You are going to fall in love with how fast this skillet meal comes together on a busy weeknight. It packs all the personality of a coastal seafood boil but skips the heavy pot of water and the mess. We are tossing sweet corn, crispy-edged baby potatoes, and succulent shrimp in a rich Calabrian chili butter, then topping the whole thing with a bright, lemony pangrattato for that essential crunch.
Think of this as your new favourite way to celebrate fresh ingredients without spending all evening in the kitchen. It is vibrant, satisfying, and honestly just fun to eat.
Jump to:
Why We Love This Recipe
- Contrasting Textures: The combination of tender potatoes, juicy shrimp, and the addictive crunch of lemony pangrattato makes every bite interesting.
- Balanced Flavours: Calabrian chili paste brings a gentle, fruity heat that perfectly complements the sweetness of the corn and the bright acidity of lemon.
- Effortless Cleanup: This entire meal comes together in one skillet, meaning you spend less time washing dishes and more time enjoying your dinner.
Ingredients
Lemon Pangrattato
- Olive oil
- Panko breadcrumbs
- Garlic clove
- Lemon zest
- Parmesan
- Fresh parsley
- Kosher salt
Shrimp Skillet
- Baby Yukon Gold potatoes
- Large shrimp
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper
- Smoked paprika
- Olive oil
- Corn kernels
- Shallot
- Garlic cloves
- Unsalted butter
- Calabrian chili paste
- Honey
- Lemon juice
- Lemon zest
- Parsley or basil
- Lemon
See the recipe card below for quantities.
Instructions
Make the Lemon Pangrattato
Note: Pangrattato is a traditional Italian condiment of toasted, seasoned breadcrumbs often called the “poor man’s parmesan” used to add texture to dishes.
Heat a small skillet over medium heat. Add the olive oil and panko. Cook, stirring often, for 2 to 3 minutes until lightly golden.
Stir in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon zest, Parmesan, parsley, and a small pinch of salt. Set aside.
Cook the Potatoes
Bring a 5-qt sauté pan (or a medium pot) of well-salted water to a boil.
Add the potatoes and cook for 8 to 10 minutes until just fork-tender at the edges but not mushy.
Drain well and let them sit in the colander for a few minutes to steam dry.
Season the Shrimp
Pat the shrimp completely dry with paper towels. Toss with ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, the smoked paprika, and 2 tablespoon olive oil.
Crisp the Potatoes
Rinse out and heat the same 5-qt sauté pan (or large skillet) over medium-high heat. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil.
Add the potatoes cut-side down. Cook for 6 to 8 minutes, turning occasionally, until golden and crisp.
Build the Skillet
Add the corn and shallot to the skillet. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the corn is hot and the shallot has softened.
Lower the heat to medium. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
Add the lemon juice, butter, Calabrian chili paste, honey, and lemon zest. Stir until the butter is melted and glossy.
Cook the Shrimp
Push the potato mixture to the edges (or to one side) of the skillet.
Add the seasoned shrimp into the open space and toss to coat in the chili butter. Cook in batches, allowing the shrimp to touch the base of the pan. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes per side, just until pink and opaque. Place the cooked shrimp over the potato mixture and repeat until all the shrimp are cooked.
For Serving
Remove from the heat and stir in the fresh parsley or basil. Taste and adjust with the remaining ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper if needed.
Spoon half of the lemon pangrattato over the skillet just before serving, and keep the rest on the table so everyone can add more for extra crunch. Serve with lemon wedges.
Tips & Substitutions
- Potato Tip: Par-cooking the potatoes is the secret to getting a golden crust without overcooking the shrimp. Do not skip this!
- Heat Control: Start with 1 tablespoon of Calabrian chili paste for moderate heat. Use 1 ½ tablespoon if you want a more punchy, spicy finish.
- Substitution: If you cannot find Calabrian chili paste, you can substitute with a mixture of tomato paste and a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes, though the flavour will be slightly different.
- Corn: Frozen corn works perfectly. Just make sure to thaw and pat it dry so it does not steam in the pan.
Love this Spicy Calabrian Shrimp Skillet? Try These Next:
- Creamy Spicy Cajun Shrimp Linguine (30-Minute Meal)
- Spicy Shrimp Panzanella Skillet
- Shrimp Étouffée
- Spicy Garlic Shrimp Pasta
Transparency is important to us! We are Hestan Culinary ambassadors, and this post contains affiliate links. The thoughts, tips, and results shared in this recipe are 100% our own!
📖 Recipe
Spicy Calabrian Shrimp with Corn, Potatoes & Pangrattato
Ingredients
Lemon Pangrattato
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- ¾ cup panko breadcrumbs 40 g
- 1 small garlic clove finely grated
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- ⅓ oz finely grated Parmesan approx. 10 g
- 2 tablespoon fresh parsley finely chopped
- Pinch of kosher salt
Shrimp Skillet
- 1 ½ lb baby Yukon Gold potatoes 680 g, halved (or quartered if large)
- 1 lb large wild-caught Argentinian shrimp 450 g, peeled and deveined
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt divided
- ½ teaspoon black pepper divided
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- 3 tablespoon olive oil divided (2 tablespoon for shrimp, 1 tablespoon for skillet)
- 2 cups corn kernels 300 g (fresh or frozen)
- 1 small shallot finely diced
- 3 garlic cloves finely chopped
- 4 tablespoon unsalted butter 56 g
- 1 to 1 ½ tablespoon Calabrian chili paste
- 1 teaspoon honey optional
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 2 tablespoon chopped parsley or basil
- Lemon wedges for serving
Instructions
Make the Lemon Pangrattato
- Heat a small skillet over medium heat. Add the olive oil and panko. Cook, stirring often, for 2 to 3 minutes until lightly golden.
- Stir in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon zest, Parmesan, parsley, and a small pinch of salt. Set aside.
Cook the Potatoes
- Bring a 5-qt sauté pan (or a medium pot) of well-salted water to a boil. Add the potatoes and cook for 8 to 10 minutes until just fork-tender at the edges but not mushy.
- Drain well and let them sit in the colander for a few minutes to steam dry.
Season the Shrimp
- Pat the shrimp completely dry with paper towels.
- Toss with ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, the smoked paprika, and 2 tablespoon olive oil.
Crisp the Potatoes
- Rinse out and heat the same 5-qt sauté pan (or large skillet) over medium-high heat. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil.
- Add the potatoes cut-side down. Cook for 6 to 8 minutes, turning occasionally, until golden and crisp.
Build the Skillet
- Add the corn and shallot to the skillet. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the corn is hot and the shallot has softened.
- Lower the heat to medium. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
- Add the lemon juice, butter, Calabrian chili paste, honey, and lemon zest. Stir until the butter is melted and glossy.
Cook the Shrimp
- Push the potato mixture to the edges (or to one side) of the skillet.
- Add the seasoned shrimp into the open space and toss to coat in the chili butter. Cook in batches, allowing the shrimp to touch the base of the pan. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes per side, just until pink and opaque. Place the cooked shrimp over the potato mixture and repeat until all the shrimp are cooked.
For Serving
- Remove from the heat and stir in the fresh parsley or basil. Taste and adjust with the remaining ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper if needed.
- Spoon half of the pangrattato over the skillet just before serving, and keep the rest on the table so everyone can add more for extra crunch. Serve with lemon wedges.
💬Tried this recipe?
- We'd really appreciate a rating and quick review! It helps more home cooks find the recipe, and we love hearing what you think.
Leave a Reply