Simple and deliciously seasoned Shrimp Couscous is roasted on a single sheet pan with asparagus and red pepper. This 30-minute dinner is topped with an addictive green herb sauce!
This meal hits all the bases — it’s healthy, flavor packed, and simple to make. Pair this shrimp couscous with this easy cucumber salad or a quick fruit salad.
It’s beginning to feel like spring where I’m at, which means it’s time to break out the asparagus! We had this Roasted Asparagus a couple of times this week and it’s one of our favorites! So with about 1/2 pound asparagus leftover and a red bell pepper that needed to be used, Shrimp Couscous was born.
Shrimp Couscous is a quick meal to make and feels like spring on a plate! It’s light, flavorful, and nutritious.
How to make Shrimp Couscous
- Start with the green herb sauce: the longer this sauce can “marinate” in the fridge, the more flavorful it becomes.
- Roast the veggies and shrimp: The asparagus and red bell pepper are roasted first and then the shrimp gets added to the tray. It’s a great way to save dishes and total cook time is less than 15 minutes!
- Prepare the couscous: While the veggies and shrimp are cooking, prepare the couscous. If you haven’t made couscous before, you’re going to love how easy it is to prepare. See how to make it here.
- Assemble: Toss some of the green herb sauce in the couscous, add the roasted shrimp and veggies on top, and drizzle with more of the sauce.
Cooking tips
Asparagus and peppers
Roasted asparagus is done when it turns bright green and is tender but still has a slight bite to it. You can pierce the spears with a fork or take a quick bite of one to gauge how cooked they are.
- Difficult to chew? Undercooked
- Mushy? Overcooked
The same applies to red peppers. Make sure the peppers are very thinly sliced and then the slices are halved so they’ll be done at the same time the asparagus is.
Shrimp
You’ll know the shrimp are done when they turn from blue-grey and translucent color to an opaque whitish-pink color.
The shrimp should curl up into a “C” shape when properly cooked. An undercooked shrimp will still have some grayish spots on them and form more of a flexible “U” shape.
Shrimp Couscous recipe tips
- Use a large sheet pan: The more space the vegetables and shrimp have (the less crowded they are), the better and more evenly they’ll roast. When vegetables are overlapping on a sheet pan, they end up steaming instead of roasting. This affects the end taste and texture. I’ve started using this 15×21 inch sheet pan. Using a huge sheet pan makes a big difference for this recipe.
- The actual thickness of asparagus varies, the size of your shrimp will vary, and your actual oven temperature can vary. For best results, check the roasted vegetables and shrimp rather than relying solely on time. The time will also vary, depending on how roasted you like your vegetables. We like ours crisp-tender (still has a slight bite to it). If you like your veggies more well done, add a few minutes to the vegetable roasting time.
- Make the green herb sauce ahead of time: If you’re planning meals for the week (or meal prepping), I recommend making this sauce a day or two ahead. You might even want to double it and add it to whatever else you’re eating during the week. It’s great on grilled chicken, grilled steak, or tossed in a salad with veggies. To say we’re obsessed with this sauce (and especially on this Shrimp Couscous) would be an understatement!
More easy meals
- Spring Quinoa Salad
- One-Pan Lemon Parmesan Chicken and Asparagus
- Chickpea Salad (Mediterranean Inspired)
- Pesto Couscous Bowls
- Moroccan Carrot Salad
Shrimp Couscous
Equipment
- Large jar or other sealable container
Ingredients
Shrimp, Couscous, and Veggies
- Salt and pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper increase to 1/2 teaspoon if you love spice!
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 lemons
- 1/2 pound large shrimp peeled and deveined, 21/25
- 1 cup couscous
- 1 medium red pepper sliced into thin strips and strips halved
- 1/2 pound asparagus woody ends removed and cut into thirds
Herb Sauce
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 3 to 4 cloves finely chopped garlic
- 1/2 cup finely chopped cilantro about 1 full bunch
- 1/2 cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley about 1 full bunch
Instructions
- Start with the sauce so it has time for flavors to meld; it can be made 1–2 days in advance. In a large jar, add olive oil, Italian seasoning, red wine vinegar, honey, and 2 tablespoons lemon juice. Finely chop garlic and add to the jar. Shake well to combine ingredients. Finely chop a bunch of parsley to get a full 1/2 cup (you should use most of a good-sized bunch; simply cut off the bottom of the bunch and chop the rest). Finely chop the cilantro. Add parsley and cilantro to the jar and stir to combine. Seal and refrigerate to “marinate.”
- Preheat oven to 400°F. On a large sheet pan, add chopped asparagus (remove ends and cut all the asparagus into 3 parts) and chopped red pepper. In a small bowl, stir together 1 teaspoon salt, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, cayenne pepper, olive oil, and 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Stir to form a paste and add half to the veggies. Toss well to coat and spread into 1 even layer so no veggies overlap. Place in oven and cook 6–7 minutes (this will vary on the thickness of veggies).
- Meanwhile, prepare the shrimp. Pat shrimp dry and gently toss in a bowl with the remaining spice paste. Remove veggies from oven, toss, and allow room for the shrimp. Add shrimp to the sheet pan and cook another 6–7 minutes or until shrimp is opaque and veggies are crisp-tender. Remove.
- While everything is cooking, prepare the couscous according to package directions. (Bring 1 cup water to a boil and once it boils, remove from heat, stir in couscous, and place the lid on. Let stand 2–4 minutes.) Fluff couscous with a fork. Add 1/2 cup of herb sauce and 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper (or to taste).
- Divide couscous onto 2 (or 4—see note 1) plates. Add equal amounts of veggies and shrimp. Serve with remaining herb sauce. (Add to taste; you may have some leftover.) Enjoy immediately.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Made this, but swapped out scallops for shrimp. It was amazing!
Yum! I’m so happy you enjoyed! Thanks Andy!
My sister made this dish and it was so good I made it myself! It is so quick and easy yet so tasty. The herb sauce is amazing! I use it on many different meats and veggies.
Yay! I am so happy to hear this! Thanks so much for your comment! 🙂