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!
Featured Comment
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.
types of shrimp
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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I made this last night and my husband & I loved it. It was so easy and flavorful. Only thing I did different was to add a small amount of pepper flakes. It is definitely a keeper. Thank you.
This is a fabulous recipe….served over lemon pepper fettuccine. Easy enough to cut in half and serve for two!
Yummy!! The kids love it.
Do you use raw or already cooked shrimp?
Raw.
I’ve used thie recipe a few times now – heavier on the lemon as is suggested as an option. All I can say is that it gets a “wow!” reaction every time! Thanks for the recipe muchly.
Thank you . Simple and looks delish
I want to give this recipe a try but what can I substitute for chicken stock?
Here is a great resource discussing possible substitutes – hope that helps!
It looks so delicious I really want to try it out but what if I have only access to frozen ones? How does the recipe change? Do I defrost them first? Thanks.
Yes, it is best to defrost.
I attempted to make this all was coming out well untill i put the lemon juice i put to much and it ruined the dish do u have any pointers how i could have dimmed the taste of lemon juice ?
You can try reducing it for next time?
Heavenly good!
The family loved these. Really great.
made this for supper last night and it was really good! i had leftover rice from another supper so I used that. I used much more rice than what the recipe called for. (I have two big eaters with a teenage son and my husband, so I have to make things stretch.) I also used coconut oil instead of butter. I actually like using coconut oil with shrimp recipes, it gives the shrimp a different, coconutty taste. Very good recipe and I’ll be making this often! Thank you!
Read more at http://diethood.com/garlic-butter-shrimp-and-rice/#ZTD5leP3l2gYIFQc.99
My husband and I love shrimp. This garlic shirmp and my homemade fettuccine alfredo is definitely was winning combination!
Just tried this recipe & absolutely loved it! Was so simple and quick to make. Took some into work the next day & had people begging for more. Thank you!!!!
OMG this was the best ready in 10 minutes. in my belly in 2. PERFECT
Making this for dinner tonight. Can hardly wait for dinner time!!!!!
It truly is damn delicious. Its easy to follow directions, makes it so simple, a six -year old could do it. Thank you soooooo much
This was a hit! Thank you for the recipe. I seasoned the shrimp a couple hours ahead of time with a little salt, black pepper and garlic because I find shrimp can be bland otherwise. So I didn’t add any salt or black pepper when sautéing. I also used a little less butter. This is now my go to recipe .
I made this tonight but I substituted olive oil for the butter since we have a dairy allergy in our family, the flavor was great but I am guessing that velvety mouth feel comes from the butter.. Still good but probably not as good.. Put it over spaghetti squash and added red pepper flakes..
This looks amazing and I’m going to make it for my daughter’s upcoming birthday – she wants some kind of shrimp! For those of us doing low-carb, this isn’t even cheating!