Garlic Butter Shrimp

 

You’re just 20 minutes away from juicy Garlic Butter Shrimp! Be sure to grab a hunk of bread to soak up that flavorful lemon garlic butter sauce—you’re not going to want to waste one single drop.

This garlic butter shrimp is simply spectacular!

Decadent, flavorful, and just as delicious (and, in my opinion, better) than any garlic butter shrimp from a restaurant, this versatile one-pan shrimp recipe is one of the BEST things to come out of my kitchen.

Why do I love it so much? Well…

• Features One of My Favorite Proteins. Shrimp is lean and high in protein, plus they take only minutes to cook. Every time I make shrimp for dinner, I wonder why I don’t make it more often!
• Incredibly Easy to Make. I know that cooking with seafood might sound fancy, but please believe me that it is not. Like my Mediterranean Shrimp, this garlic butter shrimp is appropriate for beginners (same with all of the easy shrimp recipes you’ll find on my site).

Ingredients and Substitutions

You’ll find the full list of ingredients in the recipe card below, but here are some notes to keep in mind.

• Shrimp. Since I don’t live in an area with easy access to freshly caught shrimp, I prefer to buy shrimp frozen. Since it’s frozen shortly after being caught, it is often better quality (for a better price) than what is sitting behind our seafood case.
• Unsalted Butter. If you only have salted butter on hand, that’s fine; just add a little less salt to the recipe.
• Garlic. A BFF flavor with shrimp. Sometimes less is more, but when it comes to garlic and shrimp, I (and Garlic Shrimp Pasta) say, more is more!
• Lemon. Always opt for freshly squeezed lemon juice rather than the bottled kind whenever possible. It’s worth it, I promise.
• White Wine. Choose a dry wine, such as sauvignon blanc, and make sure it tastes good enough to drink with dinner. If you prefer to make garlic butter shrimp without wine, you can swap for chicken stock instead.
• Red Pepper. A pinch wakes up the shrimp but won’t overpower it.
• Fresh Herbs. Don’t be tempted by dry. They won’t have the same marvelous results. A handful of fresh parsley and a sprig of thyme or rosemary do wonders for this recipe.
• Choice of Side. Rice, linguine, grits—no matter your side, you really can’t go wrong.

Step-By-Step Instructions

Dry the Shrimp (photo 1). Paper towels work well for this.

Add the Seasonings. Toss to coat.

Melt the Butter. Add the shallot.

Cook the Shrimp (photo 2). Flip and cook on the other side.

Add the Wine and Garlic (photo 3). Continue cooking.

Stir in the Remaining Ingredients (photo 4). Serve immediately with lemon wedges. ENJOY!

COOKING NOTE

I have not made this recipe with precooked shrimp before. However, it can be done. Add the shrimp at the very end once the wine reduces. You will want to watch the shrimp carefully and take care not to overcook them since they will only need to be warmed through (1-2 minutes tops).

What Goes Well With Garlic Butter Shrimp

• Rice. Make a side of brown rice, white rice, or Lemon Rice, and spoon the shrimp and sauce over the top for garlic butter shrimp and rice. Cauliflower rice is an excellent low-carb option.
• Veggies. Garlic butter shrimp and veggies are a perfect match! Grilled Broccoli, Roasted Broccolini, and Air Fryer Asparagus would taste fabulous with this garlic butter sauce.
• Bread. A few slices of No Knead Focaccia or Rosemary Olive Oil Bread to mop up the cooking liquid will instantly make any night feel special.
• Pasta. When it comes to what side dishes go best with shrimp, pasta is at the top of the list. Pasta Primavera or Lemon Pasta would be absolutely scrumptious with this shrimp.