Sweet Corn Chimichurri Butter Shrimp with Polenta.
This chimichurri butter shrimp is tossed with a sweet corn chimichurri sauce and served over a bed of creamy polenta. It uses minimal ingredients and is a quick, simple, healthy, and delicious 30 minute dinner that anyone who enjoys shrimp will love. Great for busy nights when you only have a few minutes to get dinner on the table.
Hey, hi and happy Thursday! I hope you’re all having a great week and are starting to get excited for the weekend!
My mom just informed me that my youngest brother, Red is heading to prom on Saturday, I am so excited to see all the photos. Red’s best friend Brock, has a girlfriend named Paige. It’s Paige’s prom, and she set Red up with her girlfriend. The prom is in California, so sadly we can’t actually see Red before he heads out, but there will be photos and I can’t wait. I never went to my own prom, so I am so excited that Red is going. It’s such a fun teenage thing to do!
I’ll be sure to share photos in Sunday’s Favorite’s Post.
Anything you guys are looking forward to this weekend?
OK. Moving right along here. Let’s chat shrimp.
I’m excited to share this new easy recipe with you guys today! Not sure if you all have noticed or not, but lately I am really into southern inspired recipes. Hello to this oven fried chicken, these strawberry shortcakes, and now this yummy shrimp.
This shrimp surely isn’t a classic southern style recipe, but it’s inspired by the idea of shrimp and grits. I just did what I do, and expanded upon those flavors by getting a little creative with my sauce, and adding in lots of color and seasonal produce.
Very typical from me, I know, but this shrimp is SO GOOD.
Shrimp is one of those foods that I don’t actually cook very often, but when I do, I always love to change-up the flavors.
I’ve been thinking a lot about chimichurri lately and new ways to use this delicious herb filled sauce. Traditionally, chimichurri is spooned over grilled meats, like steak and chicken, or served as a dipping sauce. For a while I thought I was going to do a chimichurri chicken, but that felt a little on the boring side and I never ended up making it.
I played around with a few ideas, but in the end this shrimp recipe is what had me really excited. So I decided to turn my chimichurri chicken into chimichurri shrimp. I then added a little sweet corn into the chimichurri sauce for a burst of fresh flavor and color…best idea.
Nothing crazy, but the two simple tweaks made all the difference, and as mentioned, I am very exited about the way this turned out.
The chimichurri sauce is a mix of fresh herbs, like cilantro (you can sub in basil if you don’t like cilantro) and parsley, chilies, citrus, and sweet corn. The corn is not traditional, but when I saw it in the grocery store last week I suddenly had the idea to add it to my chimichurri sauce, so I did, and guys?
It’s a game changer.
I LOVE the sweet burst of corn in the herby sauce, it’s delicious. Plus, the pop of yellow color is visually appealing too, which you know I am all about.
The shrimp is cooked in a skillet with a touch of butter, and the chimichurri is added towards the end of cooking. Everything gets spooned over a big bowl of creamy polenta and finished with a side of extra chimichurri, because in my opinion you can’t have too much of this sauce. You could also serve this with a side of rice, but I really love the combo of creamy polenta and shrimp.
It’s so good.
We’ve really been enjoying this quick recipe the last couple weeks. The days have been so much longer and brighter that after work I love getting outside for a minute and enjoying spring.
Since this recipe takes less than thirty minutes to make, it’s perfect for when you don’t want to spend too much time in the kitchen.
Plus, it’s seriously good.
Thinking you should make it for dinner tonight. Yep, seems like a good idea.
Watch the How To Video:
sweet corn chimichurri butter shrimp with polenta from Half Baked Harvest on Vimeo.
If you make this Chimichurri Shrimp and love it, please be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! I love hearing from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every one of you. Oh, and of course, if you do make this shrimp, don’t forget to also tag me on Instagram so I can see! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Sweet Corn Chimichurri Butter Shrimp with Polenta
By halfbakedharvest
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: polenta dish, quick recipe, seafood
This chimichurri butter shrimp is tossed with a sweet corn chimichurri sauce and served over a bed of creamy polenta. It's a quick, simple, healthy, and delicious 30 minute dinner that anyone who enjoys shrimp will love. Great for busy nights when you only have a few minutes to get dinner on the table.
Ingredients
- 1 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 jalapeño, seeded and chopped
- 1 clove garlic, minced or grated
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- juice of 1/2 lime
- juice of 1/2 lemon
- kosher salt and pepper
- 1 ear yellow corn, kernels removed from the cob
- 4 tablespoons salted butter
- 1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
Polenta
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 cup instant polenta
- 2 tablespoons butter
- kosher salt and pepper
Instructions
-
1. To make the chimichurri. In a medium bowl, combine the cilantro, parsley, jalapeño, garlic, red wine vinegar, olive oil, lime juice, lemon juice, and a pinch of salt. Stir in the corn.
2. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the shrimp and season lightly with salt and pepper. Cook until pink, about 2-3 minutes per side and cooked through. Add a few spoonfuls of the chimichurri and cook another minute or two. Remove from the heat.
3. To serve, divide the polenta between bowls and top with shrimp. Spoon over the remaining chimichurri. Enjoy!
Polenta
-
1. In a medium saucepan bring 2 cups of water and the milk to a boil over medium heat. Slowly whisk in the polenta, stirring, until the polenta is soft and thick, about 5 minutes. Stir in the butter until melted. Season with salt and pepper.
My new favorite shrimp dish. For real.
Our Favorite Recipes
Honey Raspberry Brie Crostini with Basil Oil.
oh yum!! I’d just ditch the polenta because I’m really not a fan.
Glad you like this Ruth!
We are so in love with polenta and chimichurri butter shrimp with it seems so very inviting ! Thnak you !
My weekend is just some much needed relaxation, which always includes a road trip 🙂
I am totally loving this recipe. Polenta is one of those ultimate comfort foods, and chimichurri is so delicious and flavorful. Plus I love that you added sweet corn here. Just delicious. Totally pinned for later!
Thank you so much! I hope you love this Danielle!
Could you also use coconut milk instead of whole milk?
Coconut milk will be DELICIOUS! Please let me know if you have other questions. Hope you love this recipe! Thanks! 🙂
This looks so yummy!! I am thinking that the shrimp and chimichurri over a bed of salad greens!
Ooo yum! I hope you love this Lisa!
Spectacular recipe! I always cook stone ground yellow grits with milk–amazing how creamy they taste even without any cream or butter added (cheese is only gilding that lily and happens rarely while the grits show up for breakfast several times a month). That’s my base for this recipe–closer to 20 minutes than 5, but this is still a really fast dinner since I can do the rest of the cooking at the same time. The chimichurri looks both brilliant and perfect–the bland grits and shrimp need some spice for an accent, and I love cilantro–like basil, too. First of the season’s corn this week at the supermarket, and I’m going to toss in a few roasted grape tomatoes, mostly for color but also for the delicious sweet pop they add.
LOVE your cookbook–I bought one for myself when it was nominated on GoodReads and later another for my DDIL, a spectacular cook, for Christmas
Hi Janet! I am so glad you loved this recipe! Thank you so much! What have you made from the book so far? I hope you and your DIL are loving it!!
hey girl- this looks amazing! I’m going to a bake sale Saturday that out church is having. The kids ares raising money to go to church camp in June! So… I’m making choc. chip cookies and Peanut butter oatmeal cookies! And we are also selling hot dogs chips and a drink. It’s going to be hot out there at Wal-mart but I know it will be fun! And I’m sure Red will have fun at Prom.
Thank you so much Shawnna!
The Mediterranean Chick Pea and Egg salad has me looking into your other amazing recipes!!!! This one is right up my alley! We are Southern and LOVE some shrimp and grits! Can’t wait to try!
Thank you so much Katrina! I hope you love this reicpe!
Mouth watering. The seasoning on the prawns looks so good I;m gonna try this out tomorrow itself. The only reservation I have when about prawns is the cleaning part. Is there an easy way to do it or to get readily cleaned shrimps/prawns that I do not have to worry about? Any online avenue would be helpful.
HI! I actually just buy my shrimp already deveined from Whole Foods. Makes things very easy! Please let me know if you have other questions. Hope you love this recipe! Thanks! 🙂
OH love the idea of cooking polenta in milk to make it extra rich and creamy! YUM 🙂
Thank you so much Brittany!
Thank you I was looking this reciepe on the web., Finally found best reciepe thank you so much admin ..
So glad you like this!
So
The directions for the polenta say 2c of water and the milk. But the ingredients for the polenta only list 2c of milk. So are we using 2c of water and 2c of milk?
HI! You will need to 2 cups of bother milk and water, so 4 cups of liquid total. Please let me know if you have other questions. Hope you love this recipe! Thanks! 🙂
I just made a version of this tonight for new recipe Friday. It was great. I didn’t look at the recipe at all and made cream cheese polenta with bacon and used Trader Joe’s Argentina red shrimp and added homemade pesto. It was delicious and my wife loved it.
I am so glad you and your wife loved this Andy! Thank you!!
We loved this. I halved the recipe since it was only for two people. Next time, I’ll do the full amount of chimichurri. It brought a wonderful flavor to the dish and I wished I had had more. This will definitely be repeated.
I am so glad you liked this! Thank you Dave!
Saw Red in the Mt Dew ad. (I think it was Mt Dew) So happy for him!
Awh thank you Sharon! I am so happy to hear that!
Saw Red in a Mt. Dew ad (I think it was Mt Dew) So happy for him!
I made this tonight! It was super tasty! I definitely should have seasoned it a little heavier (had to add more salt and pepper at the table) but was still delicious! 🙂
Thank you Kristy!
This was easy. Light. And fantastic. The perfect amount of heat and flavor. Will definitely make it again.
Thank you Mandi!
Love these buttery shrimp over polenta, so delicious!
Thank you Laura!
So delicious! My whole family loved this! I always add some Parmesan cheese to polenta to give it more flavor.
Thank you! I am so glad you loved this Eleanor!
Love this! I added some halved cherry tomatoes just for a little extra color. Delicious!
Thank you!
Tried to make but my polenta was very runny. Instructions say 2 cups water & milk but no water listed in ingredients. Help I want to try again
HI! Yes, I like to use 2 cups of water and 2 cups of milk. How long did you cook the polenta for? You might have just needed to cook it longer. Please let me know if you have other questions. Hope you love this recipe! Thanks! 🙂
I am craving this right now! This looks like the perfect quick summer dinner! Yum!
Thank you!!
Just made it!!! Such a winner- only complaint is I should have made more shrimp. I put my sauce in the food processor to make it more of a paste. Great summer recipe to make when it’s raining out & cant use the grill.
Thank you so much Lauren! I am so glad you loved this!
Made this for dinner tonight and it was delicious!!
Thank you Andrea!
I made this last night. I can totally see how it’s your fave. So good. We don’t like polenta, so I used fresh basil and sliced tomatoes in it’s place. I’d make no changes aside from doubling the recipe. It was embarrassing how we inhaled it….! Thanks for another excellent recipe, this one will be in a regular rotation but I truly can’t wait to spring this on a dinner party.
I am so glad you liked this! Thank you so much!
This was my boyfriend and I’s first taste of polenta, and we both loved this dish. It’s filling, but light and fresh tasting thanks to the herbs. Very easy and quick to make – I’ll definitely be making this again!
Thank you Kayleigh!
I made this recipe for dinner tonight, and it was AMAZING! Thank you for this!
I am so glad you loved this! Thank you Kristin!
My husband said, “I would pay for this at a restaurant and be happy with my meal!” So there you go.
Wow!! I am so glad he loved this Rebecca! Thank you!
This might be your dumbest question yet- buuut. The corn. Do I cook/grill it first?!? I assume yes, but not confident. Thanks! I’m going to give it a go tonight!:)
Hey Sarah! You actually do not cook the corn first. Some of it will get cooked with the shrimp and the rest is meant to be eaten raw! It’s delicious…that said if you don’t like that then yes, feel free to cook the corn! Please let me know if you have other questions. Hope you love this recipe! Thanks! 🙂
Do you cook the corn for the chimichurri?
Hi! There is no need to cook the corn prior to adding it to the chimichurri. Please let me know if you have other questions. Hope you love this recipe! Thanks! 🙂
thank you for sharing information
Thank you! I hope you enjoyed it!
Made this again last night and served on the tomatoes and basil. So addicting and it looks pretty. Thanks again for sharing.
Thank you so much! I am so glad you loved this!
OMG! Made this last night and it is now on our weekly rotation. My boyfriend now thinks I’m a master chef, little does he know this is the EASIEST recipe.
Wow, this was such a hit! I had a really hard time finding polenta at any of my grocery stores. I had been looking since this was posted in May because it looked like a must try. I must have gone to at least 5 different grocery stores and a number of health food stores/bulk barn and no luck! Well, wouldn’t it be just my luck that I stumble upon it at the small health food store a block away from my house after months of searching! So excited I made this that night, and let me tell you it was WELL WORTH the long search. So light and tasty.
I have to ask, since I haven’t cooked with polenta before. Did you make the polenta according to the package directions (mine said to add Parmesan)? I didn’t use Parmesan and followed your directions, and when I first tried the polenta wasn’t sure I would like it but with the chimichurri it was fantastic! I sent this recipe out to a coworker who promptly went home and made it as well. This was a winner for sure! Thanks Tieghan! Your blog has become my go to when asking “What’s for dinner?”!
Hi!I didn’t make according to the directions, but I do usually add cheese to my polenta. delish! Please let me know if you have any other questions. So glad you love this recipe. Thanks so much! x Tieghan
First time to comment, but not my first time for trying one of your recipes with success. You have an incredible talent.
My team does not like soft polenta, so I lightly sautéed polenta cakes instead and made additional chimichurri; dinner received rave reviews.
That is so amazing! Thank you so much Victoria!
Oh my wowness! Made this tonight. So quick and easy and the flavors melding together perfectly! Thank you for a great recipe.
Thank you! I am so glad you enjoyed this!
It was veryyyyy good!!! I will do it Shaun. Its also very pretty!
Thank you Audrey!
We made this recipe last night and now I want to eat his AT LEAST once a week. I cannot rave about this recipe enough. Its comforting and with the right amount of bright and refreshing with the chimichurri.
I am so happy to hear that! Thank you so much Kelly!
Hi love! Is there a way to make polenta without milk and butter (non-dairy)? Can coconut milk be used, or does that not go well with polenta?
HI! Coconut milk will be DELICIOUS! great idea! Just omit the butter and add a tablespoon of olive oil! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe. Thanks so much!! xTieghan ?
This is so different, but so yummy!
Thank you Mari!
Hi Tieghan. I made this last night for a girls’ night dinner. We all loved it and it came together so quickly. The chimimchurri with corn was so refreshing and using milk for half of the polenta liquid made for a creamy dish. I know that you are suppose to make a “tried and true” dish when entertaining, but I tend to do the opposite. It can be risky for sure, but I know that when I cook one of your recipes, it’s going to be good every time. I also, made your Sheet Pan Poblano Chicken Fajitas which was delicious and so colorful! Finally to go with a hummus appetizer, I made your pita bread. I absolutely love this! So much better than store bought and so easy, especially with a stand mixer. This was my fourth time making it and I still have some dough in the refrigerator so I can made more today. Thank you for your delicious recipes! You and Ina are my “go tos” every time!
Hi Anne! That is so amazing this turned out so well for you! Thank you so much for making it! xTieghan
My son and I made this the other night for his celiac, vegetarian, non dairy girlfriend (made the polenta with soy milk) We added some avocados on the top as well. Fantastic recipe for anyone with issues with food. LOVED IT
I am so glad this turned out amazing for you all! Thank you Gail! xTieghan
This looks good!
Thank you Susan! xTieghan
Love this recipe! Next time i’m going to add some cajun style spices to the shrimp. It was also super quick to whip up together.
Thank you so much Sophia! xTieghan
There is no mention of the corn in the directions! I nearly forgot. Just ended up throwing it in the shrimp pan before the shrimp, but would like to hear your recommendation.
Hey Megan! The corn is in step 1 one, see below. I bolded it for you. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
1. To make the chimichurri. In a medium bowl, combine the cilantro, parsley, jalapeño, garlic, red wine vinegar, olive oil, lime juice, lemon juice, and a pinch of salt. Stir in the corn.
This was easy and quite delicious. Will make again!!
Thank you so much Kris! xTieghan
Made a version of this tonight and it was a huge hit! (Both my husband and I loved it which is rare to make us both happy!) I served it deconstructed for my kids and they loved it too! A few slight changes: used a can of unsweetened coconut milk and with the 2 cups of water and made Indian Head corn meal polenta. Added a good hunk of butter and some shredded parm at the end. I didn’t have jalapeño for the chimmichurri so I found a little frozen fire roasted poblanos and added that and some crushed red pepper on the shrimp. I grilled the shrimp instead (but smeared with some butter and put a little chimmichurri on beforehand). Sautéed some spinach and cherry tomatoes with a spoonful or two or the chimmichurri, threw that on top of the polenta and topped everything with some chopped avocado. That chimmichurri goes a long way and everything was delish! Gone before any pictures could even happen.
That is so amazing to hear! Thank you so much for trying this recipe Emily! xTieghan
I am not sure that anyone can share such a good recipe but thank you for that.
Thank you!
I can’t wait to try this recipe! I was just wondering if you need to boil the corn ear before you remove the kernels? I’m a perfectionist so i want this recipe to come out perfect!
Hi Karla,
Nope, you are all good with the corn as is! I hope you love the recipe! Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Absolutely delicious! I didn’t have cilantro, so I did a mix of lemon basil and oregano with the parsley and apple cider vinegar instead of red wine vinegar, and the flavor was still incredible! I especially love the bite you get from the jalapeno.
Thank you so much Ettienne! xTieghan
This was AMAZING. So comforting but light and fresh with the corn. Such a quick good week night meal!
I am so glad you loved this one, Jenn! Thank you for trying it! xTieghan
Too late in the season for cilantro, but we still have some basil in the garden, so I used that. We also had poblano peppers on hand, so I subbed them for the jalapeño. This was delicious! And so quick and easy. Thank you for another restaurant quality meal!
Thank you so much Jane! I am really glad this turned out so well for you! xTieghan
I have made this twice recently! It’s delicious. I usually find that I need 2 ears of corn rather than one to make my chimichurri look like it does in your video. I like to put a dash of smoked paprika on top just for color.
Thank you for your inventive and fool-proof recipes!
Hey Sally,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, I am so glad it was enjoyed! Happy Sunday! xTieghan
Absolutely, positively delicious. I already had leftover polenta on hand, (which is why I went searching for a polenta dish) so I didnt follow the instructions for that part. However, the shrimp and chimichurri was absolutely delicious. I will definitely be making this recipe again!
Hey Alexandra,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, I am thrilled that it was enjoyed! Happy Valentine’s Day❤️ xTieghan