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Shrimp is always one of my go-to proteins when I don’t know what to make for dinner. Or for when didn’t plan dinner far enough in advance. It thaws quickly, it cooks quickly, and it’s so versatile.
This Lemon Garlic Butter Shrimp is one of my all-time favorite ways to serve it. It’s perfect as appetizer or a main, comes together in 15 minutes and requires minimal ingredients and very little effort.
The basics for this recipe are lemon (both the juice and the zest), lots of garlic, and optionally chili flakes for a little heat. Searing the shrimp in olive oil first prevents the butter from burning, and adding the butter after lets the shrimp finish cooking in lemony-garlic butter for optimal richness and flavor.
You can serve this quick, easy and delicious shrimp with whatever side you want. For the ultimate quick and easy dinner, roast whatever veggies you have on hand and make some rice in a rice cooker while you prep and cook the shrimp. That way, you’ve got two hands off side dishes and the perfect low effort dinner for a busy weeknight. Or, you can double the amount of garlic butter, boil some pasta while the shrimp is cooking, and toss it all together for a delicious garlic butter shrimp pasta.
And if you’re looking for other shrimp recipes you’re sure to love, check out my Shrimp Fried Rice or my Crispy Rice Paper Shrimp Dumplings.
Lemon Garlic Butter Shrimp (Easy 15-Minute Recipe)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 lb shrimp tails removed and patted dry
- 1 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp butter
- 10-12 cloves garlic crushed or grated
- ½ tsp chili flakes optional
- 2 tsp lemon zest about 1 large lemon
- â…“ cup lemon juice about 2 lemons
- ½ cup fresh parsley finely chopped
Instructions
- Heat a large sauté pan over medium high heat and add the olive oil
- Sear the shrimp for 1 minute on each side, then reduce heat to low
- Add the butter, garlic and chili flakes and toss until the shrimp is coated
- Cook for 4-5 minutes or until the shrimp is cooked through then stir in the lemon zest
- Allow to warm through and infuse with the garlic butter
- Remove from heat and stir in the lemon juice and fresh parsley, as well as more salt to taste, if needed
Notes
Nutrition
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