This easy sautéed lemon garlic butter shrimp recipe is a 15-minute high-protein meal. It's flavorful and easy to make with just six ingredients: shrimp, butter, olive oil, fresh garlic, lemon, and parsley.

Turn this recipe into a full meal by adding some pasta and spinach, like this lemon garlic butter shrimp pasta with freshly grated parmesan.

Garlic Butter Shrimp

Anytime you put garlic and butter in the same sentence, I'm sold. This lemon garlic shrimp recipe is great for fresh shrimp (or previously frozen). I don't recommend using pre-cooked shrimp for this delicious dinner. Shrimp is a lean protein that cooks quickly, which means it's great for busy weeknights.

What You Need

ingredients laid out for lemon garlic butter shrimp

Large Shrimp or Prawn: Use jumbo shrimp, large shrimp, or prawn. Prawns are similar to jumbo shrimp but a little larger and meatier in texture. Prawns are common in Southeast Asia and an appropriate substitute. I recommend high-quality wild-caught fresh raw shrimp that's peeled and deveined.
Fresh garlic and fresh parsley: For a delicious garlicky sauce, use fresh garlic cloves. Curly parsley and Italian parsley are interchangeable. Use dried parsley flakes as an alternative.

How To Make Lemon Garlic Butter Shrimp

Wash and devein the shrimp. Remove the tail and outer shell. Pat dry the shrimp with a paper towel.

Mash garlic into a garlic paste with a mortar and pestle or garlic press. Alternatively, finely mince garlic with a chef's knife.

Add the olive oil and butter to a large skillet on medium-high heat. Place the deveined shrimp in a single layer (if possible) on the skillet. Add some freshly cracked black pepper and salt.

squeeze lemon on top of garlic butter shrimp.

Once the shrimp has changed colors on the bottom side (after about 1 to 2 minutes), add the mashed garlic to the pan by moving some of the shrimp. Flip each of the shrimp over one by one. Squeeze fresh lemon juice as the shrimp cooks.

Cover the nonstick skillet with a lid for the shrimp to cook through (about 2 to 3 minutes).

add some chopped parsley to the sautéed shrimp after it has been cooked

Add lemon wedges, and some chopped fresh parsley on top to garnish. Serve this succulent shrimp with some roasted potatoes, pasta, steamed couscous, or rice.

Shrimp Tips

Don't overcook the shrimp. Sautéed shrimp does not take long to cook. Once the shrimp has changed colors on all sides, it needs just a minute or two more for it to be completely cooked through. Overcooked shrimp has a rubbery texture. Also, use large to medium shrimp. Don't use small-sized shrimp because they cook too quickly.

What To Serve With Garlic Butter Shrimp

Going low carb? Add a simple chopped salad, like this Persian shirazi salad or shredded cabbage salad with dried mint and lemon. Another great veggie side is blanched asparagus with garlic aioli.

For a little more sustenance, serve shrimp with baby gold roasted potatoes or vermicelli rice.

Pair this sautéed shrimp with fried calamari or roasted steelhead trout for a seafood feast!

Mix in some cooked angel hair pasta. This can be a one-pan lemon garlic shrimp pasta by mixing in some cooked angel hair pasta. Just add ½ cup of shredded parmesan cheese and 16 oz. of cooked angel hair pasta.

📋 Recipe