopped basil. Taste and season again
- Gently mix the shrimp back into the sauce and reheat them gently for a minute or two
- Serve this with pasta, rice or veggie zoodles for lower carbs
Nutrition
This post was shared with the #cookblogshare community, which this week was kindly hosted by Sisley at www.sewwhite.com
Laurie Robinson says
This was awesome. 👍👍👍
Jo Keohane says
Thanks so much Laurie - so glad you enjoyed it
Carrie Carvalho says
I love this, quick and easy yet still feels a bit fancy!
Rebecca - Glutarama says
I nearly fell off my chair when I scrolled past this recipe. It looks so posh (haha) yet its totally achievable with really simple ingredients and method - love it.
Jo Keohane says
Ha - thanks Rebecca!! It's a keeper of a recipe, so easy yet impressive! That's what we like!
Sisley White - Sew White says
Oh very yummy. A recipe to add to the wishlist for sure.
Jo Keohane says
Thanks so much Sisley!! I love anything with prawns 😉
Beth says
Loved this recipe and shared it. I used half and half and made it a bit less creamy and added the Italian bomba hot pepper sauce from trader joe's. Thank You!!
Jo Keohane says
Thanks so much for the feedback Beth, so glad you loved this one!! Your additions sound great too, could definitely see the hot sauce working very well!!!