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    Home » Seafood Recipes » Garlic Butter Shrimp

    Garlic Butter Shrimp

    Last updated: May 1, 2023 · Recipes developed by Vered DeLeeuw and nutritionally reviewed by Rachel Benight MS, RD · This website generates income via ads and uses cookies.

    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video Print Recipe

    This lovely dish of garlic butter shrimp is ready in less than 20 minutes.

    Served over cauliflower rice, spinach, or arugula, it makes a quick and tasty weeknight dinner.

    Garlic butter shrimp served on a white plate with a fork.

    I have quite a few shrimp recipes in my repertoire. I often opt for baking shrimp in the oven because it's so easy. But in terms of flavor, this one is a clear winner. It's one of the recipes that I make most often because it's always such a big hit.

    It's the simplest recipe - shrimp cooked with garlic, butter, and lemon juice - and it's ready super fast. Most importantly, it's delicious, and my entire family enjoys it.

    Jump to:
    • Ingredients
    • Variations
    • Garlic Butter Shrimp Instructions
    • Expert Tips
    • Recipe FAQs
    • Serving Suggestions
    • Storing Leftovers
    • Related Shrimp Recipes
    • Recipe Card

    Ingredients

    You'll only need a few simple ingredients to make this tasty shrimp recipe. The exact measurements are listed in the recipe card below. Here's an overview of what you'll need:

    • Unsalted butter. I love using creamy European butter, but any butter will be great.
    • Fresh garlic. I use fresh garlic cloves, peel them, and thinly slice them.
    • Kosher salt and black pepper. I use kosher salt almost exclusively in my cooking. If you use fine salt, you'll need to use about half of the amount listed.
    • Cayenne pepper. A small amount adds a very subtle kick to this dish.
    • Raw shrimp. I like to use extra-large shrimp in this recipe (21-25 per pound). Large shrimp (16-20 per pound) work too.
    • Lemon juice. Use fresh lemon juice - it makes a difference.
    • Chopped parsley. It's not just a nice garnish - it also adds wonderful flavor to this dish.
    The ingredients needed to make garlic butter shrimp.

    Variations

    • Use ghee or olive oil instead of butter. I'm a big fan of ghee! It adds creaminess and a nutty flavor to the dish.
    • Sprinkle some dry-grated parmesan on the finished dish.
    • Sometimes I use cilantro instead of parsley.
    • Cook 2 slices of bacon until crispy. Cook the garlic and shrimp in the bacon grease (instead of butter) and sprinkle the finished dish with the crumbled bacon.

    Garlic Butter Shrimp Instructions

    Making garlic butter shrimp is easy and quick! Scroll down to the recipe card for detailed instructions. Here are the basic steps:

    1. Melt butter in a large skillet. (Photo 1).
    2. Add the shrimp and garlic. (Photo 2).
    3. Cook for about 5 minutes over medium-high heat, stirring often (Photos 3-4).
    4. Stir in lemon juice (Photo 5).
    5. divide the shrimp into plates and sprinkle them with chopped parsley. That's it! Dinner is served. (Photo 6).
    A six-photo collage showing the steps for making garlic butter shrimp.

    Expert Tips

    • The butter will brown and caramelize as you cook and will give the dish an amazing flavor. But if it browns too much, simply reduce the heat to medium.
    • Another trick for preventing the milk solids in the butter from burning is to add a tablespoon of olive oil in addition to the butter. Or you could use ghee (clarified butter) instead of butter. 
    • In the video, I add the garlic together with the shrimp. However, I have found that it's better to allow the garlic to cook for a couple of minutes before adding the shrimp. This enables the garlic to brown without overcooking the shrimp. The recipe below is written accordingly.
    • Another recommendation is to sprinkle the dish with chopped parsley after you've plated it. Adding the parsley to the pan will cause it to wilt. It looks - and tastes - better when sprinkled on the finished dish. So in the video, I add some parsley directly to the pan, but then I sprinkle some more on the finished dish. 

    Recipe FAQs

    Can I use frozen shrimp in this recipe?

    Yes, but you'll need to defrost them first. If you haven't defrosted them overnight, you can place them in a bowl filled with lukewarm water for 5-7 minutes, replacing the water once or twice. Then drain them on paper towels.

    Can I use small shrimp?

    I recommend using extra-large or large shrimp in this recipe. You can use smaller shrimp, but they'll be ready faster, so you might want to cook the garlic cloves a bit longer before adding the shrimp.

    Can I use jarred minced garlic instead of fresh garlic cloves?

    I don't recommend it. In many of my recipes, I feel that jarred minced garlic works fine (although it's not as tasty as fresh garlic).

    But here the garlic is truly the star of the show, so I highly recommend using fresh garlic cloves and slicing them thinly rather than mincing them.

    Serving Suggestions

    The obvious choice is to serve garlic butter shrimp over rice or pasta, or with thick slices of crusty bread to soak up the buttery sauce.

    But I usually serve this saucy dish over cauliflower rice or shirataki noodles.

    They are also very good when served on spinach or arugula leaves. The hot buttery sauce wilts the leaves just enough so that they are not completely raw:

    Garlic butter shrimp served over arugula leaves.

    Storing Leftovers

    Provided you refrigerate the leftovers promptly, in a shallow airtight container, you can keep them for up to three days.

    Reheat them gently, covered, in the microwave at 50% power. Or use them in a shrimp salad!

    Garlic butter shrimp served on a white plate.

    Related Shrimp Recipes

    • Shrimp curry served in a white bowl with a red checkered napkin.
      Shrimp Curry
    • Grilled shrimp threaded on skewers and served on a white plate.
      Grilled Shrimp
    • Shrimp parmesan served on a white plate with a fork.
      Shrimp Parmesan
    • Shrimp scampi served on a white plate with a napkin.
      Shrimp Scampi

    👩🏻‍🍳 I typically publish a new or updated recipe once a week. Want the new recipes in your inbox? Subscribe today! You can unsubscribe at any time.

    Recipe Card

    Garlic butter shrimp served on a white plate with a fork.
    4.98 from 46 votes
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    Garlic Butter Shrimp

    This lovely dish of garlic shrimp with butter and lemon is ready in less than 20 minutes. Served over cauliflower rice, spinach or arugula, it makes a quick and tasty weeknight dinner.
    Prep Time10 minutes mins
    Cook Time8 minutes mins
    Total Time18 minutes mins
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: American
    Servings: 2 servings
    Calories: 291kcal
    Author: Vered DeLeeuw
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    Ingredients

    • 2 tablespoons butter unsalted
    • 6 garlic cloves thinly sliced
    • ½ teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
    • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
    • ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
    • 1 lb. shrimp extra-large, 21-25 count per pound, peeled and deveined
    • 1 medium lemon juiced (or ½ large lemon)
    • 2 tablespoons parsley chopped

    Instructions

    • Heat the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat until foaming, about 2 minutes.
    • Add the garlic cloves. Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes.
    • Add the shrimp. Sprinkle them with salt, pepper, and cayenne. Cook, stirring often, until the shrimp are pink and opaque and the garlic is browned, about 4 minutes.*
    • Turn the heat off, add the lemon juice, and toss to coat. Transfer the shrimp to plates and drizzle them with any remaining pan juices. Serve immediately, garnished with chopped parsley.

    Video

    Notes

    • The butter will brown and caramelize as you cook and will give the dish an amazing flavor. But if it browns too much, simply reduce the heat to medium.
    • Another trick for preventing the milk solids in the butter from burning is to add a tablespoon of olive oil in addition to the butter. Or you could use ghee (clarified butter) instead of butter. 
    • In the video, I add the garlic together with the shrimp. However, I have found that it's better to allow the garlic to cook for a couple of minutes before adding the shrimp. This enables the garlic to brown without overcooking the shrimp. 
    • Another recommendation is to sprinkle the dish with chopped parsley after you've plated it. Adding the parsley to the pan will cause it to wilt. It looks - and tastes - better when sprinkled on the finished dish. So in the video, I add some parsley directly to the pan, but then I sprinkle some more on the finished dish. 

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    Nutrition per Serving

    Serving: 0.5recipe | Calories: 291kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 47g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Sodium: 556mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g
    SubscribeI typically publish a new or updated recipe once a week. Want the new recipes in your inbox? Subscribe today! You can unsubscribe at any time.
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    DisclaimersMost of our recipes are low-carb (or keto) and gluten-free, but some are not. Please verify that a recipe fits your needs before using it. Recommended and linked products are not guaranteed to be gluten-free. Nutrition info is approximate and the carb count excludes non-nutritive sweeteners. Nutrition info may contain errors, so please verify it independently. Recipes may contain errors, so please use your common sense when following them. Please read our Terms of Use carefully before using any of our recipes.

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    About the Author

    Vered Deleeuw Vered DeLeeuw, LL.M., CNC, has been following a low-carb real-food diet and blogging about it since 2011. She's a Certified Nutrition Coach (NASM-CNC), has taken courses at the Harvard School of Public Health, and has earned a Nutrition and Healthy Living Certificate from Cornell University. Her work has appeared in several major media outlets, including Healthline, HuffPost, Today, Women's Health, Shape, and Country Living. Click to learn more about Vered.

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    Healthy Recipes Blog was founded in 2011 by Vered DeLeeuw. It features real-food recipes with a focus on low-carb and gluten-free ingredients. All recipes are nutritionally reviewed by a Registered Dietitian. Contact us at HealthyRecipesBlog@gmail.com.


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