Shrimp and Rice

one blue bowl with cooked rice and shrimp along with a black spoon.

This Shrimp and Rice recipe is buttery, garlicky rice soaking up the flavors of shrimp because it's all cooked in the same pot. It's so so simple yet outrageously delicious and is ready in under 30 minutes. This recipe has consistently been a favorite among our readers, and I have now updated it by including instructions for stove top and instant pot cooking methods. It's so good you will want to eat it straight out of the pot!

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword garlic butter shrimp and rice, garlic shrimp and rice, instant pot shrimp rice, shrimp and rice

Prep Time 7

Cook Time 15

Total Time 22

Servings

Calories 397kcal

Author Maria Doss

Ingredients

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
¾ pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 cup basmati rice, rinsed and drained well
1 ½ cups chicken stock (I used 33% less sodium), refer notes (You will need 1 cup stock when cooking in IP and 1 ½ cups when cooking over stovetop)
¾ teaspoon salt or as per your taste (refer notes)
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
2 to 4 pinches red pepper flakes
3 tablespoons grated paremsan
2 teaspoons dried parsley or (2 tablespoons fresh)

Instructions

Stovetop instructions

Melt 4 tablespoons butter (save the remaining 1 tablespoon for later), in a medium pot, placed over medium-low heat. Add chopped garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until it turns pale golden.
Pro tip: Don't let your garlic brown! Raw pungent garlic transforms into a sweet, buttery flavor unlike any other. However, when you let the garlic cook longer and turn dark or brown, the sweet flavors change to bitter and harsh.
Add rice and cook, stirring constantly for about one minute, to toast the rice. Stir in 1 ½ cups chicken stock, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes.
Tip: Sauteeing the rice in garlicky butter develops nutty notes, helps the individual grains maintain their integrity, and prevents clumping.
Pro tip: Rinse your rice! Rinsing washes away starches on the grain's surface and helps them cook lighter and fluffier.
Bring to simmer (edges will beging bubbling), put the lid on and turn stove down to low. Cook for 10 minutes - do not lift lid!
Pro tip: The lid ensures that the liquid doesn't evaporate but eventually gets absorbed by the grains.
Open, stir in shrimp, close immediately and continue cooking on low for 4 minutes.
Tip: If the heat is too high, it will bubble over, resulting in the grains scorching due to lack of liquid. Whereas, too low, the rice sits in hot water, expanding rather than absorbing.
Remove pan from heat, stir in remaining butter, parmesan and parsley, cover again and let stand 10 minutes with lid on.
Fluff rice using a fork or wooden spoon, and serve.

Instant pot instructions

Press Instant Pot to saute mode. When hot, add 4 tablespoons butter and let melt. Stir in chopped garlic, cook, stirring occasionally for to 2 minutes.
Tip: Cook garlic until it turns pale golden but not any darker.
Add rice cook, stirring constantly for 1 minute to toast rice.
Press cancel, stir in 1 cup stock, shrimp, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. Close Instant pot, lock lid and set valve to sealing,
Pressure cook at high pressure for 3 minutes, then in warm mode for 10 minutes. Turn the knob to venting position to release the remaining pressure.
Gently stir in remaining 1 tablespoon butter, grated parmesan and parsley. Fluff rice with a fork, then serve warm.

Video

Notes

Rice - I prefer a long-grain variety like white or basmati rice because it contains the most amylose, a type of starch molecule and protein, than the medium and short-grain varieties, thus resulting in cooked grains that separate, light, and fluffy.

Salt - depends on the use of chicken stock. Adjust based on your taste.

Stock - I used 33% reduced sodium stock. If you use regular or no sodium stock, adjust salt accordingly.

Stove top- The stovetop method of shrimp and rice recipe cooks al dente rice. If you'd like your grains to be soft, use one and ¾ cups of chicken stock.

Nutrition