Lemon Garlic Butter Shrimp

What You Need

• 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.

See the recipe card at the bottom of the post for quantities.

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.

Slice the end off the garlic cloves. In a bowl, add the fresh garlic cloves and some salt.

Mash the garlic with a pestle. Alternatively, use a garlic press to finely mince the garlic. A third option is to finely mince the garlic with a chef's knife and cutting board. Set the mashed garlic aside.

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.

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). The shrimp is finished once the color has changed on all sides.

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.

Tips and Tricks

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. If the shrimp is overcooked, the texture will become rubbery.

Use large to medium shrimp. Don't use small-sized shrimp.

I recommend using fresh garlic to make the lemon garlic butter sauce.

Variations and Substitutions

• Substitute lime for lemon.
• Add fresh herbs or lemon zest.
• Add spicy pepper. If you like a bit of spice, add some chili red pepper flakes or some freshly chopped spicy peppers.
• Serve this lemon-garlic shrimp with cauliflower rice, zucchini noodles, or a side salad.
• Another great way to prepare skillet shrimp is by making blackened shrimp with cajun seasoning.

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.