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Garlic Butter Shrimp

This decadent Garlic Butter Shrimp recipe makes the best juicy sautéed shrimp in a sauce made with butter, garlic and fresh lemon juice! Served over pasta, rice, or with your favorite veggies, you will love this 15-minute shrimp dinner.

Best Garlic Butter Shrimp In 15 Minutes

There’s a lot to love about this recipe for garlic butter shrimp. For starters, the shrimp are juicy, tender, and deliciously flavored with fresh garlic, tangy lemon juice, and plenty of butter. They’re also SO very easy to make and take less than 10 minutes to cook from start to finish!

If you’re just starting to cook for yourself, this is a wonderful recipe for you. And if you’re a more experienced home cook that just needs dinner on the table fast, then you will enjoy it as well! Garlic butter shrimp is a tried and true favorite that always hits the spot and couldn’t be any easier to make.

Toss these shrimp over a salad, serve them with some buttery noodles, or do like we do and inhale them with some crusty garlic bread. No matter what way you serve them, we promise you are going to enjoy them!

Ingredients in bowls with parsley and a stick of unwrapped butter.

Ingredients Needed

Most of the ingredients needed are kitchen stables and you probably already have them on hand:

  • Butter:We prefer using unsalted butter. If you do use salted butter, you may want to omit the additional sprinkle of salt. 
  • Garlic: For the best flavor and aromatic quality, use fresh garlic, not the pre-minced stuff that comes in a jar. 
  • Shrimp: The shrimp will need to be shelled and deveined. You can use frozen shrimp, just be sure to let them fully thaw prior to cooking. 
  • Lemon Juice: It’s vital to use freshly squeezed lemon juice only! Lemon juice from concentrate (the plastic yellow bottle) will lend an artificial tasting flavor to the shrimp. 
  • Salt: We prefer to use flaky sea salt. Try not to be too heavy handed with your sprinkle.
  • Black Pepper: Freshly ground black pepper really yields the best flavor.  
  • Parsley: Fresh parsley is a great garnish for this easy recipe! It gives the shrimp a nice pop of color and adds to the fresh aroma of the dish. 

How to Make Garlic Butter Shrimp

In just 15 minutes (actually just a little under 15 minutes) you will be enjoying these amazing juicy shrimp! Here is what you need to do:

  1. Prepare the shrimp. Peel and devein the shrimp. Rinse them and pat dry with a paper towel. Set aside.
  2. Sauté the garlic. In a medium size skillet, over medium heat, add 2 tablespoons of butter. Add garlic and sauté for 30 seconds, until fragrant. 
  3. Cook the shrimp. Add shrimp and cook the shrimp until they are pink and curled and no longer translucent, about 3 minutes. 
  4. Add the remaining ingredients. Add the remaining butter, lemon juice, salt, and pepper to the pan.
  5. Enjoy! Sauté for 2 minutes more and serve immediately. Garnish with fresh parsley, if desired. 

Tips For Best Results

These garlic butter shrimp could not be any easier to make! You shouldn’t have any issues, but just in case, here are a few helpful tips:

  • Be prepared. This is a very fast moving recipe, so make sure everything is prepped and ready to go. You don’t want to be deveining your shrimp while your garlic is burning! 
  • Don’t overcook the shrimp. Once the tails of the shrimp have curled and they turn opaque (white) in color, they’re fully cooked and ready to eat. If you cook the shrimp for too long, they’ll become rubbery. 
  • Avoid too much salt. If you use salted butter, you may not want to add an additional sprinkle of flaky sea salt. Too much salt can make this simple shrimp entree turn into a real sodium bomb. 
  • The size of the shrimp matters. If you’re using smaller shrimp than what’s pictured here, you’ll need less time to cook them. Keep an eye on your shrimp as they cook to best determine when they’re done. 
A plate with garlic shrimp in a lemon butter sauce with parsley on top.

Variations to Try

These shrimp are perfect just as they are, but here are a few fun variations you may want to try:

  • Add More Butter. If you want to serve this shrimp over pasta, feel free to add more butter! That way, you’ll end up with buttery noodles and shrimp.
  • Add Wine: If serving these shrimp over noodles, it’s also delicious if you add a hearty splash of dry white wine to your skillet when you add the garlic.
  • Make It Spicy. If you’re craving a little heat, sprinkle some red pepper flakes into your pan with the garlic. Be careful, as a little really goes a long way with red pepper flakes. 
  • Cajun Style. We also love this recipe with a little Cajun flair. Swap the salt and pepper for some good Homemade Cajun Seasoning.
  • Use Frozen Shrimp. We like to use raw shrimp from the seafood counter. However, frozen shrimp works just as well if it’s what you have! Make sure that the shrimp is completely thawed from frozen prior to cooking. 
  • To Tail Or Not To Tail. Leaving the tails on the ends of the shrimp make them easier to hold if you’re eating them with your hands. They also help create a great flavor while the shrimp are cooking. However, you can remove the tails before cooking to make the shrimp even easier to eat. 

How To Serve

Don’t judge us, but all we need is a spoon to serve these succulent garlic butter shrimp. However, here are some great dishes to serve along side these shrimp:

  • Garlic Bread: Soak up all that sauce with some yummy garlic bread. A good crusty one!
  • Pasta: Serving these shrimp over some pasta is always a good idea. They are excellent on top of everything from butter parmesan noodles to pasta coated in our Homemade Marinara.
  • Vegetables: These juicy sautéed shrimp will go with just about any vegetable you can imagine. Here are a few of our favorites: Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts, Southern Green Beans with Bacon, and Skillet Fried Corn.
  • Rice: These are great over some Cilantro Lime Rice, but any rice you enjoy will be great to soak up some of that sauce.

Storage

If you have any leftover shrimp, you can save them for another meal!

Fridge: In an airtight container in the fridge, these shrimp will stay fresh for about 2-3 days. As it always is with seafood, we recommend reheating them right back in the pan, not the microwave. 

Freezer: Freeze in airtight container for up to 3 months. When ready to enjoy, allow to thaw in the fridge completely and then reheat in skillet.

A plate with garlic shrimp in a lemon butter sauce with parsley on top.
4.8 from 4 votes
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Yield: 2 servings

Garlic Butter Shrimp

These decadent Garlic Butter Shrimp are juicy sautéed shrimp that are swimming in a pool of butter, garlic and fresh lemon juice! Served over pasta, rice, or with your favorite veggies, you will love this 15-minute shrimp dinner.
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time8 minutes
Total Time13 minutes

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons butter, divided
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic
  • 1 pound shrimp, shelled and deveined
  • Juice from 1 lemon
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • Fresh parsley, optional

Instructions 

  • Rinse shrimp and pat dry with a paper towel. Set aside.
  • In a medium size skillet, over medium heat, add 2 tablespoons of butter. Add garlic and sauté for 30 seconds, until fragrant. 
  • Add shrimp and cook the shrimp for about 3 minutes, until they are pink, curled, and no longer translucent.
  • Add the remaining butter, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. 
  • Sauté for 2 minutes more and serve immediately. Garnish with fresh parsley, if desired. 

Notes

Storage
Fridge: In an airtight container in the fridge, these shrimp will stay fresh for about 3 days. To try to keep them tender, we recommend reheating leftover shrimp in a skillet on the stove top, not in the microwave. Add a little extra butter, if needed.
Freezer: Freeze in airtight container for up to 3 months. When ready to enjoy, allow to thaw in the fridge completely and then reheat in skillet.

Nutrition

Serving: 1, Calories: 506kcal, Carbohydrates: 25g, Protein: 53g, Fat: 21g, Saturated Fat: 12g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 524mg, Sodium: 2507mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 15g

More Easy Shrimp Recipes

Looking for more ways to enjoy shrimp? Lucky for you, we love shrimp and easy dinners! Here are a few of our favorite quick and easy shrimp recipes:

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