Name: Garlic Butter Shrimp
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 1 pound uncooked large shrimp (peeled and deveined ); ½ teaspoon kosher salt; ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper; ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper; 3 tablespoons unsalted butter (divided); 1 small shallot (minced); ½ cup dry white wine (or low-sodium chicken stock or broth); 4 cloves garlic (minced); 1 small lemon; 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary or thyme (optional but definitely worthwhile!); ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley; cooked rice, (pasta, grits, or toasted bread (for serving))

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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.

Easy garlic butter shrimp on the stovetop

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Why You’ll Love This Easy Garlic Butter Shrimp Recipe

It’s 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.
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).

Garlic butter shrimp recipe in a skillet with lemon

5 Star Review

“I made this for dinner today. My husband finished everything on his plate, including all the sauce. It is definitely a keeper.”
— Dolly —

How to Make the BEST Garlic Butter Shrimp

The Ingredients

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. It’s not garlic butter shrimp without it!
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. For the butter garlic shrimp 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. If you prefer a spicy garlic butter shrimp (with heat like this Spicy Shrimp Pasta), feel free to add additional cayenne or red pepper flakes to taste. Garlic butter shrimp with paprika is another fun way to add some spice without it being too hot.
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.

The Directions

peeled shrimp being pat dry with paper towel to make garlic shrimp

Dry the Shrimp. Paper towels work well for this.

healthy shrimp with cayenne and black pepper in a bowl

Add the Seasonings. Toss to coat.
Melt the Butter. Add the shallot.

sauteing healthy garlic butter shrimp in a skillet with butter and shallots

Cook the Shrimp. Flip and cook on the other side.

adding wine to creamy garlic butter shrimp in a skillet

Add the Wine and Garlic. Continue cooking.

zesting lemon garlic butter shrimp in a skillet

Stir in the Remaining Ingredients. 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. (Quinoa would also be tasty!)
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.

A garlic shrimp recipe with butter and lemon

Recipe Tips and Tricks

Save Time on Prepping the Shrimp. If you’re purchasing fresh shrimp, look for raw shrimp (not precooked) that are deveined (no vein) and either EZ-peel or already peeled (tails on or off is up to you). I can’t overstate what a time-saver this option is! No deveining makes this come together quicker.
Know How to Defrost Shrimp. For this recipe, do not cook frozen shrimp without thawing them first. Remove the shrimp from the package. Place in a large bowl with cold water for about 15 minutes. Drain in a colander.
Prep Your Ingredients. Once this lemon garlic butter shrimp recipe starts rolling, it happens FAST. Make sure that you have the ingredients, along with any cooking utensils like a large spoon and a big plate for when you remove the shrimp from the skillet, in easy reach.
Don’t Overcook the Shrimp. The only way you can truly mess up shrimp is to overcook it. As soon as they turn opaque and curl up a bit, they’re good to go. It takes fewer than 5 minutes, so make sure you are ready (see the bullet above).

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Garlic Butter Shrimp

4.86 From 55 reviews . Help us out! Review HERE.Help out & review HERE

AUTHOR: Erin Clarke

Prep: 10

Cook: 10

Total: 20

Servings: servings

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Video

This easy garlic butter shrimp with lemon and wine is cooked in a skillet in just 20 minutes. Great with pasta, baguette, grits, or rice!

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Ingredients

1 pound uncooked large shrimp peeled and deveined
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
3 tablespoons unsalted butter divided
1 small shallot minced
½ cup dry white wine or low-sodium chicken stock or broth
4 cloves garlic minced
1 small lemon
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary or thyme optional but definitely worthwhile!
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
cooked rice, pasta, grits, or toasted bread (for serving)

Instructions

Pat the shrimp dry with paper towels and place in a large bowl.
Sprinkle with salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper. Toss to coat.
Heat 2 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet over medium heat until it melts. Add the shallot and let cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until it just begins to soften. Add the shrimp in a single layer and let cook undisturbed for 1 minute. With tongs or a wide spatula, turn over the shrimp.
Add the wine and garlic. Cook until the shrimp are no longer translucent and the wine has reduced by half, about 2 to 3 minutes more.
Remove the skillet from the heat. Stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter. Zest the lemon directly over the skillet, then cut the lemon in half. Juice half of the lemon over the top and slice the other half into wedges for serving. Add the rosemary and parsley, then toss to combine. Serve immediately with lemon wedges.

Notes

TO STORE: Place leftovers in an airtight storage container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
TO REHEAT: Cooked shrimp are typically best enjoyed the day they are made but can be reheated very gently in the microwave or on the stovetop over low heat covered with a lid. Note that shrimp tend to dry out easily when reheated, so warm them slowly and gently and keep a close eye on them for best results.

Nutrition

Serving: 1(of 3)Calories: 159kcalCarbohydrates: 8gProtein: 1gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 30mgPotassium: 161mgFiber: 2gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 835IUVitamin C: 28mgCalcium: 37mgIron: 1mg

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Hi, I’m Erin Clarke, cookbook author and the home cook behind Well Plated. I’ve helped millions of people cook healthier meals that actually taste amazing and sold over 190,000 books! I’m here to help you save time, dirty fewer dishes, and feel great about what you’re eating, without overthinking it. Welcome!

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Garlic Butter Shrimp

Why You’ll Love This Easy Garlic Butter Shrimp Recipe

5 Star Review