Easy Garlic Butter Shrimp
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This mouthwatering Garlic Butter Shrimp features jumbo shrimp sautéed with a homemade garlic butter sauce with fresh parsley for a stunning presentation! It’s ready in just 15 minutes for an easy appetizer or main course.
If you love French food, then you’ll love this garlic butter shrimp recipe. It’s uses classic French flavors to produce a mouthwatering sauce that bastes the shrimp as they cook! You can enjoy a restaurant-quality dish in minutes at home without the price tag!
We’ve served it on toothpicks as a delicious bite-size appetizer for parties and game day get-togethers, but it’s equally fabulous as a main dish served over rice or noodles.
Ingredients
- Shrimp: Ideally use raw, jumbo size shrimp that have been peeled and deveined (read about shrimp sizes). You’ll need to thaw the shrimp first if frozen.
- Butter: Unsalted butter is best since most shrimp is already quite salty. It’s also less likely to burn in the skillet.
- Garlic: Fresh whole garlic cloves.
- Parsley: Use flat-leaf parsley (Italian parsley) if possible but curly parsley will still work producing a darker color.
- Lemon: You’ll want to garnish with fresh lemon so you can sprinkle lemon juice on top.
How to Make Garlic Butter Shrimp
Start by making the garlic butter, and it’s easiest to do by blending for 5-10 seconds in a food processor. You’ll need to stop at least once and scrape down the side of the bowl with a spatula, and then blend one more time. (If you don’t have a food processor, mince the garlic and parsley on a cutting board and combine with softened butter in a mixing bowl.)
Once it’s ready, scoop out half of it and spread onto the inside of a large frying pan (any skillet will work, whether nonstick, cast iron or other). Then arrange nicely the shrimp on top in a single layer.
The final step before cooking is to add the rest of the garlic butter on top. Using either two spoons or your fingers, drop pieces of garlic butter on top of the shrimp around the pan. Don’t worry – it’ll melt and distribute evenly during cooking.
Place the pan over medium heat and let the shrimp cook undisturbed for 6-8 minutes until cooked through. Remember that smaller shrimp will take less time, while larger shrimp will need more time.
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What to Serve with Garlic Butter Shrimp
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Garlic Butter Shrimp Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 lbs raw jumbo shrimp, thawed, peeled and deveined
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 4 large garlic cloves
- 1/2 cup parsley, Italian parsley recommended
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 lemon, sliced into wedges
Instructions
- Add garlic cloves, parsley and butter to a food processor or blender. Process in intervals to a coarse paste, stopping once or twice to scrape down the sides with a spatula.
- Using a spatula, spread half of the garlic butter onto a large skillet. Arrange the shrimp neatly in one layer on top. Then spread the rest of the garlic butter evenly on top
- Spread the remaining butter paste evenly on top of the shrimp, squeezing between your thumb and forefinger to make manageable pieces.
- Place the skillet on medium heat. Cook for 6-8 minutes until the shrimp is cooked through (see note).
- Remove from heat and use tongs to lift out of the pan onto a serving plate. Garnish with fresh lemon and serve warm.
Notes
- Cooking time will depend on the size of the shrimp: medium shrimp could take as little as 3-4 minutes while extra jumbo may take 8-10 minutes.
- You can thaw frozen shrimp quickly by placing them into a large bowl of cold water. After 5 minutes, drain the water and the shrimp will be ready for use.
- For a lighter variation, substitute olive oil for butter.
Please read our nutrition disclaimer.
Recipe tools:
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| Food processor | Skillet | Spatula |
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