This Weight Watchers shrimp recipe with lemon and herbs is so good at only 3 SmartPoints. Make this low carb dish part of your meal plan!
Seafood is always low in Points when you prepare it smartly, so be sure to check out the recipe for seafood shrimp salad at the end of this post!
Who doesn’t like fast but delicious meals that are also healthy and low in calories?
Sounds like an impossible thing, right? Well, I recently found it can be done with this Weight Watchers shrimp recipe. You are going to love this one!
I chose shrimp because I wanted something fast and because they are low in calories and high in protein...and I love the flavor!
Sometimes simple recipes make the best meals!
This Weight Watchers shrimp recipe follows the Points system and will yield you just 3 points per serving.
It also only has around 265 calories. Not bad at all for something so simple and so flavorful.
What goes well with shrimp? Citrus flavors! I chose lemon and decided to add some herbs for a balanced flavor. This recipe will take minutes, and it can be accompanied by almost anything.
Think about pairing this with lightly sauteed or steamed veggies for low or even zero points! A side salad with a low-calorie dressing would be really good, too.
Before starting, make sure you have a good skillet, and that your shrimp is ready to be used; meaning it's deveined and peeled.
I find that buying ready-to-cook uncooked shrimp is much easier, and saves you a lot of time. In fact, frozen shrimp is also great for this recipe!
You can certainly buy shrimp unpeeled if you would rather make sure it is done the way you like it.
Recipe Ingredients
You'll need that main ingredient of large shrimp. For prepping, you'll need good quality olive oil, fresh lemon juice, lemon pepper seasoning, chopped fresh parsley, minced garlic, and salt and pepper.
Make sure you get a good quality olive oil when you head to the grocery store. Though we use a lot of olive oil, I buy smaller bottles more often so it's fresh.
Make sure to look at the expiration date on the bottle before you use it. Olive oil does go bad after about a year.
If you don't have lemon pepper seasoning, you can easily replace it with a combination of black pepper, lemon zest, and onion salt.
Experiment with different spices for new flavors! If you like spice, add a shake of red pepper flakes.
How to Make this Recipe
Rinse raw shrimp in cold water.
Heat olive oil and garlic in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Once warm, add shrimp and saute them for approximately 1 minute.
Add lemon juice, seasoning, and salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly so all shrimp is covered.
Saute shrimp for another 3 minutes, or until they turn bright pink and are cooked entirely. Shrimp cooks quickly so don't overcook it!
Remove from heat and add parsley. Serve and enjoy!
Why You'll Love this Shrimp Recipe
Let’s Talk Healthy!
Not only do I love this recipe because it takes less than 20 minutes to make, but because it is absolutely tasty and free of added fat and extra calories.
Of course, you can always change up the ingredients and proportions according to what you like, but overall, this dish will leave you satisfied and stays well within the Weight Watchers points system.
I prefer to eat this as a lunch option, as it is simple, fast, and not too dense.
I like to be able to go about my day without feeling sluggish and heavy after eating. Though this recipe is light, it does the job of making you feel full.
It would also make a perfect main dish for dinner. Zucchini noodles or spaghetti squash would make a delicious alternative to lemon garlic shrimp pasta for a lot fewer Points.
I still can't get over that it's only 3 WW Freestyle Points on the blue plan, green plan, and purple plan!
What other Ingredients Could I Add?
Seriously, the possibilities are endless! If you added a little sriracha, you'd make a fantastic Weight Watchers spicy shrimp dish.
Add a good serving of garlic for a Weight Watchers garlicky shrimp recipe, with the same amount of points! Neither sriracha or garlic will add any points to this recipe.
Remember, any vegetables or fresh herbs you add to any Weight Watchers recipe add no Points! Think asparagus, cherry tomatoes, fennel, zucchini, or broccoli. Check out this cheat sheet for the plans ZeroPoints foods.
Just be sure you are lightly steaming the veggies so they are slightly crunchy and retain their flavor.
Weight Watchers Shrimp Recipe Side Ideas
If you're looking for more ideas for sides, I recommend this Greek cucumber salad. I made this last night and served it with grilled chicken and had forgotten how delicious it was!
Other good sides would be this authentic tabbouleh, I learned to make when I was visiting Jordan. This quinoa chickpea salad recipe would pair really well, too.
You could also serve this with cauliflower rice or roasted potatoes for some comfort food. Just be sure you are counting all those points if you are on Weight Watchers.
For another completely different dish, make this and serve it in a tortilla for Weight Watchers shrimp tacos. Check out these zero point Weight Watchers tortillas!
And guess what? You can have something sweet with these Weight Watchers desserts! As long as you save points, it's okay to treat yourself!
Are you ready to work on getting healthy while also having a mouthwatering lunch? Let me know if you would change anything and if you enjoyed cooking this as much as I did!
Be sure to check out this ceviche seafood salad at zero Points when you leave out the avocado! It's another one of my favorite Weight Watchers seafood recipes.
Raw shrimp is zero Points. Steaming or boiling shrimp does not add Points. It's when you add things like olive oil or butter that the Points start to add up.
There are so many options for seasoning shrimp! What are you in the mood for? I love the lemon pepper in this recipe, but try Italian seasoning, a little garlic powder, or a little cayenne if you like spice.
As soon as the shrimp turns pink, it's done! Remove the shrimp from the pan right away as the pan retains heat and the shrimp will continue to cook if left in pan.
More Delicious WW Recipes
Thanks to Chidinma for this guest post! She is the founder of Fruitful Kitchen, a blog that shares delicious recipes and lifestyle tips. Most of her recipes help women with fertility issues, especially fibroids, PCOS, and Endometriosis. You'll also find other delicious recipes, as well as cooking tips and tricks. Tell her I sent you!
Weight Watchers Shrimp Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 ½ teaspoon olive oil
- 1 lb shrimp deveined and peeled
- 1 ½ tbsp lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon lemon and herb seasoning
- 1 ½ tbsp chopped parsley
- ½ teaspoon minced garlic
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Rinse shrimp in cole water.
- Heat olive oil and garlic in a large skillet over medium high heat. Once warm, add shrimp and saute them for approximately 1 minute.
- Add lemon juice, seasoning, and salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly so all shrimp is covered.
- Saute shrimp for another 3 minutes, or until they turn bright pink and are cooked entirely.
- Remove from heat and add parsley. Serve and enjoy!
Lisa O
We made this the other day and it was SO good! I love knowing that I can enjoy it without worrying about extra calories too!