Lemony Garlic Shrimp

Bright, fresh Lemon Garlic Butter Shrimp may be the fastest main dish you can make for dinner tonight. Prepare fresh lemon juice, parsley, and garlic and the shrimp cooks in less than 10 minutes. Great on its own or over pasta, rice, or another grain.

My six-year-olds, Molly and Clara, just started understanding the idea of a blog. I think it was a light bulb moment for them when they realized the reason I’m always in the kitchen is actually serving a larger purpose than just keeping them fed. Though, let’s be real, keeping them fed is no small feat. Lately, whenever I make something they like, they tell me “put this on the blog mom!”.

Not only is Lemony Garlic Butter Shrimp fast, delicious, and super easy, it’s beautiful too. There’s something so satisfying about serving a beautiful dish to my family. Even better if it has a small handful of ingredients and takes less time to cook than the time for Molly and Clara to set the table.

Ingredients for Garlic Butter Shrimp

• Shrimp - Be sure to grab peeled and deveined shrimp if you want to save time. I love having frozen shrimp on-hand for meals like this. Just defrost the frozen shrimp by soaking it in warm water. 
• Garlic - If you love garlic, feel free to add even more than the recipe lists. The garlic is added to the pan along with the shrimp so that it infuses the shrimp with flavor as it cooks. 
• Smoked Paprika - Typically what we have in our pantry is labeled as “paprika” which is a sweeter variety. Smoked paprika has a smokier, less sweet flavor and I just love the subtle Spanish-inspired flavor it adds. No need to run out and grab it just for this recipe - any paprika works just fine.
• Olive Oil - Extra Virgin Olive Oil adds a rich texture and flavor to this dish. Toss it, garlic, and smoked paprika with the shrimp before cooking - it will serve as a quick marinade. 
• Kosher Salt - I test all of my recipes with Kosher salt, but if you’re using table salt, reduce by half. If you’re using salted butter in this recipe, reduce the amount of salt by half. Remember that you can always taste the shrimp and sauce at the end of cooking and add more salt if you’d like.
• Unsalted Butter, Chopped Parsley, Lemon Juice - These ingredients are added to the dish near the end of cooking so they retain their fresh flavor. Don’t skip the fresh parsley and fresh lemon juice - they really make this dish taste bright and restaurant-quality.

How to Make Lemony Garlic Shrimp

1. Marinate shrimp - Combine shrimp, olive oil, garlic, paprika, and salt. Do this before you get the other ingredients ready and put the shrimp in the fridge. This serves as a quick marinade and will begin to infuse the shrimp with flavor even before cooking.
2. Prep fresh ingredients - As I’ve said, the fresh ingredients are key here. Combine melted butter with parsley, and lemon juice. You’ll want these ready to go - once you start cooking, this dish cooks fast!
3. Sear shrimp - Add shrimp (including marinade) to a skillet or wok. Cook on one side, without stirring, until golden brown, 3-4 minutes.
4. Flip and add fresh ingredients - Flip all of the shrimp over and add the butter, parsley, and lemon juice. 
5. Finish cooking - Cook shrimp, stirring occasionally, until it finishes cooking. This just takes a minute or two, depending on how big the shrimp are. When they are opaque, they’re done cooking!

What to Serve with Shrimp

When I make this easy, weeknight meal, I love to serve it with a green vegetable, over pasta or a grain. 

Serve shrimp with:

• Asparagus
• Broccoli
• Green Beans
• Spaghetti, Anghel Hair, or Fettuccine
• Rice (white or brown)
• Quinoa
• Couscous

More Shrimp Recipes

• 30 Minute Shrimp Teriyaki Noodle Bowls
• Sheet Pan Jerk Shrimp with Coconut Rice
• Sweet and Spicy Grilled Shrimp with Pineapple Salsa
• Honey Lime Shrimp
• Vietnamese Shrimp Noodle Bowls
• Roasted Shrimp with Feta

Favorite Tools

• Skillet or Wok
• Mixing Bowl