Buttered Garlic Shrimp (Print View)
Succulent shrimp in a rich, garlicky butter sauce with lemon and parsley—ready in just 20 minutes.
# What You Need:
→ Seafood
01 - 1 lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined
→ Dairy
02 - 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
→ Vegetables & Aromatics
03 - 4 cloves garlic, minced
04 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
05 - 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (about ½ lemon)
→ Seasonings
06 - ½ teaspoon kosher salt
07 - ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
→ Optional Serving Accompaniments
08 - Lemon wedges, for serving
09 - Crusty bread or steamed rice, for serving
# How-To Steps:
01 - Pat the shrimp thoroughly dry with paper towels and season evenly with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
02 - In a large skillet set over medium heat, melt the butter. 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 layer across the skillet. Cook undisturbed for 2 to 3 minutes on the first side until they begin turning pink, then flip each shrimp and continue cooking for an additional 1 to 2 minutes until fully opaque throughout.
04 - Drizzle the lemon juice over the shrimp and scatter in the chopped parsley. Toss gently to coat every piece evenly in the butter sauce, then immediately remove the skillet from heat to prevent overcooking.
05 - Transfer the buttered shrimp to a warm serving platter or individual plates. Garnish with lemon wedges and serve alongside crusty bread or steamed rice.
# Expert Hints:
01 -
- The entire dish comes together in twenty minutes, which is faster than deciding what to order for takeout.
- That garlic butter sauce is so good you will want to drag every last drop through it with bread or pour it over rice.
02 -
- Wet shrimp will steam instead of sear, so pat them bone dry or you will end up with boiled shrimp in butter water.
- The moment the last shrimp turns opaque, pull the pan off the heat because residual heat will finish the job and carryover cooking is the enemy of tender shrimp.
03 -
- If your skillet is not big enough to hold all the shrimp in one layer, cook them in two batches rather than piling them on top of each other.
- Turn the heat to medium, not high, because butter burns quickly and browned butter shrimp is a different recipe entirely.