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.
Video
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this is Damn DELICIOUS so good and tasty
This was indeed damn delicious! I used white wine instead of stock and added the zest of one lemon along with the juice. So, SO good.
This is now my husbands favorite shrimp. He absolutely loved it! It was super easy to make and my goodness, was it delicious! Definitely recommend this recipe.
it was great, i have never made food as good.
I love shrimp, butter & garlic together, so I had to try this recipe. Thank you it was delicious !
I am excited to try this recipe tonight however I’m just modifying it for one person because I’m making it for myself. I’ve decided to serve it with roasted asparagus in the oven with a little bit of salt and olive oil and a Sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.
Also, I hope somebody deletes Latreen Johnson’s review because I find it seriously offensive and ignorant.
Great idea to include asparagus.I have made this recipe before and it is so good I have to also agree that comment from the Johnson woman should be deleted
Usually recipes are had to immigrate where I’m from because ingredients. I got all the ingredients with no problems and they came out just as expected!
First time making this. Absolutely amazinggg!!!! I’m so happy to have found this recipe. thank you
All good… I really liked your Garlic Butter Shrimp invention. New York is not good… LA is somewhat better than the rest of SoCal… Is your fiancé Jewish? I hope not, for many reasons.
I am excited to try this recipe tonight however I’m just modifying it for one person because I’m making it for myself. I’ve decided to serve it with roasted asparagus in the oven with a little bit of salt and olive oil and a Sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.
Also, I hope somebody deletes Latreen Johnson’s review because I find it seriously offensive and ignorant.
OMG! I agree! Who says such a thing, especially on a RECIPE website! Geez! That should be censored and removed immediately!
What is wrong with your brain chemistry? Why would you make a comment like that? P.S., I live in NY and the country is watching MY Governor for advise on how to survive this Pandemic. Oh, and great recipe, I love making my shrimp like this and serving it over butter sautéed pasta.
I used this recipe to make shrimp tostadas. It was super delicious!
Delicious and easy. Very rich but ok for an occasional splurge.
On a whim I decided to make this for my girlfriend and she is over the moon about it! Thank you so much for sharing, it is now a staple in our household.
The title is on point! Damn delicious was right!!! Added a little more stock for more gravy. Excellennttttttttt
This meal is absolutely delicious!!! I use less butter than the recipe calls for, and it’s so easy to make!!
YUM!!!! This was absolutely scrumptious! Used Earth Balance butter due to a milk allergy and it turned out wonderful. Probably a little less rich than real butter but still very good,. Served with rice and oven-baked spicy sweet potato rounds. The kids and husband loved it! Thank you.
Tried it today with scallops, so good.
Can I make this with pre-cooked shrimp? Maybe just sauté it a little to warm it up in the butter garlic sauce??
Did you try it with pre-cooked shrimp? I want to make it today, was thinking of making the sauce and then just let the shrimp heat up in the sauce?
Served this with pasta. Added more chicken stock for pasta sauce. Excellent!
Delicious recipe and the saucy isn’t overwhelmingly heavy and just the perfect amount of garlic.
For flavor, I added bone broth that has some fish sauce in it. SOOOOO SOOO GOOD!
Will make again 🙂
Delicious recipe! I doubled the sauce and added pasta at the end. It was sooooo good! Thank you!
Havent’ made the recipe, but looking forward to trying it. I’m thinking of making dinner for the family. I’m looking at doing this garlic butter shrimp with some homemade cheddar biscuits. I would like to add another side; something with some good veggies in it. I was thinking it could be as simple as asparagus or even sweet corn on the cob. Any thoughts or recommendations?