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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I just made this for dinner…. Aaaahhhhhmazing!!! We’ll be adding this more regularly to our dinner rotation!
Thank you so much for posting this recipe. I made this for dinner tonight and it was absolutely delicious! I followed the recipe exactly but added pasta to the finished dish and WOW, just wow. Had to resist licking the bowl.
I think this is relatively healthy. Butter is good for you. Butter is not fattening. Unless you gobble this whole dish down yourself. That’s a different story.
I think I could hahah
I REALLY want to make this today but I have no chicken stock, broth, bullion or anything 🙁
Is there a substitute?
Unfortunately, without further recipe testing, I cannot advise an appropriate substitute that will not alter the overall taste/texture of the dish. Using a substitution may also result in a mediocre outcome.
Great recipe! I serve it on a bed of very fluffy mashed potato & it gets rave reviews every time! Thanks!
I’m going to make this next week. But what would you pair it with?
You can really pair this with anything – potatoes, vegetables, etc. It’s up to you!
I added a half cup cooked Smart Taste rotini pasta to each (4) serving and it was delicious and filling! 🙂
Thanks for the recipe, Chungah, turned out great! Next time I think I will add less lemon and butter and more garlic to suit my taste. Love these simple, easily customizable recipes!
I made this for dinner last night and served with spaghetti squash!!! A side of steamed broccoli for some greens. Delish! Poured some of the extra butter garlic sauce over the “spaghetti”, and it was amazing..
How did you cook the spaghetti squash ?
Here is a step-by-step tutorial: https://damndelicious.net/2016/04/26/how-to-cook-spaghetti-squash/.
Renae:. THANKS for the spaghetti squash heads-up. We’re low-carb here and for some reason I’d forgotten spaghetti squash. Big THANK YOU to Chungah for both the shrimp and squash recipes. I can imagine a couple of future experiments with the shrimp, subbing white wine for chicken broth, Italian seasoning, a little parmesan for a different twist. Blessings to you both.
Thank you! It was delicious! I added bread crumbs and cheese! It can be made with any size shrimp! Thank you the easy steps! Happy New Year!
Thanks for the recipe! Do you recommend serving with cocktail sauce?
It’s really up to you, although honestly, a dipping sauce is not really needed here!
this recipe was absolutely fabulous! I think this will be my permanent recipe! I will recommend this to everyone!
So i will be making this for dinner tomorrow night in the instructions you said to add the shrimp in but in the end of the instructions you said stir in shrimp so I’m not sure if the shrimp should be put in at the beginning with the first 2 tablespoons of butter or at the end when all of the ingredients are mixed and warm together could you please clarify that for me? Id greately appreciate it
Yes, that’s completely right. If you read the first step, it also states, “set aside”. That way, you can create the garlic butter mixture without overcooking the shrimp! Hope that helps.
I made this tonight with cheesy grits!! It was fantastic!!
I want to make the recipe called garlic butter shrimpmmmbut would like to know if this can be made in advance and kept warm in oven for 2 hours on very low,, or kept warm in the crock pot,,,,, instead of serving immediately,,,,
thank for ur answer
Unfortunately, without further recipe testing, I cannot advise if this is appropriate or not. Please use your best judgement to convert this recipe to utilize a slow cooker.
very good. I just made this for dinner and my family is inlove…
I was skeptical while I was making this because it didn’t seen too fragrant, but it was sooo good!! I’ll never feel like I need to go out to a restaurant for shrimp again. Who knew it was so easy to make such yummy shrimp?? Thank you! 🙂
I made this tonight only substituting Italian seasoning for the parsley cause I had none. It was absolutely amazing! Saving! My go to recipe! Thank you for this!
Great find, I’ll be making this tonight! Might even get crazy and add a little red pepper!
This was fabulous. I’ve been doing the low carb thing so this is OK carb wise and what a treat. I have been making garlic shrimp for years and this is the best.
Just made this and it was so beyond delicius!/