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    Home » Recipes » Main Dish

    Lemon Garlic Butter Shrimp

    By Lily・Published: May 31, 2024・Updated: Oct 3, 2024・Post may have affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    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.

    sautéed garlic butter shrimp in a nonstick pot

    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.

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

    How To Make Lemon Garlic Butter Shrimp

    raw shrimp in a bowl

    Wash and devein the shrimp. Remove the tail and outer shell.

    pat dry raw shrimp

    Pat dry the shrimp with a paper towel.

    add salt to the garlic cloves

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

    mashed garlic in a bowl

    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.

    melted butter and olive oil in a pan

    Add the olive oil and butter to a large skillet on medium-high heat.

    pan-fry the shrimp

    Place the deveined shrimp in a single layer (if possible) on the skillet. Add some freshly cracked black pepper and salt.

    garlic butter shrimp in a pan

    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.

    squeeze lemon on top of garlic butter shrimp

    Flip each of the shrimp over one by one. Squeeze fresh lemon juice as the shrimp cooks.

    cover the pot so the shrimp can cook through

    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 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.

    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.

    sautéed lemon butter shrimp

    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.

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    📋 Recipe

    a close up view of sautéed lemon garlic butter shrimp

    Lemon Garlic Butter Shrimp

    Author: Lily
    Course: Main Dish
    Cuisine: Mediterranean
    Prep: 10 minutes mins
    Cook: 5 minutes mins
    Total: 15 minutes mins
    4.72 from 7 votes
    Print Pin Rate Email
    Servings 4
    This easy sautéed lemon garlic butter shrimp recipe is a 15-minute dinner made with freshly mashed garlic, lemon juice, butter, and large shrimp.

    Ingredients
     
    US Customary - Metric

    • 1½ lbs large shrimp or prawns
    • 2 medium lemons
    • 2 tablespoon butter
    • 2 tablespoon olive oil
    • 5 garlic cloves
    • salt and pepper to taste

    Instructions

    • Wash, devein, and peel the shrimp. Pat dry the shrimp with a paper towel.
    • Mash the garlic with some salt with a mortar and pestle.
    • In a nonstick skillet, add the butter and olive oil on high heat. 
    • Add the shrimp to the skillet. Once the shrimp changes colors (about 1 to 2 minutes), add the mashed garlic. Flip the shrimp over to the other side. Squeeze the lemon juice on top of the shrimp. Cover the shrimp until cooked through (about 2 to 3 minutes).
    • Add some chopped parsley. 

    Equipment

    mortar and pestle.
    Mortar and Pestle

    Notes

    • This shrimp can be eaten with some pasta. Just boil a 16 oz. bag of angel hair pasta. Drain. Add the pasta with ½ cup of shredded parmesan cheese.
    • Special Equipment: I recommend mashing the garlic with a mortar and pestle or using a garlic press.
    • Storage: Store this lemon garlic butter shrimp in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 to 3 days. I wouldn't go past that mark with seafood. I don't recommend freezing this dish.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 6 shrimp | Calories: 207 kcal | Carbohydrates: 0 g | Protein: 28 g | Fat: 10.3 g | Saturated Fat: 3 g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7.3 g | Trans Fat: 0 g | Cholesterol: 237 mg | Sodium: 642 mg | Fiber: 0 g | Sugar: 0 g

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    About Lily

    Howdy! My name is Lilian, but my friends call me Lily. I'm the founder and one of the recipe authors here at The Matbakh. I enjoy sunsets, long walks to the fridge, meaningful relationships, and anything related to food. I'm so happy you are here!

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      4.72 from 7 votes (4 ratings without comment)

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Anonymous

      October 08, 2023 at 8:28 pm

      3 stars
      To much lemon, very bland sauce.

      Reply
    2. Andy

      June 25, 2022 at 2:30 pm

      I’m making this tonight. Can’t wait to try it! What brand of skillet is shown in the pictures? I like size and shape. Thanks!

      Reply
      • Lily

        June 25, 2022 at 3:53 pm

        I hope you like the recipe, it’s one of favorite ways to prepare shrimp and it’s super quick. I think the nonstick pan is a masterclass sauté pan I found at HomeGoods. It has a glass lid which makes the shrimp cook a bit quicker. I would recommend any nonstick pan that’s about 10” wide or so. Really any nonstick will work. Let us know how it turns out!

        Reply
    3. Johnny

      January 21, 2022 at 1:12 pm

      5 stars
      Hi Lily.
      Thank you for the Recipe, like you I love to cook and I like to eat, I’m going to make it your way tonight and I know I’ll enjoy it , especially with some pasta .
      Love always, Johnny
      P.S. looking forward to new Recipe in the near future from you! Be blessed and safe, and your family.

      Reply
      • Lily

        January 21, 2022 at 7:01 pm

        Hi Johnny, Thanks for the comment! Hope you like the recipe

        Reply
    4. Joanna

      July 23, 2021 at 4:36 pm

      5 stars
      Turned out excellent. Will be keeping this for the future.

      Reply

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    lily at the matbakh

    I'm Lily

    I'm an American Lebanese living in Texas. My kitchen, or matbakh, is a hodgepodge of recipes from the U.S. and Mediterranean region.

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