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This sweet and succulent garlic lemon shrimp recipe feels elegant but is so easy to make. Fresh and tender garlic butter shrimp cooks quickly and tastes incredible, so it’s perfect for entertaining, date night or a special weeknight meal. The garlic butter sauce is light and flavorful, and shrimp is high in protein, so you can enjoy a luxurious flavor while still eating healthfully.
Sauteed garlic butter shrimp is so versatile that it can be paired with just about anything. Plus, it cooks in under 15 minutes. You’ll want to make this quick and simple garlic and lemon shrimp at least once a week.
If you love garlic butter, try my Garlic Butter Turkey Meatballs, Garlic Butter Mushroom Chicken Bites or my Lemon Garlic Butter Scallops.
Why You’ll Love This Garlic and Lemon Shrimp
- It’s so fast. This garlic lemon shrimp recipe comes together in under 15 minutes.
- It has incredible flavor. Perfectly seasoned shrimp are bathed in a rich lemon garlic butter sauce for an unmatched flavor.
- It’s healthy. These tender shrimp are naturally low carb and gluten free. You can even enjoy this tasty dish while on the keto diet.
Garlic Lemon Shrimp Recipe Ingredients
- Olive oil: or use your favorite light, neutral oil. 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Shrimp: look for raw jumbo shrimp that’s been peeled and deveined. I like to leave the tails on.
- Garlic: use 5-6 garlic cloves. It’s called lemon garlic shrimp for a reason.
- Seasonings: use Italian seasonings, smoked paprika, black pepper, and salt to season the shrimp.
- Butter: use unsalted butter to have better control over the dish’s saltiness.
- Lemon Juice: fresh lemon juice adds a tart, fresh flavor to the shrimp and balances the garlic.
- Parsley: chopped fresh parsley adds a lovely garnish.
How To Make Lemon Garlic Butter Shrimp
- Sauté the shrimp. Heat a large skillet over a medium flame with olive oil. Once the oil is heated, add the shrimp and sauté for 3-4 minutes.
- Add the seasonings. Add the minced garlic, Italian seasonings, smoked paprika, ground black pepper and salt and saute for a couple more minutes.
- Add the butter. Stir in the butter, lemon juice, parsley and red chili flakes and simmer the shrimp for 1-2 minutes.
- Serve. Garnish the shrimp with lemon slices and serve.
Tips To Make Sauteed Garlic Butter Shrimp
- Purchase raw or raw frozen shrimp rather than precooked shrimp.
- Buying already peeled shrimp will save you lots of time.
- Jumbo shrimp are usually labeled as 21/25, which means there are usually 21-25 shrimp per pound.
- Shrimp will curl slightly and turn opaque pink when fully cooked.
- This recipe goes fast, and you do not want overcooked shrimp, so prep all of your ingredients in advance.
- Use high quality butter, fresh lemon juice and fresh garlic for the best flavor.
- Don’t move the shrimp. Let them sit in the pan for a few minutes, then flip, rather than tossing or moving them around.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can cook shrimp in either butter or oil. I prefer to cook the shrimp in a small amount of oil and then use the butter to make the flavorful lemon garlic sauce.
Shrimp cooks very quickly, and when overcooked, they will be rubbery. To prevent overcooking, prep all of your ingredients in advance and watch the shrimp closely. Succulent shrimp cook in just a few minutes. Look for them to curl slightly and to turn an opaque pink.
Butter is an emulsion, and it can separate when exposed to heat, leading to an oily sauce. To prevent this, lower the heat on the pan before adding the butter and allow it to melt slowly.
Leftover garlic and lemon shrimp can be stored in the fridge for 2-3 days. Reheat gently in a low skillet until warmed through. Take care not to overcook your shrimp while reheating. Using the microwave is not recommended.
Chill shrimp, then place them on a baking sheet in the freezer for 2-3 hours to flash freeze. Place the shrimps in a freezer bag for up to 3 months. Remove the desired number of shrimps to thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat in a skillet until warmed through.
The best part of this easy shrimp dinner is that it can be served with just about anything. Add some angel hair pasta, serve over mashed potatoes or with a heaping spoonful of grits. Don’t forget to add a salad or steamed veggie and a loaf of crusty bread to mop up the sauce is a must!
More Shrimp Recipes
- Panda Express Honey Walnut Shrimp
- Healthy Chipotle Shrimp Bowl
- Garlic Parmesan Shrimp Spaghetti
- Easy Shrimp SaladAir Fryer Shrimp and Vegetables
- Spicy Shrimp Pasta
I hope you enjoy all the recipes I share with you, including this delicious sauteed garlic butter shrimp recipe. I hope you try it, enjoy it, rate it, and share it with your friends and family!
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Garlic Butter Shrimp
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 lb jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails ON
- 5-6 cloves garlic , minced
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasonings
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon Salt , or more to taste
- 2 tablespoons butter, unsalted
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 teaspoon crushed red chili flakes
- Lemon slices, to garnish
Instructions
- Heat a large skillet over a medium flame with olive oil. Once the oil is heated, add the shrimp and saute for 3-4 minutes.
- Add the minced garlic, Italian seasonings, smoked paprika, ground black pepper and salt and saute for a couple more minutes.
- Stir in the butter, lemon juice, parsley and red chili flakes and simmer the shrimp for 1-2 minutes.
- Garnish the shrimp with lemon slices and serve.
Notes
- Purchase raw or raw frozen shrimp rather than precooked shrimp.
- Buying already peeled shrimp will save you lots of time.
- Jumbo shrimp are usually labeled as 21/25, which means there are usually 21-25 shrimp per pound.
- Shrimp will curl slightly and turn opaque pink when fully cooked.
- This recipe goes fast, and you do not want overcooked shrimp, so prep all of your ingredients in advance.
- Use high quality butter, fresh lemon juice and fresh garlic for the best flavor.
- Don’t move the shrimp. Let them sit in the pan for a few minutes, then flip, rather than tossing or moving them around.
