Quick Garlic Butter Shrimp

This garlic butter shrimp is quick, flavorful, and made with simple ingredients. It's ready in just 20 minutes for an easy weeknight dinner.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 8

Total Time 18

Servings servings

Calories 291kcal

2 tablespoons butter unsalted
6 garlic cloves thinly sliced
1 pound shrimp extra-large, 21-25 count per pound, peeled and deveined
½ teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt or ¼ teaspoon of any other salt, including Morton kosher salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 medium lemon juiced; or ½ large lemon
2 tablespoons parsley chopped

Heat the butter in a large 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until foaming, about 2 minutes.
2 tablespoons butter
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.
6 garlic cloves, 1 pound shrimp, ½ teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Turn the heat off, add the lemon juice, and toss to coat.
1 medium lemon
Transfer the shrimp to plates and drizzle them with the remaining pan juices. Serve immediately, garnished with chopped parsley.
2 tablespoons parsley

Seasonings, especially salt, are just guidelines. Adjust to taste.
The butter will brown and caramelize as you cook, giving the dish an amazing flavor. But if it browns too much, simply reduce the heat to medium.
Another trick to prevent the milk solids in the butter from burning is to add a tablespoon of olive oil along with the butter.
In the video, I add the garlic at the same time as the shrimp. However, I have found it's better to let the garlic 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. So in the video, I add some parsley directly to the pan, then sprinkle some more on the finished dish.
Provided you refrigerate the leftovers promptly in a shallow, airtight container, you can keep them for up to four days. Reheat them gently, covered, in the microwave at 50% power.