This Garlic Butter Shrimp is so simple yet outrageously delicious and ready in under 15 minutes. Perfect for a quick weeknight dinner, these succulent shrimp are coated in a rich, zesty lemon garlic butter sauce that elevates every bite. Make it with or without wine!
These garlic butter shrimp require just a handful of ingredients and are incredibly easy to prepare. With only a few minutes of prep time and some minced garlic, you’ll have a flavorful dish that’s perfect on its own with bread to mop up all the lemon garlic butter sauce or serve over pasta or rice.
If you typically have frozen shrimp on hand, along with a few basic pantry staples, you can whip up this quick shrimp recipe in under 20 minutes, making it perfect for weeknights or date nights. For an even faster option, consider making air fryer shrimp! Plus, since it’s all made in one pan, cleanup is a breeze!
With or without tails? I believe shrimp look more appealing with the tails on, especially when served as an appetizer—it gives your guests an easy way to enjoy them, just be sure to have plenty of napkins on hand! However, if you're simply looking for a quick dinner solution, feel free to remove the tails before cooking. Ultimately, it’s all about your personal preference and the presentation you want to achieve.
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Why this recipe works?
- 20 minute dinner
- Serve with bread, pasta or rice for a complete meal
- Tasty as an appetizer
- Make it with or without wine
- Scrumptious garlic butter sauce
- Restaurant quality dish at home
Ingredients
Scroll down to the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and amounts.
The ingredients for this recipe are pretty standard for an easy shrimp with garlic butter sauce. However, I’d like to highlight a few that you might have questions about:
- Shrimp - I prefer using large shrimp that are shelled and deveined, keeping the tails on for easier handling, especially when serving as an appetizer. However, feel free to remove the tails if you prefer. Whether you choose to leave them on or take them off, both options work beautifully!
- Garlic - Make sure to use plenty of freshly chopped garlic—freshly minced garlic is essential! The flavor simply can’t be matched by the jarred variety. Trust me, it makes all the difference!
- Butter - Unsalted butter allows you to be in control of the salt. Adjust salt if using salted butter.
- Lemon - The lemon juice helps balance out the flavors and richness in the dish.
- Stock or wine - You can choose either stock or wine based on your personal preference. Stock adds depth and complements the flavors of the garlic and lemon beautifully. In contrast, wine brings acidity and complexity, brightening the dish.
🦐 Frozen shrimp - Frozen shrimp is a great staple for quick weeknight shrimp dinners. In fact, it’s often better than fresh shrimp since it’s flash-frozen at peak freshness and thaws in just minutes.
How to make garlic butter shrimp?
You can find full printable recipe below, but here is a quick overview of the procedure along with step-by-step photos.
Tip: Just a pinch of sugar helps with the browning and also brings out the sweetness of the shrimp.
🦐 Secret to juicy shrimp is not to overcook. They’re done when they turn pink and opaque, so keep a close eye to avoid overcooking!
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How to serve?
These garlic butter shrimp are great served over pasta or rice dishes, and they even make a great appetizer.
- Toss your cooked spaghetti or any pasta into the pan, letting it absorb all that delicious garlic butter sauce.
- Serve over a bed of fluffy white rice.
- Serve with crusty bread for mopping up all that yummy garlic sauce. This is great for an appetizer or casual meal.
Recipe tips
- Salt depends on the use of stock or wine used. Adjust based on your taste.
- I used 33% reduced sodium stock. If you use regular or no sodium stock, adjust salt accordingly.
- Make sure to pat dry the shrimp before cooking.
- Don't overcook your shrimp. Remove when they are almost done.
More easy shrimp recipes for dinner
Garlic Butter Shrimp
Ingredients
- 1 pound shrimp peeled, deveined and patted dry
- ¾ teaspoon salt divided, or taste
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 pinch sugar
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 5 tablespoons butter divided
- 4 large garlic cloves finely chopped
- ¼ cup stock or wine
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons dried parsley
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Add shrimp to a bowl and toss it with ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ¼ teaspoon black pepper and one pinch sugar.
- Add the olive oil in a large pan and let it heat up over medium heat.
- Add the shrimp, spread into an even layer, and cook for 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until shrimp are pink and opaque. Transfer the shrimp to a plate.
- Add 4 tablespoons butter to the pan and let it melt. Add the garlic and pale golden in color, for 1 to 2 minutes.
- Stir in the stock or wine, lemon juice, parsley, red pepper flakes and remaing ¼ teaspoon salt. Let it come to a simmer and cook for 3 to 5 minutes or thickened slightly.
- Stir in the shrimp along with the remaining juices and the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter. Serve with toasted bread, pasta or rice.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information, based on third-party calculations, should be seen as estimates, not guarantees, as various factors like product types, brands, processing methods, and more can alter the nutritional content in recipes.
Did you make this recipe? I’d love your feedback! Comment below or tag me on Instagram.
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