Garlic Butter Shrimp
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An amazing flavor combination of garlicky, buttery goodness – so elegant and easy to make in 20 min or less!
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Garlic and butter. The two greatest pleasures in life. The two ingredients I could probably live off of for the rest of my life. And when you combine these two in a glorious shrimp skillet, well, it’s nothing short of perfection.
why i love this recipe
- Fast, weeknight dinner. Made in just 20 minutes or less, the shrimp cooks very quickly, convenient for any night of the week.
- Simple but fancy. Even with its quick time stamp, garlic butter shrimp is still fancy and impressive enough to serve for company or date night in, serving with some crusty bread and a side of rice, orzo or pasta.
- Easy recipe to halve or double. Need a treat-yourself dinner or feeding a big crowd? This recipe can easily be halved or doubled as needed.
wild caught shrimp vs. farmed shrimp
Farmed shrimp are raised in controlled environments, whereas wild caught shrimp have been caught in their natural habitats by fishermen. Wild caught shrimp is generally preferred over farmed shrimp primarily due to taste.
frozen vs. fresh shrimp
Unless you reside in a coastal area, the “fresh shrimp” on display at your local grocery store have already been previously frozen at sea. Frozen shrimp offers ultimate freshness (flash-frozen as soon as they are caught) and flexibility, using only what you need for dinner. Bottom line, frozen shrimp will taste better and cook better.
tips and tricks for success
- Know your shrimp size. Shrimp size is calculated on number of shrimp per pound. The smaller the number, the larger your shrimp. There are about 40-50 medium shrimp per pound.
- Buy frozen shrimp. For superior quality and freshness, using frozen shrimp is ideal (but avoid the bags with freezer burn), opting for a quick thaw under cold running water.
- Cook in batches. Overcrowding the pan will lead to poor searing and chewy, rubbery shrimp.
- Reheat in the oven. Leftover shrimp can be rubbery when reheated in the microwave. For best results with leftovers, reheat in the oven at 325°F, covered in aluminum foil until warmed through.
- Serve with crusty bread. Serve with all the homemade crusty bread for dipping, sopping and dunking!
what to serve with garlic butter shrimp
Tools For This Recipe
Large cast iron skillet
Garlic Butter Shrimp: Frequently Asked Questions
Unsalted butter allows you to add as much salt (or as little) salt in your dish, allowing for more control and consistency.
You can replace unsalted butter with salted butter in a pinch, reducing the amount of salt indicated in the recipe, and adding to taste.
You can thaw frozen shrimp overnight, transferring it from the freezer to the fridge the day before. For a quick thaw, you can run them under cold water until completely thawed, about 5-10 minutes. Pat them dry as thoroughly as possible to remove any excess moisture (so they can brown nicely and evenly).
The lemon juice helps balance out the flavors and richness of the butter.
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 1 day.
Garlic Butter Shrimp
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- ¼ cup chicken stock
- 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
Instructions
- Season shrimp with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Working in batches, add shrimp, and cook, stirring occasionally, until pink, about 2-3 minutes; set aside.
- Stir in garlic until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Stir in chicken stock and lemon juice. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until reduced by half, about 1-2 minutes.
- Stir in remaining 6 tablespoons butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, until melted and smooth.
- Stir in shrimp and gently toss to combine.
- Serve immediately, garnished with parsley leaves, if desired.
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Outstanding!! Easy. Quick and delicious. Instead of Chicken Broth, use the shells to make a quick and easy Shrimp Broth.
Yummy
Step 1 – add the shrimp, and then in Step 6 – stir in the shrimp. I assume the shrimp comes out of the pan prior to Step 6 as more than a few minutes total cooking would be too much?
Thanks!
This was great. I did make two modifications. I added lemon zest to the chicken stock and reserved the lemon juice to add at the end of the preparation. Really good.
Always a hit with family and or company when I make it and service it with jasmine rice and asparagus!
Always a hit with family and or company when I make it and service it with jasmine rice and asparagus!
I have been making this for years and my husband loves it!!! Best recipe so far ❤️
I was cleaning out the freezer and came across a bag of frozen shrimp that was soon to expire. So, I thought I’d try this recipe.
Since the bag was only 12oz I halved everything. It ended up being tasty, but, a little on the middle side flavor-wise. I would gave liked more garlic flavor. The sauce was creamy. I added some sugar snap peas to between steps 4 & 5 to give the dish more color (and to use up some that I had on-hand). Next time I’d use the full amount of the other ingredients even if I only have 12oz of shrimp.
I’d definitely make this again.
Love your simple and delicious recipe. This is my go-to recipe!
Can I make this ahead for a cold appetizer
I have tried several recipes from this site and every one of them has been delicious!
Thanks so much for sharing them.
I did this before and it came out great. Can’t remember if I added more garlic then. Gonna make it for lunch today and will double the garlic ’cause I love garlic shrimps.
This was great, simple. Don’t change anything.
OH YES‼️
I’m a small business owner so I just added my website but just let me say this.
The lemon juice gave it the right amount of flavor, I used minced garlic Bcuz I didn’t that have any garlic cloves but it came out perfect, I ate mine over rice.
I’m going to go to the grocery store tmrw & try it again with some pasta noodles.
Thanks
I just came across this recipe. I think it would be great with spaghetti. Did you try it with spaghetti?
Delicious recipe, and so simple! Serve it on top of rice to make it more of a meal.
It tastes great!
I’ve made this twice, and it’s so good. I added some Tony Charchere’s, and it was as good as anything in a restaurant
For me, this is the perfect garlic butter shrimp recipe I try. Thank you for sharing.
The shrimp were less oily and the garlic flavour seemed to pop more. It was a big hit at out family event
Made this and enjoyed it ALL BY MYSELF. It was terrific. I wish though, that when people put all these wonderful recipes on the internet, they would also give the recipe for 1 or 2 people. It is hard to guesstimate how much of certain spices to put in for 1 or 2. Don’t say to cut everything in half because that doesn’t always work. Thanks for the great recipe.
I measure with my heart, especially when it comes to garlic! If your baking, exact measurements are necessary, but not when cooking add/subtract based on what you enjoy, taste while cooking makes a huge difference, hth
I made this tonight and it was a total hit! So easy! Everyone agreed it was the best shrimp we’ve had!