This easy garlic butter shrimp is succulent shrimp tossed in an easy garlic and lemon sauce. The perfect quick dinner or appetizer!
If you love garlic, you’ll love these lemony, garlicky shrimp which are on the table in less than 10 minutes.
In my opinion, sometimes the most simple preparations of food can be the most delicious. You don’t need to add a whole lot to shrimp to turn them into a culinary delight. These garlic butter shrimp have just a few ingredients and can be on the table in minutes. They’re packed with flavor and perfect served as-is or over pasta.
How to make garlic butter shrimp
To make garlic butter shrimp, I recommend buying the biggest shrimp you can afford. Shrimp size is measured by the number of shrimp per pound. For this recipe I typically use extra jumbo shrimp, which are 16-20 shrimp per pound.
The shrimp get tossed in a pan with plenty of butter, minced garlic and salt and pepper. Be sure to use fresh minced garlic here, not the stuff that comes in a jar. It just doesn’t taste the same! I also add a sprinkling of Italian seasoning for good measure.
These garlic butter shrimp cook very quickly – all you need is about 2-3 minutes per side, depending on the size of your shrimp. As soon as the shrimp turn pink and opaque, they’re done. Be sure to watch carefully so that the shrimp don’t get overcooked!
The finishing touch as a sprinkling of fresh parsley, and you’re ready to eat! These garlic butter shrimp are great served over pasta or rice, and they even make a great appetizer.
Is it healthy to eat shrimp?
Shrimp contains a fair amount of cholesterol, but they’re very low in calories and full of nutrients. Shrimp are a great source of vitamin D and B, selenium and omega-3 fatty acids. In this particular case, the shrimp are coated in butter, which is not the most healthful way to prepare shrimp, but everything in moderation, right?
I give a range of garlic amounts in this recipe. If you’re a garlic lover, go for the larger amount of garlic! My husband is sensitive to garlic, so I tend to go a little easier on it, but I know some people can’t get enough!
I always keep a bag of shrimp in the freezer so that I can whip up these garlic butter shrimp for an easy dinner.
Whenever I post photos of shrimp with the tails on, I always get a lot of questions and commentary about it. I tend to think that shrimp look nicer with the tails on, but if you’re just looking for a quick dinner and aren’t out to impress anyone, by all means remove the tails before cooking! It’s really a personal choice depending on the presentation that you’re going for.
More great shrimp recipes
Garlic Butter Shrimp Video
Garlic Butter Shrimp
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1 lb large shrimp I use 16-20 count size, peeled, deveined and tails removed if desired
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 2-3 teaspoons minced garlic use more if you love garlic!
- the juice of one lemon
- 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
Instructions
- Place the butter in a large pan and melt over medium high heat. Add the shrimp and season with salt, pepper and Italian seasoning.
- Cook for 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until shrimp are pink and opaque.
- Add the garlic and cook for one more minute.
- Stir in the lemon juice and parsley, then serve.
Googled “easy shrimp recipes” and Google nailed it! Time for dinner, forgot to thaw something out, this was a lifesaver! Served over protein (fish) noodles for my husband and over vegetable rice pilaf (frozen veggies) for me. Instant and EXCELLENT! I’m keeping this recipe!!
This fish is very good and easy to make. Followed the directions exactly as written. Will make this one again soon! Make it on a bed of pasta.
I just made this for dinner. I served it over pasta. So easy and so delicious. I will be making this again!
What pasta might you serve with it?
You could serve it over a long noodle like spaghetti or fettuccine, or a small pasta such as orzo or shells.
Your recipe really help me out to shine in our coffee shop kitchen. Butter Garlic prawns is a most sought after dish in our restaurant and with this Recipe, I am no. 1 in the kitchen. Thanks.
This was a wonderful recipe! It is certainly not the last time I’ll be using it! Thank you!
Just made this meal and I absolutely love it. Thanks for posting!
My husband loves shrimp and i want to make this for him but I’m allergic to shellfish, any recommendations on how to prepare this for him. Also, can fully cooked shrimp be used for this recipe?
I would use raw shrimp, if you use fully cooked shrimp they’ll get tough when you cook them a second time!
Use gloves
This was absolutely DELICIOUS!!!!
Will definitely be on my recipe list to make again and again and again!!
GOOD RECIPES WEBSITE I LOVE IT WELL DONE.
I TRY LAST NIGHT MY KIDS SAY YUMMY.
Just made this recipe and it was amazing !! 5 stars !!
So glad you enjoyed it, thank you for reporting back!
What could you substitute for the butter to make this dairy free? Would vegan butter change the taste too much?
I’ve never tried vegan butter so I’m not sure. You can use olive oil instead of butter!
I tried a combination of vegan butter (Earth balance) and olive oil and it turned out perfect!
If you use olive oil just use 2 tablespoons!
I have used vegan butter to sautee shrimp in (Earth Balance, specifically). I was a little hesitant, but I was amazed at how flavorful they are! You really want the flavor coming from the garlic and shrimp, in my opinion, the vegan butter just gave it a nice creaminess.
This was delicious and very simple!
Yay so glad to hear you enjoyed it! Thanks for reporting back!
Looks amazing! How would you adjust for frozen shrimp?
This recipe works best with thawed shrimp as frozen shrimp will release a lot of extra liquid and make the sauce watery. You can thaw your shrimp quickly by placing them in a colander and running cold water over them until they’re thawed. Then pat dry and proceed with the recipe!
Delicious! Easy as advertised and easy to serve,!
Happy to hear you enjoyed the shrimp, thanks for reporting back!
Made this tonight and it was great! Forgot to add the parsley but still enjoy it. Thanks!
Glad to hear you enjoyed it, thanks for reporting back!
Absolutely delicious made this shrimp tonight and it was a hit my friend said just like the ones in restaurants thank u for the delicious recipe
So glad to hear you enjoyed it, thanks for reporting back!
It was soooooo good. and WONDERFUL shrimp recipe collection thanks for posting
Just made this for dinner and it was quick , easy and best of all delicious !!!
So glad you enjoyed it!!
Absolutely delicious, simple and easy. Perfect addition to any meal.