Mussels and Shrimp in an Asian Garlic Sauce

New Zealand Mussels on the half shell and shrimp are cooked in an Asian garlic sauce that is soy-free, gluten-free, Paleo, and Whole30 compliant. This sauce recipe is super simple and easy to make. Seafood has a fast cook time, so this dish will be ready in minutes for a delicious appetizer, lunch, or dinner option.

Seafood is a requested protein choice in our household. Seafood cooks up fast and is in many regards a healthy choice so it’s a win-win for a super easy meal. The one thing to keep in mind when cooking mussels and shrimp, is that they can turn rubbery if overcooked.

Shrimp are cooked thoroughly as soon as the whole shrimp turns opaque and pink. Overcooking shrimp is very easy to do, so just make sure to keep an eye on the shrimp and take them off the heat as soon as they turn pink and opaque to avoid them turning dry and rubbery. Mussels can also turn rubbery if overcooked, so be cautious not to overcook them. To properly cook New Zealand Half-Shell Mussels, the mussels need to be heated all the way through (evenly hot) to be considered cooked.

Ingredients needed to make this easy recipe

• New Zealand mussels*, thawed, on the half shell
• Shrimp, thawed/raw/peeled
• Coconut aminos
• Fish sauce (if doing Whole30 make sure the fish sauce used is compliant)
• Salt
• Black pepper
• Cayenne pepper powder
• White vinegar
• Olive oil
• Green onions
• Garlic cloves

I love this recipe because you only need to use one pan. Score! One-pan recipes are the best because it means easy cleanups. I don’t know about you, but I like to spend more time eating and less time cleaning up after cooking…just sayin’.

How to make our Mussels and Shrimp in an Asian Garlic Sauce recipe

Step 1: Rinse the mussels & shrimp

Rinse the thawed mussels with cold water and then pat dry mussels with paper towels. Rinse shrimp under cool water, and dry them well with paper towels. Set aside.

Step 2: Prepare the Asian-style sauce

Mix coconut aminos, fish sauce, salt, ground black pepper, cayenne pepper powder, white vinegar, green onions, and minced garlic together in a small bowl to create your sauce. Set aside for later.

Step 3: Heat a pan and cook the mussels

Heat a non-stick frying pan to medium-high. Add a tablespoon of olive oil to the pan.

Add your New Zealand mussels to the pan shell side up.

Use half of the sauce and spread it evenly on top of mussels.

After about 2 minutes, flip the mussels upside down with shells facing you.

Cook the mussels (meat side down) until the sauce has reduced by 70%, about 5 minutes, or until mussels are cooked thoroughly. *Mussels can turn rubbery, so make sure to not overcook them.

Remove your mussels from the pan and set them aside.

Step 4: Cook the shrimp in the same pan

Add olive oil to the pan you used to cook the mussels.

Add your shrimp and cook until pink on both sides.

Add the other half of the sauce and cook for an additional 2 minutes.

Once done remove your shrimp.  Note: Do not cook shrimp too long or it will turn chewy/tough. Shrimp are fully cooked as soon as it turns opaque and pink.

Step 5: Serve and enjoy!

We hope you enjoy our Mussels and Shrimp in an Asian Garlic Sauce recipe!

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Mussels and Shrimp in an Asian Garlic Sauce

Yield: 4

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

New Zealand Mussels on the half shell and shrimp are cooked in an Asian garlic sauce that is soy-free, gluten-free, Paleo, and Whole30 compliant.

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Ingredients

• 1 lb New Zealand mussels*, thawed, on the half shell
• ½ lb shrimp, thawed/raw/peeled
• 2 tbsp coconut aminos
• 1 tsp fish sauce (if doing Whole30 make sure the fish sauce used is compliant)
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper powder
• 1/4 tsp white vinegar
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 green onions, minced
• 4 garlic cloves, minced

Instructions

1. Rinse the thawed mussels with cold water and then pat dry mussels with paper towels. Rinse shrimp under cool water, and dry them well with paper towels. Set aside.
2. Mix coconut aminos, fish sauce, salt, ground black pepper, cayenne pepper powder, white vinegar, green onions, and minced garlic together in a small bowl to create your sauce. Set aside for later.
3. Heat a non-stick frying pan to medium-high. Add a tablespoon of olive oil to the pan.
4. Add your New Zealand mussels to the pan shell side up.
5. Use half of the sauce and spread it evenly on top of mussels.
6. After about 2 minutes, flip the mussels upside down with shells facing you.
7. Cook the mussels (meat side down) until the sauce has reduced by 70%, about 5 minutes, or until mussels are cooked thoroughly. *Mussels can turn rubbery, so make sure to not overcook them.
8. Remove your mussels from the pan and set them aside while you cook the shrimp.
9. Add olive oil to the pan you used to cook the mussels.
10. Add your shrimp and cook until pink on both sides.
11. Add the other half of the sauce and cook for an additional 2 minutes.
12. Once done remove your shrimp.  Note: Do not cook shrimp too long or it will turn chewy/tough. Shrimp are fully cooked as soon as it turns opaque and pink.
13. Enjoy!

Notes

*We prefer using greenshell New Zealand mussels for this recipe. These mussels are frozen cleaned half-shells. Thaw according to their instructions, rinse, and pat dry before using them.

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