• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • About Me
  • Contact
  • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • Youtube
Sugar Spun Run
  • All Recipes
  • Desserts
    • Cookies
    • Candy
    • Bars & Brownies
    • Cake
    • Pies
  • Breads
  • Savory
  • Breakfast
    • Muffins
    • Scones
  • Seasonal
    • Cozy Winter / Holiday Treats
    • Easter / Spring
    • Fall Recipes
    • Summer Recipes
  • Shop
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • About Me
  • All Recipes
  • Contact/Work with Me
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • Youtube
  • ×
    You are here: Home / Savory / Garlic Butter Shrimp

    Garlic Butter Shrimp

    August 1, 2022 By Sam 6 Comments

    This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Please read my disclosure policy.
    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video Print Recipe
    collage of two photos of garlic butter shrimp, the top being a skillet full of the shrimp and the bottom a close-up ivew

    My easy, restaurant-quality Garlic Butter Shrimp recipe takes just 25 minutes to make! A true one-pot meal, this dish is as impressive as it is simple, with notes of fresh lemon juice, parsley and white wine. Recipe includes a how-to video.

    garlic butter shrimp being spooned out of a saucepan

    A Simple & Satisfying Shrimp Dinner

    There are a few recipes I keep in my pocket for regular dinner rotation, and they all have the same things in common. They must be quick to make, require little preparation, and, even if I’m just feeding my family, they must be both impressive and flavorful. My garlic butter shrimp checks all the boxes; it comes together in less than 30 minutes, can be made while holding a baby in your arm (the only kind of dinners I can make these days), and tastes totally gourmet. It’s also a true one pot meal, because the fewer dishes in my sink these days the better!

    The buttery (but not too rich!) sauce has a reduced white wine (or substitute chicken stock) base that’s savory and vibrant. A squeeze of lemon and some fresh parsley added at the end marries everything together perfectly. I like serving mine with garlic knots (for sopping up the amazing sauce!) and a salad.

    The final result is incredibly flavorful despite its simple ingredients, and it’s 100% restaurant quality in appearance and taste. I suspect this one will find its way into your regular dinner rotation, too.

    Why you should make it:

    • Gourmet taste from basic ingredients
    • Cooks in just 25 minutes in one pot
    • Makes an impressive meal or unique appetizer
    • Customizable; use broth or wine, add as much heat as you like, and serve how you wish

    What You Need

    overhead view of ingredients including white wine, shrimp, lemon and more

    You only need 9 ingredients (10 if you like some heat) to make this incredibly satisfying garlic butter shrimp recipe. Here are the important ones:

    • Shrimp. If you have access to fresh shrimp, that’s great! Otherwise, thawed frozen (raw) shrimp work just fine. Make sure yours are peeled and deveined; tails on or off is fine. Shrimp with tails removed are easier to eat, but I thought they looked prettier with the tails on for my pictures and video.
    • White wine. Use a dry white wine you enjoy drinking (not cooking wine!). This makes the sauce taste truly restaurant-quality. If you don’t have any on hand, chicken stock will work too.
    • Lemon. Using fresh lemon juice is important–do not use the bottled kind.
    • Parsley. This adds some freshness and color to the dish. Either flat-leaf Italian parsley (not cilantro–they look very similar!) or curly parsley will work, so use whichever you prefer.
    • Crushed red pepper. If you like a little bit of heat, I highly recommend adding this.

    SAM’S TIP: Garlic butter shrimp also makes a great (and impressive) appetizer! Serve it with the tails on (easier to grab) with some crostini and extra lemon wedges.

    Remember, this is just an overview of the ingredients I used and why. For the full recipe please scroll down to the bottom of the post!

    How to Make Garlic Butter Shrimp

    collage of four photos showing shrimp being cooked in a garlic butter sauce
    1. Dry and season the shrimp with salt and pepper on both sides, then set them aside.
    2. Cook the butter until lightly golden, then add the onion and cook until softened. Stir in the garlic.
    3. Add the shrimp and cook for 1-2 minutes, then flip, add the broth/wine, and continue cooking until the sauce reduces (we’re concentrating the flavor this way).
    4. Stir in the lemon juice, crushed red pepper, parsley, and any additional salt and pepper to taste.

    SAM’S TIP: Slightly browning the butter adds a depth of flavor that plain melted butter alone wouldn’t have. I love using brown butter in my baking, too, and I have a separate post on how to brown butter if you’d like to learn more about this technique!

    spoon scooping shrimp out of a skillet full of cooked shrimp topped with parsley and lemon

    Frequently Asked Questions

    What goes well with garlic shrimp?

    Crusty bread, breadsticks, or dinner rolls, linguini pasta, rice, or cauliflower rice are all great pairings with this garlic butter shrimp. It’s a little extra indulgent, but I often also serve mine with risotto.

    Why does my shrimp taste rubbery?

    Shrimp that has a rubbery texture has been cooked too long. Make sure to stay close when cooking and serve immediately to avoid this (flavor-wise it will still taste fine though!).

    Can I use pre-cooked shrimp?

    No. It’s important that the shrimp fully cooks in the sauce to soak up all the flavor. Plus, using already-cooked shrimp would most certainly lead to an overcooked and rubbery texture (see above).

    skillet full of cooked shrimp topped with parsley and lemon

    Many of you have asked for more savory recipes after I shared my chicken corn chowder (can’t blame you!), and I hope this one hits the mark 🙂

    Enjoy!

    Let’s bake together! I’ll be walking you through all the steps in my written recipe and video below! If you try this recipe, be sure to tag me on Instagram, and you can also find me on YouTube and Facebook

    garlic butter shrimp being spooned out of a saucepan

    Garlic Butter Shrimp

    My easy, restaurant-quality garlic butter shrimp recipe takes just 25 minutes to make! A true one-pot meal, this dish is as impressive as it is simple, with notes of fresh lemon juice, parsley and white wine. Great as an appetizer too!
    Recipe includes a how-to video.
    5 from 3 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Appetizer, Dinner
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 15 minutes
    Total Time: 25 minutes
    Servings: 4 servings
    Calories: 196kcal
    Author: Sam Merritt

    Ingredients

    • 1 lb extra large shrimp peeled, deveined, and thawed (455g)
    • ½ teaspoon table salt
    • ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
    • 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter (42g)
    • ½ cup finely chopped yellow onion about half a medium-sized onion (70g)
    • 1 ½ Tablespoons freshly minced garlic
    • ½ cup chicken stock or white wine (118ml)
    • 2 Tablespoons lemon juice freshly squeezed preferred
    • ⅛ teaspoon crushed red pepper optional
    • 2 Tablespoons finely chopped parsley
    • Additional salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

    Recommended Equipment

    • Large skillet
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Pat shrimp dry and season all over with salt and pepper. Set aside.
      1 lb extra large shrimp, ½ teaspoon table salt, ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
    • Melt 3 Tablespoons of butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally until the butter is just beginning to turn golden brown (you’ll see golden brown specks forming on the bottom of the pan).
      3 Tablespoons unsalted butter
    • Add onion and cook until softened and translucent (about 3-5 minutes).
      ½ cup finely chopped yellow onion
    • Add garlic and cook until fragrant (about 30 seconds).
      1 ½ Tablespoons freshly minced garlic
    • Add shrimp in an even layer and allow to cook for 1-2 minutes.
    • Flip shrimp and drizzle chicken stock or wine into pan. Scrape the bottom of the pan as needed to scrape up any browned bits that may be on the pan (lots of flavor in these!).
      ½ cup chicken stock or white wine
    • Cook until the stock/wine has reduced by half then add lemon juice, crushed red pepper, parsley, and additional salt and pepper to taste. Stir and remove from heat.
      2 Tablespoons lemon juice, ⅛ teaspoon crushed red pepper, 2 Tablespoons finely chopped parsley, Additional salt and freshly ground black pepper
    • Serve immediately. This dish is excellent served on its own with a side salad or over pasta, rice, or cauliflower rice.

    Notes

    Shrimp

    You can use any size shrimp you’d like but I tend to prefer XL (26-30 count/lb). Shrimp can be made with tails on or off, for easier eating remove the tails. To thaw frozen shrimp, either leave overnight in the refrigerator (in a bag or airtight container) or run under cold/cool water until thawed.

    Storing

    This meal is best served fresh, but leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Reheat slowly (in a saucepan over low heat, not in the microwave) as shrimp that is overcooked or heated on too high of a temperature or microwaved can become rubbery.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1serving | Calories: 196kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 165mg | Sodium: 939mg | Potassium: 215mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 655IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 81mg | Iron: 1mg

    Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.

    Tried this recipe? Show me on Instagram!Mention @SugarSpun_Sam or tag #sugarspunrun!

    Related Recipes

    overhead view of a skillet full of cooked shrimp topped with parsley and lemon
    • Creamy Chicken Pasta
    • Chicken and Rice Soup (One Pot Dinner Recipe!)
    • French Onion Soup
    • The Best Meatball Recipe
    « No Churn Ice Cream
    Marble Cake »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Lucie

      September 20, 2022 at 7:23 pm

      5 stars
      Absolutely delicious! We made this last night and my husband and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Plus, it was so fast and easy to make!

      Reply
      • Sam

        September 20, 2022 at 8:53 pm

        I’m so glad everyone enjoyed it so much, Lucie! 🙂

        Reply
    2. Bobbe Josephson

      August 01, 2022 at 10:53 am

      Morning, i do enjoy and use your recipe’s a lot..i have to question your use of chicken stock with the shrimp..it alters the flavor of the shrimp…i use white wine and water, the wine adds to the flavors of the garlic and onion..the stock covers flavors.

      Cheers, Bobbe

      Reply
      • Sam

        August 01, 2022 at 2:15 pm

        I’m glad you are enjoying the recipes, Bobbe! Thank you for commenting. I prefer the way the stock works with the shrimp and typically use that over the wine but both work very well. Definitely nothing wrong with exclusively using white wine if you prefer that 🙂

        Reply
        • bobbe

          August 03, 2022 at 12:09 pm

          ever try making shrimp head and shell stock instead of chicken stock
          ?

        • Sam

          August 03, 2022 at 12:44 pm

          I actually haven’t, but that would be delicious here too I’m sure 🙂

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    The author (Sam) in blue shirt holding donut Hi, I'm Sam! I'm dedicated to bringing you sweet, simple, and from-scratch dessert recipes. My life may or may not be controlled by my sweet tooth. Send help (or chocolate). Read more about me.

    Cozy Soup Recipes

    white bowl of hearty homemade tomato soup garnished with parmesan cheese, fresh basil, and cracked black pepper

    Tomato Soup

    Close-up view of chicken pot pie soup with shredded chicken, carrots, potatoes, green beans, and other veggies.

    Chicken Pot Pie Soup

    bowl of chicken corn chowder topped with bacon and green onions

    Chicken Corn Chowder

    White Chicken chili in a bowl with toppings

    White Chicken Chili

    Potato soup in bowl, with toppings

    The Ultimate Creamy Potato Soup

    CHICKEN tortilla soup in white bowl

    Chicken Tortilla Soup

    Most Popular

    flaky biscuit on white cloth

    Easy Homemade Biscuits

    Pizza dough in glass bowl, after rising

    The Best Pizza Dough Recipe

    one bite missing from a slice of vanilla cake with chocolate frosting

    The Best Vanilla Cake Recipe

    Slice of cheesecake

    The Best Cheesecake Recipe

    Potato soup in bowl, with toppings

    The Ultimate Creamy Potato Soup

    Stack of cookies made from this chocolate chip cookie recipe with melty chocolate chips and a bite missing from the top cookie

    The WORST Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

    places sugar spun run has been featured (Women's Day, Redbook, Good Housekeeping, Country Living, the huffington post, People, Delish, MSN, TLC, Parade, Better Homes & Gardens, Buzzfeed)
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • Youtube

    Privacy Policy|Accessibility Statement

    Footer

    Subscribe To My Newsletter!

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    ABOUT

    • About Me
    • Policies, Disclosure & Privacy
    • Terms of Use

    CONTACT

    • Contact
    • Work with Me!

    © 2020 Sugar Spun Run. All Rights Reserved