Garlic Butter Shrimp

With seven ingredients, this scrumptious Garlic Butter shrimp comes together in about ten minutes.  You can serve as a quick little appetizer or over angel hair pasta. For a complete meal, serve with Bacon Wrapped Asparagus or Stuffed Portobella Mushrooms with Bruschetta.

I just love a good shrimp dish.  With just a few easy tips, anyone can cook shrimp like a chef.  This dish is so incredibly easy and quick that I am sure you are going to fall in love with it. I prefer shrimp caught in the wild over farm raised.  They eat a healthier diet and tend to be lower in saturated fat.  However, this recipe can be cooked with either or.  You can use almost any size shrimp from 16-40 count per pound.  I like to shoot for somewhere in the middle especially if it is on sale.

How do you make Garlic Butter Shrimp?

First, start by prepping your shrimp.  Peel and devein your raw shrimp. You can leave the tails intact if serving as more of an appetizer.  If serving over pasta it is helpful to remove them.  Please see my helpful hints on deveining shrimp.

Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium/medium high heat.  Add the shrimp, sprinkle lightly with cayenne pepper and crushed red pepper (just a couple of pinches each)  and cook for 2-3 minutes or until they are slightly pink with red tails and opaque flesh. Turn the shrimp halfway through the cooking process.  Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds stirring continuously.  Remove from the heat, add the lemon juice and fresh chopped parsley and serve immediately.

Tips for making Garlic Butter Shrimp

• If possible, buy wild-caught shrimp. They taste better and are usually lower in saturated fat.
• After prepping your shrimp. Pat dry with clean paper towels.
• This recipe moves fast so it needs your full attention. Shrimp cook very quickly and if cooked too long they become tough.  Stay focused on how the shrimp look.
• If ground cayenne pepper and crushed red pepper are too spicy for your liking then substitute with some Italian seasoning.
• Add the garlic to the skillet as soon as you think the shrimp are about done. Garlic can cook anywhere from about 30-60 seconds. Much more than that and it could burn and taste bitter. It is best to constantly stir garlic over medium high heat to make sure it does not burn.
• As soon as the shrimp are done remove from the heat.
• For this recipe, I really prefer fresh parsley over dried parsley.
• Shrimp does not reheat well as it get overcooked so plan on consuming the whole recipe in one sitting.

How do you peel and devein shrimp?

To peel the shrimp simply pull on the legs and the shell will begin to peel away. You can keep or remove the tails depending on how you intend to serve this recipe. If serving as an appetizer keep the tails on.  It is easier to eat them that way.  If serving over pasta remove the tails. Now to devein the shrimp take a small pairing knife and make a shallow cut down the center of the back to the top edge of where the tail is or was. To remove the black intestine run the cool water over the back of the shrimp and rub with your fingers so the vein will rinse out easily.

Other delicious shrimp recipes you will love!!

• Mexican Shrimp Cocktail (Cóctel de Camarónes)
• Coconut Shrimp with Sweet Chili Sauce
• Shrimp Creole
• Cajun Shrimp Pasta
• Carbonara Shrimp Alfredo with Bacon

Garlic Butter Shrimp

This easy and delectable recipe brings shrimp, garlic butter and a few simple spices together in perfect harmony in about ten minutes. This shrimp recipe is perfect for a family holiday or get-together, and it fresh, flavorful, and easy to make.

5 from 23 votes

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Course: dinner shrimp

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 3 minutes minutes

Servings: 4

Calories: 209kcal

Author: Beth Pierce

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1 lb shrimp medium large to large peeled deveined and tails removed if desired
• 2 pinches ground cayenne pepper see notes
• 1-2 pinches crushed red pepper see notes
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1 lemon juiced
• 1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley
• optional lemon wedges for garnish

Instructions

• Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium/medium high heat.
• Add the shrimp, sprinkle lightly with cayenne pepper and crushed red pepper. Cook for 2-3 minutes; turning halfway through the cooking process. Cook until they are slightly pink with red tails and opaque flesh.
• Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds; stirring continuously.  Remove from the heat, stir in the lemon juice and fresh chopped parsley and serve immediately.

Notes

The cayenne pepper and the crushed red pepper add just a touch of heat.  If you prefer no heat omit and substitute 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning.

Nutrition

Calories: 209kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.5g | Cholesterol: 213mg | Sodium: 227mg | Potassium: 362mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 656IU | Vitamin C: 16mg | Calcium: 88mg | Iron: 1mg

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