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Home » Dinner » Garlic Butter Shrimp

Published: April 18, 2018 Last Modified: March 23, 2019 By Sara 108 Comments

Garlic Butter Shrimp

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Garlic Butter Shrimp | Easy Shrimp Recipe | Sauteed Shrimp

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.

Shrimp in a skillet that are seared in garlic butter and sprinkled with parsley.

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.

Garlic Butter Shrimp | Easy Shrimp Recipe | Sauteed Shrimp #shrimp #seafood #keto #lowcarb #dinner #dinneratthezoo

Raw shrimp in a skillet with minced garlic and butter.

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!

A skillet of shrimp in garlic butter sauce, garnished with parsley.

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!

A pan of garlic butter shrimp in a savory sauce, finished off with chopped parsley.

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

  • Honey Garlic Shrimp Stir Fry
  • Buffalo Shrimp
  • Sesame Shrimp
  • Sweet and Sour Shrimp
  • Shrimp Ceviche

Garlic Butter Shrimp Video


Shrimp in a skillet that are seared in garlic butter and sprinkled with parsley.
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5 from 70 votes

Garlic Butter Shrimp

This easy garlic butter shrimp is succulent shrimp tossed in an easy garlic and lemon sauce. The perfect quick dinner or appetizer!
Course Main
Cuisine American
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Servings 4
Calories 215kcal
Author Sara Welch

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.

Nutrition

Calories: 215kcal | Protein: 23g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 315mg | Sodium: 481mg | Potassium: 90mg | Vitamin A: 350IU | Vitamin C: 4.6mg | Calcium: 176mg | Iron: 2.6mg
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Filed Under: Dinner, Gluten Free

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    Comments

    1. Colette says

      March 25, 2022 at 2:41 pm

      Can you use olive oil instead of butter?

      Reply
      • Sara says

        March 28, 2022 at 8:14 am

        Yes that should work!

        Reply
    2. Joanna says

      March 11, 2022 at 3:56 pm

      Hi! Planning to make this tonight, but just wondering, is it possible to use pre-cooked frozen shrimp to make this?

      Reply
      • Sara says

        March 14, 2022 at 8:15 am

        It should be ok but you’ll have to be really careful to just warm the pre-cooked shrimp rather than sear them, otherwise they could get overcooked and tough.

        Reply
    3. Todd says

      February 14, 2022 at 10:31 pm

      5 stars
      Great shrimp recipe. I made it just as described and plan to make again.

      Reply
    4. Staci says

      February 10, 2022 at 4:19 am

      5 stars
      Easy and delicious! I added some red pepper flakes for a kick, but followed the recipe otherwise as is. Loved by everyone!

      Reply
    5. Cruz says

      January 13, 2022 at 12:42 am

      5 stars
      I made a person that hates shrimp and hasn’t liked any shrimp he’s had and I made this and he asked for more I was pretty surprised and happy and made me feel good I can make a great meal in 15 or less

      Reply
    6. Jealith says

      November 16, 2021 at 10:08 am

      5 stars
      Love the recipe and make it quite often.

      Reply
    7. Michele Rigby says

      November 7, 2021 at 1:47 pm

      Do you thaw the frozen shrimp?

      Reply
      • Sara says

        November 9, 2021 at 8:09 am

        Yes you would thaw frozen shrimp!

        Reply
    8. Sylvia says

      August 30, 2021 at 7:13 pm

      I only have precooked shrimp, which I need to use up, do you think this recipe would still work?

      Reply
      • Sara says

        August 31, 2021 at 8:52 am

        You’d just want to cook them very quickly so that they’re warmed through!

        Reply
    9. Stephanie says

      July 21, 2021 at 3:01 pm

      5 stars
      This is a ballpark hit, I’ve already made it 2x in one week! I’ve put my little spin on it, but absolutely phenomenal and fool proof! Thank you for this recipe. As a Mom of 4 young children, you look for recipes that are tasty, fun and crowd pleasing.

      Reply
      • Elsie Miranda says

        December 1, 2021 at 12:55 pm

        What’s your spin on it?

        Reply
    10. Brenda Hines says

      June 22, 2021 at 8:57 pm

      5 stars
      I made this for my son, who loved it and devoured it in no time. I paired it with Jazmine rice. I didn’t have any lemons or lemon juice, but I did have lime juice, so I substituted that. The dish was a big hit and turned out so delish. Thank you for sharing this

      Reply
    11. Michelle says

      June 4, 2021 at 4:46 pm

      5 stars
      Wow. This is so delicious and easy to make. I put it on top of pasta with Parmesan cheese and chopped bacon. I also used all fresh herbs from the garden. Thank you!

      Reply
    12. Maryfer says

      May 25, 2021 at 5:25 pm

      5 stars
      This shrimp recipe has been the best one i have tried so far, so juicy and delicious,, and the best part is that its easy , not complicated at all

      Reply
    13. Pamela says

      May 20, 2021 at 3:40 pm

      5 stars
      Turned out delicious. Thanks for the super yummy super easy recipe.

      Reply
    14. María B says

      March 30, 2021 at 5:34 pm

      5 stars
      I LOVED IT, this is my first time ever leaving a comment on a recipe! , can’t go wrong with this dish! ❤️

      Reply
    15. Kev says

      March 16, 2021 at 4:33 pm

      5 stars
      Easy peas and very tasty

      Reply
    16. J says

      February 24, 2021 at 7:46 pm

      Is this for raw or pre-cooked shrimp?

      Reply
      • Sara says

        February 25, 2021 at 7:43 pm

        The recipe calls for raw shrimp.

        Reply
    17. Danny Benson says

      February 21, 2021 at 5:05 pm

      5 stars
      They don’t get much simpler than this, but man, is it delicious! Other than the very infrequent shrimp/crawfish boil (I’m a Louisiana guy transplanted to Georgia), it’s the only way I’ve been cooking shrimp lately. Usually with steak, and what a pairing! My kids, who are picky as heck, all love this with the exception of my oldest daughter who, as much as she loves the beach, would never eat anything from it. Thanks for putting this out there!

      Reply
    18. Randi says

      February 21, 2021 at 2:29 pm

      5 stars
      Soooo good!! Thank you!

      Reply
    19. Sam says

      February 18, 2021 at 9:57 am

      5 stars
      Easy , delicious 😋

      Reply
      • KarenB says

        March 13, 2021 at 6:26 pm

        5 stars
        Do you think this would go with baked potatoes as a side dish? I always do linguine or fettuccine with shrimp, but didn’t want a pasta dish tonight and already started baking the potatoes. Lol. Was going to use up all of my seafood I had thrown in the freezer, but realized salmon, scallops, and shrimp were way too much. So I just thawed out the shrimp

        Reply
        • Sara says

          March 13, 2021 at 7:41 pm

          Yes that should work well!

          Reply
    20. Elizabeth Crawford says

      January 30, 2021 at 6:12 pm

      It was a hit tonight! I did use the jar minced garlic, still good.

      Reply
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