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This shrimp skillet with shiitake mushrooms and kale makes a quick and satisfying weeknight meal that’s packed with lean protein, veggies and flavor.
Why we love this recipe
A veggie- and umami-packed shrimp skillet is great any time of year. But I often think of it in the adolescent days of early spring, which can be awkward times for vegetable lovers.
The world is full of images bursting with peas, asparagus and even strawberries. The air is flush with anticipation. Bellies are all a-rumble. But for many of us, twiddling our thumbs and leaning awkwardly with our friends against the walls of the middle-school gymnasium during the slow dances, the fertile days of real-life spring are still months away.
What to eat during this ungainly season? Doritos with French onion dip? Pepperoni pizza? Munchkin donuts? Oh wait, this isn’t a real eighth grade dance. All we need to do is stick with earthy, savory winter produce like kale and shiitakes for a little while longer while nature continues to work its magic. In the grand scheme of adolescence, it’s hardly traumatizing at all.
This dish is:
- Quick and easy
- A one-pan wonder
- Layered with satisfying, savory flavors
- A cozy and comforting way to end your day with plenty of veggies and protein
- Gluten-free, and low in carbs (but also great with rice)
I first published this recipe here back in 2017. I’ve since updated the post for clarity, but the recipe remains the same.
What you’ll need
Here’s a glance at the ingredients you’ll need to make this recipe.
- You can use shrimp of any size in this recipe. I like to use fairly large, wild shrimp with the tail still attached. Wild shrimp tend to be more flavorful and of better overall quality than farmed shrimp, and the tails add quite a bit of flavor during the cooking process, even though you won’t eat them.
- A a nice, dry white wine that you like to drink adds flavor and a bit of acidity to this dish. Any style is fine. I tend to default to one of my favorite bottles of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. You can swap in chicken broth (pictured here) or shrimp or fish stock if that’s what you’ve got.
- Lacinato kale (also called dinosaur or Tuscan kale or cavolo nero) is the ultimate dark leafy green. It cooks down quite a bit and contributes an earthy savoriness to this shrimp skillet.
- I tend to buy shiitake mushrooms pre-sliced for this recipe. It cuts down on prep time, and they’re often, surprisingly, a better value, since the tough, heavy stems of whole shiitakes get discarded. If you use whole mushrooms to slice yourself, buy extra to account for the weight of the stems.
- Use a really good-quality butter if you can. Here and virtually everywhere, I start with a cultured, salted butter from grass-fed cows. This sounds fancy but doesn’t have to be. Kerrygold, for example, is sold in most supermarkets at a reasonable price.
- Splashes of soy sauce and heavy cream effortlessly elevate this dish and make the flavors really shine. If it’s important to you that this dish is gluten-free, be sure to choose a GF soy sauce.
How to make it
Here’s an overview of what you’ll do to make a great shrimp skillet with shiitake mushrooms and kale. You can see the steps in action in the video that accompanies this post, and get all the details in the recipe card below.
- First you’ll cook the shrimp in some of the butter and set it aside for a moment.
- In the same skillet, cook the onion and shiitakes, and then the garlic.
- Add the kale and cook until wilted. Pour in the wine or broth, cream, and soy sauce.
- Cook until sauce thickens up a bit, then stir in the shrimp. That’s it!
Expert tips and FAQs
You sure can. For the protein, small pieces of thinly sliced chicken, steak, or tofu would be great. For the kale, you could substitute another dark leafy cooking green (or combo) like collards, turnip, or mustard greens. Instead of the shiitakes, you could use any kind or blend of mushrooms that you like. If you use a variety with a higher liquid content, just be sure to cook it out before proceeding with the recipe.
Since it’s quick and easy to make, I don’t usually go out of my way to prepare this dish in advance. That said, all the ingredients are hearty and will hold up well. You can keep it in an airtight container in the fridge for a week and reheat briefly in a pan on the stovetop or on a reduced power in the microwave.
More favorite easy shrimp recipes
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Shrimp Skillet with Shiitake Mushrooms and Kale
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 pounds (907 grams) shrimp, peeled and cleaned
- 3 tablespoons (42 grams) butter, divided
- 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
- 8 ounces (227 grams) shiitake mushroom caps, sliced
- 8 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 bunch, about 8 ounces/(227 grams) Lacinato kale, stemmed and chopped into bite-sized pieces
- ½ cup (120 ml) dry white wine
- ¼ cup (60 ml) heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) soy sauce
Instructions
- Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter over medium-high heat in a 12-inch nonstick frying pan or seasoned cast iron skillet.
- Add half the shrimp in a single layer and cook, turning once, until just opaque. Remove to a plate.
- Repeat with remaining shrimp.
- Melt the remaining butter in the same pan over medium-high heat.
- Add onion and shiitakes and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are softened and mushrooms are substantially reduced in volume, about 5 minutes.
- Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for one minute.
- Add the kale by the handful and cook, stirring occasionally, until wilted and almost tender, about 2 minutes.
- Add the wine, cream, and soy sauce and cook until sauce has thickened slightly, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Return shrimp to pan along with any accumulated juices and continue cooking for a minute or so to rewarm.
Notes
- You can use shrimp of any size in this recipe. I like to use fairly large, wild shrimp with the tail still attached. Wild shrimp tend to be more flavorful and of better overall quality than farmed shrimp, and the tails add quite a bit of flavor during the cooking process, even though you won't eat them.
- A a nice, dry white wine that you like to drink adds flavor and a bit of acidity to this dish. Any style is fine. I tend to default to one of my favorite bottles of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. You can swap in chicken broth (pictured here) or shrimp or fish stock if that's what you've got.
- I tend to buy shiitake mushrooms pre-sliced for this recipe. It cuts down on prep time, and they're often, surprisingly, a better value, since the tough, heavy stems of whole shiitakes get discarded. If you use whole mushrooms to slice yourself, buy extra to account for the weight of the stems.
- Suggested substitutions: For the protein, small pieces of thinly sliced chicken, steak, or tofu would be great. For the kale, you could substitute another dark leafy cooking green (or combo) like collards, turnip, or mustard greens. Instead of the shiitakes, you could use any kind or blend of mushrooms that you like. If you use a variety with a higher liquid content, just be sure to cook it out before proceeding with the recipe.
- Since it's quick and easy to make, I don't usually go out of my way to prepare this dish in advance. That said, all the ingredients are hearty and will hold up well. You can keep it in an airtight container in the fridge for a week and reheat briefly in a pan on the stovetop or on a reduced power in the microwave.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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