Shrimp Garlic Lemon Butter (Printable)
Tender shrimp cooked with garlic, lemon, and butter for a flavorful Mediterranean-style dish.
# What You'll Need:
→ Seafood
01 - 1 lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails optional
→ Aromatics
02 - 4 cloves garlic, finely minced
03 - 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
→ Sauces & Fats
04 - 3 tbsp unsalted butter
05 - 2 tbsp olive oil
→ Seasonings
06 - 1/2 tsp sea salt
07 - 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
08 - 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
→ Acidity
09 - 1 tbsp lemon juice (from 1/2 lemon)
10 - Lemon wedges for serving
# How To Make:
01 - Pat shrimp dry with paper towels, then season evenly with sea salt and black pepper.
02 - Warm olive oil and 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
03 - Add minced garlic to the skillet and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant, avoiding browning.
04 - Place shrimp in a single layer and cook undisturbed for 2 to 3 minutes until pink on one side; flip and cook another 2 minutes until fully opaque.
05 - Stir in lemon juice, remaining 1 tablespoon butter, and red pepper flakes if using; cook for 1 additional minute, spooning sauce over shrimp.
06 - Remove skillet from heat, sprinkle shrimp with chopped parsley, and serve immediately with lemon wedges.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- Ready in under 20 minutes, which means you can actually pull this off on a weeknight without stress.
- The sauce is so buttery and bright that it works equally well spooned over pasta, rice, or sopped up with bread.
- One skillet means minimal cleanup, and the shrimp stays tender and succulent if you don't overthink the cooking time.
02 -
- Overcooked shrimp becomes rubbery and the whole dish falls apart, so the moment they feel opaque to the touch is exactly when to stop cooking, not a second longer.
- If you don't dry the shrimp properly, they'll release water into the pan and poach instead of sear, so that paper towel step is non negotiable even though it feels like extra work.
03 -
- Buy your shrimp from a fishmonger if you can instead of the supermarket case, and cook them the same day, the difference in texture and flavor is worth the effort.
- Keep everything else prepped and ready before you turn on the heat because once the pan is hot, you move fast and there's no pausing to mince garlic.