Buttered Garlic Shrimp (Printable)
Plump shrimp sautéed in rich garlicky butter with fresh lemon and parsley.
# What You’ll Need:
→ Seafood
01 - 1 lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined
→ Dairy
02 - 4 tbsp unsalted butter
→ Vegetables & Aromatics
03 - 4 cloves garlic, minced
04 - 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
05 - 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice (about ½ lemon)
→ Seasonings
06 - ½ tsp kosher salt
07 - ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
→ Optional Accompaniments
08 - Lemon wedges, for serving
09 - Crusty bread or steamed rice, for serving
# Steps:
01 - Pat the shrimp thoroughly dry with paper towels and season evenly with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
02 - Melt the butter in a large skillet set over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and sauté for approximately 30 seconds, stirring constantly, until fragrant but not browned.
03 - Arrange the seasoned shrimp in a single even layer across the skillet. Cook undisturbed for 2–3 minutes on the first side until they begin to turn pink, then flip each shrimp and continue cooking for another 1–2 minutes until fully opaque and curled.
04 - Remove the skillet from heat. Add the lemon juice and chopped parsley, tossing the shrimp gently to coat evenly in the pan sauce. Serve immediately to prevent overcooking.
05 - Transfer to a warm serving platter or divide among plates. Garnish with lemon wedges and accompany with crusty bread or steamed rice if desired.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- It takes exactly twenty minutes from fridge to plate, which means you can pull this off on your most exhausted evening without breaking a sweat.
- The butter garlic lemon combo tastes like something you would order at a coastal restaurant, but the ingredient list is shockingly short and forgiving.
02 -
- Overcooking shrimp by even one extra minute turns them from tender and sweet to tough and chalky, so pull them from the heat the second they curl into a loose C shape rather than a tight ring.
- Drying the shrimp completely before seasoning is the single step that transforms this from a watery braise into a glossy pan sauced dish worth sopping up with bread.
03 -
- Let your skillet get truly hot before adding the butter so the shrimp sear the instant they touch the surface, creating a slight golden crust that locks in sweetness.
- Always use the largest shrimp you can find because smaller ones overcook in the time it takes the garlic to bloom, leaving you with nothing but rubber in a very pretty sauce.