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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Great recipe! Thanks for sharing! I really wish that we could get these without the narrative and without all the ads though. Cheers!
Hi Garrett! This is a blog, not a recipe page, but if you prefer the latter, there are many sources available online.
As for the ads, they keep our professionally-tested recipes free of charge to our awesome readers like yourself. Thanks so much for stopping by! 🙂
The best shrimp I’ve ever had can I after I cooked it I put it over rice and vegetables on the side and yes a dash of red pepper flakes
I love this recipe! I use less lemon and garlic as I otherwise find them too overpowering. When I first tried it, I didn’t have any chicken stock, however as I had fresh prawns I used their heads and shells to make the stock. Turned out absolutely amazing and I keep making it this way! Thank you for the recipe!
Delicious!! Everyone enjoyed it and asked for more.
Probably one of the very best shrimp dishes I have ever had… Ever!
I didn’t have fresh parsley but dried worked just fine. I also didn’t have capers so I tried jalapeno brine! It was awesome. Will definitely use this recipe again.
I did a search and didn’t find capers mentioned in the ingredients. Were capers removed from the original recipe?
I have made this recipe for a few years now, right off this site, and have never seen capers mentioned.
GARLIC BUTTER SHRIMP recipe is great! I made it according to your recipe and the taste is great! Everyone in the family likes it, it makes me happy. thank you
Delicious!! But not for those who do not enjoy butter and indulgent foods! I’m glad I did not know how easy it is to make garlic butter shrimp until now, but maybe should’ve held off until later in life when I have the excuse of “I’m old, lived a good life and now can enjoy and eat whatever I want!” Will definitely make it again but will wait for another special occasion to treat ourselves.
My family loved it 🙂 What a great recipe – will make it again 🙂
I do not cook, this was easy & damn delicious!
Would love to try this recipe! Can it be made with the shrimp shells still on?
Love it and so simple
Hmmm… I am surprised at the number of positive reviews. I made this step-by-step exactly as described.
I did use mince garlic from a jar, which is as potent and delicious and freshly minced. The jar and “the internet” all say to use 1/2 teaspoon of minced to equal 1 average close of garlic, so I used 2.5 teaspoons.
The garlic was WAY overpowering even to this garlic craver/lover. In addition, the combination of ingredients was simply too simple. Nothing to create depth of flavor (and if there were anything, againn, it would be overpowered by the garlic.
Sorry to leave only a negative review, but this was my experience. If I were to do it again I would (1) cust the garlic in half, (2) cut the butter in half, (3) add a little tapioca starch or corn starch to slightly thicken the liquid, and (4) Add sugar snap peas, perhaps cabbage, and other crispy and relatively neutral veggies.
Hi JB – crushed garlic in a jar isn’t even remotely the same – even when it claims to be. Make it again with fresh garlic and see what you think then.
Follow the exact recipe or don’t rate it. It’s not fair to change the recipe then give it a poor review, in essence you are rating your own recipe and not the author’s!!
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Well if you chose to use jarred garlic instead of fresh garlic as recipe stated, its on you that it didn’t work. I would try exactly as written then see what you want to change or riff on. I’m making it for dinner tonight again over some fresh fettuccine, very excited.
There’s a place that has Thursday and sat prawn night specials, they’re always sooo tasty. This recipe hit the spot and reminded me soo much of the ones I like.
Thank you for this recipe. My family loved them
I love it!!! Thank you for this recipe! 🙂 wish i could share how the shrimps looked
My daughter made this recipe and she loved it, I did too. Definitely recommend this recipe
Ok so I never EVER leave a review however, this was AMAZING! I made zero changes and was impressed with the flavor and the taste! Job well done
This was one of the best shrimp recipes I have made ever. How can you go wrong with garlic, butter and shrimp but the addition of the chicken broth and lemon made it superb. A dish I was pretty much licking the plate. This will definitely be one of my go to dishes for a “damn delicious” treat for family and friends!
This recipe was AMAZING! I added some saffron to it and I couldn’t stop licking the sauce!
I made this last week this dish is everything I absolutely love it
Super delicious and easy! I accidentally made it all in one big skillet and it still turned out amazing. As an inexperienced teen chef, I can say, anyone can make this. I also precooked the shrimp with green seasoning (I’m half trini) and added a little bit of ginger powder to add a different flavour. Super awesome, thanks!