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Home » Recipes » Seafood Recipes

Garlic Butter Shrimp

Published: Jul 7, 2023 by Chef Dennis Littley

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My easy Garlic Butter Shrimp recipe, made with sweet, succulent shrimp in a rich garlicky butter sauce, can be on your dinner table in less than 20 minutes from start to finish.

garlic butter shrimp in a white casserole dish.


 

These lemony garlic butter shrimp couldn’t be easier to make. It really only takes a few minutes of prep, peeling the shrimp and mincing the garlic. After that, 5-7 minutes in the saute pan and dinner is ready!

garlic butter shrimp in a white casserole dish.

The simple garlic butter sauce can be used with fresh salmon, flounder, tilapia, and scallops. But garlic butter shrimp is definitely my favorite!

If you like garlicky, buttery shrimp, make sure to try my Shrimp Scampi Recipe.

Table of Contents:
  • Ingredients to make Garlic Butter Shrimp
  • What type of shrimp should I use?
  • How to make Garlic Butter Shrimp
  • Recipe FAQ’s
  • More Shrimp Recipes You’ll Love!
  • Recipe: Easy Garlic Butter Shrimp

Ingredients to make Garlic Butter Shrimp

ingredients to make recipe.

Let’s start by gathering the ingredients we need to make my Lemon Garlic Butter Shrimp Recipe. In Chef Speak, this is called the “Mise en Place,” which translates to “Everything in its Place.”

Not only does setting up your ingredients ahead of time speed up the cooking process, it also helps ensure you have everything you need to make the dish.

Made with simple ingredients.

  • shrimp – peeled and deveined. Use up leftovers in my tasty shrimp cocktail recipe.
  • olive oil
  • salted or unsalted butter
  • fresh garlic
  • fresh lemon juice
  • sweet paprika
  • table salt
  • black pepper
  • red pepper flakes (optional)
  • fresh parsley

Although I didn’t use any in this recipe, feel free to add a little white wine to the sauce and serve it with grated romano or parmesan cheese. And if you want to stretch the garlic-butter sauce to serve over pasta, add a little chicken broth or pasta water to the sauce. Add a dab or two of butter rolled in flour (beurre manie) to thicken the sauce if needed.

What type of shrimp should I use?

The best shrimp to use for any shrimp dish are caught in the Gulf of Mexico, the Atlantic Ocean on the east coast of the US, and the Pacific Coast of the US. You can also get amazing shrimp from Australian waters and from parts of the European Union.

*Shrimp are almost always frozen when processed onboard ships. If you see “fresh shrimp”, it’s a good bet they were frozen and thawed to put on sale. And never, ever buy precooked shrimp. It’s a waste of money, considering how quickly shrimp cook.

The shrimp you need to avoid, like the plague, will be originating in Asian, Indonesian, and Indian waters. And for the most part, any shrimp that’s farmed is not a good choice.

As with everything, there will be exceptions to the rule, but for the most part, these are not the shrimp you want to eat.

I like using 16-20 (count per pound) shrimp for just about all of the dishes I make that include shrimp. You can also use 21-25 count shrimp, but anything smaller will cook too fast and end up being chewy and tough.

How to make Garlic Butter Shrimp

add olive oil and raw shrimp to the pan.

Place a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the pan gets hot, add the olive oil, shrimp, salt, and pepper to the pan.

garlic added to the pan.

Let the shrimp cook on both sides until they get color on both sides, about 2-3 minutes. Cooking time depends on the size of the shrimp you used. I used 16-20 count per pound.

Add the garlic to the pan and continue to cook for another minute. Stirring as needed.

add seasonings, lemon juice and butter to the pan.

Reduce the heat to medium and add the garlic powder, onion powder, sweet paprika, lemon juice, and butter to the pan.

Toss the ingredients to blend and coat the shrimp, letting the mixture cook for another minute or two until the shrimp are fully cooked.

finished recipe in pan.

Add half the chopped parsley to the pan and toss to mix.

If the sauce gets too thick, add a little water to the pan to bring it back to the desired consistency.

garlic butter shrimp in a white casserole dish.

Serve the Garlic Butter Shrimp as an appetizer or with rice, cauliflower rice, pasta, or zucchini noodles as an entree.

Wouldn’t you love to sit down to a dish of these garlicky, lemony, buttery shrimp? Just don’t forget to have some crusty bread on hand to dip in the sauce.

Recipe FAQ’s

What should I serve with Garlic Butter Shrimp?

I usually serve brown rice or spaghetti with this dish, but it also goes well with orzo, farro, roasted potatoes, or your favorite grain. Add a nice tossed salad and a loaf of crusty bread to dip in the sauce and you’ve got a feast!

How do I make shrimp more flavorful?

Adding lemon juice or other citrus is always a good way to perk up the flavor of shrimp. And don’t forget the salt. Salt and other seasonings like garlic powder, onion powder, and black pepper will help enhance the flavor.

Can I use precooked shrimp?

Honestly, you should never buy precooked shrimp. You have no way of knowing where they’re from or what condition they were in before being cooked. Unless they are steaming the shrimp in front of your and you want them for peel and eat shrimp, always start with raw. Raw shrimp will have a lot more flavor and will create dishes you will love to make and eat.

More Shrimp Recipes You’ll Love!

  • shrimp scampi with linguini on white plate
    Shrimp Scampi Recipe
  • partial overhead view of peel and eat shrimp with cocktail sauce and lemons in a white bowl
    Restaurant Style Peel and Eat Shrimp
  • overhead view of shrimp cocktail and cocktail sauce on an iced plate with a lemon wedge
    Shrimp Cocktail Recipe
  • golden brown fried shrimp on a white plate with tarter sauce, cocktail sauce and lemon slices
    Crispy Fried Shrimp

garlic butter shrimp in a white casserole dish.

Easy Garlic Butter Shrimp

Chef Dennis Littley
My easy Garlic Butter Shrimp recipe, made with sweet, succulent shrimp in a rich garlicky butter sauce, can be on your dinner table in less than 20 minutes from start to finish.
5 from 75 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes mins
Cook Time 6 minutes mins
Total Time 16 minutes mins
Course Entree
Cuisine American
Servings 4
Calories 250 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1 lb shrimp peeled and deveined
  • 2 tablespoon olive oil
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon garlic finely chopped
  • 4 tablespoon butter
  • ½ teaspoon onion powder
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon sweet paprika
  • ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes optional – for a little added heat
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice more or less to taste
  • 1 tablespoon Italian parsley finely chopped

Instructions
 

  • Place a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the pan gets hot, add the olive oil, shrimp, salt, and pepper to the pan.
  • Let the shrimp cook on both sides until they get color on both sides, about 2-3 minutes.
    Cooking time depends on the size of the shrimp you used. I used 16-20 count per pound.
  • Add the garlic to the pan and continue to cook for another minute. Stirring as needed.
  • R3duce the heat to medium and add the garlic powder, onion powder, sweet paprika, lemon juice, and butter to the pan. Toss the ingredients to blend and coat the shrimp, letting the mixture cook for another minute or two until the shrimp are fully cooked.
  • Add half the chopped parsley to the pan and toss to mix.
  • If the sauce gets too thick, add a little water to the pan, to bring it back to the desired consistency.
  • Serve immediately with rice or pasta. Garnish with chopped parsley.

Nutrition

Calories: 250kcalCarbohydrates: 3gProtein: 16gFat: 20gSaturated Fat: 8gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0.5gCholesterol: 173mgSodium: 938mgPotassium: 166mgFiber: 0.3gSugar: 0.2gVitamin A: 800IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 73mgIron: 1mg
Tried this recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @askchefdennis or tag #askchefdennis!

Comments

    5 from 75 votes (64 ratings without comment)

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    Recipe Rating




  1. Wayne Hershelman says

    August 08, 2023 at 7:01 pm

    5 stars
    Gotta love chef Dennis! I found you a few years ago looking for a oysters Rockefeller recipe! I’ve made them half a dozen times since as my wife absolutely loves them. Tonight I made your shrimp scampi and it was to die for!! Thanks for the great recipes you put out there. Haven’t found one I don’t like yet!

    Reply
  2. Hayley Dhanecha says

    July 31, 2023 at 3:18 am

    5 stars
    We love garlic butter! we prepared this for our guests yeasterday and they all loved it. Easy and quick starter recipe.

    Reply
  3. Enriqueta E Lemoine says

    July 30, 2023 at 8:47 pm

    5 stars
    Thank you, Chef Dennis, for this recipe. I followed your directions and my shrimp were cooked to perfection. I cannot wait to make them again.

    Reply
  4. Sangeetha says

    July 30, 2023 at 2:21 am

    5 stars
    I absolutely loved this Garlic Butter Shrimp recipe! 🍤 It was unbelievably quick and easy to make, and the flavors are simply delightful. Plus, the fact that it can be ready in less than 20 minutes is a huge bonus. This recipe will definitely become a go-to for busy weeknights.

    Reply
  5. Veronika says

    July 28, 2023 at 3:14 pm

    5 stars
    I made this recipe yesterday and my whole family loved it! So easy to make and so delicious 😉

    Reply
  6. Jessica says

    July 28, 2023 at 10:35 am

    5 stars
    The lemon took this dish to the next level! Loved it, and it was so easy. This is a new family favorite for dinner. Thank you!

    Reply
  7. Tammy says

    July 27, 2023 at 3:28 pm

    5 stars
    I couldn’t think of a better summer dish than this! It had so much flavor!

    Reply
  8. Kathryn says

    July 27, 2023 at 9:58 am

    5 stars
    This is my new favorite way to prepare shrimp! It’s the best and so easy to prepare.

    Reply
  9. Veronika says

    July 26, 2023 at 10:32 pm

    5 stars
    There’s beauty in simplicity and I loved the simple combo of garlic and butter here. The lemon juice made it so fresh too, we served it with simple toasted bread and loved it!

    Reply
  10. Bernice says

    July 25, 2023 at 7:29 pm

    5 stars
    YUM. I make garlic shrimp fairly regularly, especially when it’s hot because they are so quick to cook. There’s always been something missing… until now! This recipe is a keeper for sure.

    Reply
  11. Sharon says

    July 25, 2023 at 3:50 pm

    5 stars
    This garlic butter shrimp with a nice baguette was amazing with a nice glass of wine. So easy!

    Reply


My name is Chef Dennis Littley, creator and owner of Ask Chef Dennis Productions. As a classically trained chef with 40+ years of experience in the kitchen, I share my time-tested recipes, knowledge, and chef tips to help you create easy-to-make restaurant-quality meals in your home kitchen.

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