Easy Garlic Shrimp Recipe – This garlic shrimp recipe is ready and on the table in 15 minutes! It’s an easy shrimp recipe perfect served with pasta, cheesy grits, or on its own. This garlic butter shrimp is a delicious favorite!
Looking for more easy shrimp recipes? I think you’ll love my Shrimp Scampi, Shrimp Creole, and Citrus Shrimp Salad.
I love quick and easy recipes like this garlic shrimp. Simple, scrumptious, and sublime.
It is one that I turn to time and again when I need a simple weeknight recipe for supper in a hurry, and I love how versatile it is!
How to Make Easy Garlic Shrimp
Ingredients
For this recipe, you’ll need four ingredients and two highly recommended optional items.
- Butter – I use salted butter in this dish. You can use unsalted if you prefer.
- Shrimp – I prefer to use fresh shrimp that has peeled and deveined. You can also use frozen shrimp that has been thawed, rinsed, and well drained.
- Garlic – this recipe uses the perfect ratio of garlic to shrimp in my opinion. You can adjust to your personal preference.
- Lemon juice – the lemon juice brightens the dish so much.
- Red pepper flakes – while optional, I highly recommend them for the added flavor.
- Parsley – optional, but recommended for the freshness it gives the garlic shrimp.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a skillet set over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp and cook, stirring often, until the shrimp just begins to turn pink.
- Stir in the minced garlic, lemon juice, remaining butter, red pepper flakes, and parsley. Continue to cook until the shrimp is fully pink and opaque, about 3 minutes.
How to Serve Easy Garlic Shrimp
It is scrumptious served with a side salad, over roasted asparagus, with zucchini ribbons, cooked pasta, or even on top of a bowl of warm, cheesy grits!
But you guys, it is pretty amazing just right on its own! It is one of those dishes that I have to be sure not to let myself have more than one as I taste test before serving. It is pretty easy to just keep right on with one more, and another, and then another. That’s when you know the recipe is good! And thankfully, it couldn’t get much easier to make!
This garlic shrimp recipe is also great for lunch with a side salad or even as an appetizer with hunks of crusty bread to dip up all of that delicious garlic butter pools underneath the shrimp.
I like to serve right from the skillet with a basket of bread beside the skillet so that everyone can dig right in.
Best Shrimp to Use
For the shrimp, if you use frozen, just make sure they are fully thawed and then rinsed well and drained.
- Fresh Gulf Shrimp – I love to use fresh Gulf shrimp as much as possible.
- Frozen Shrimp – If you use frozen shrimp, make sure that it is fully thawed and then rinsed well and drained before cooking.
How Much Garlic to Use for Garlic Shrimp
For the garlic, I’ve tried various amounts of garlic to shrimp ratios and found that we all prefer 6 medium-sized cloves of garlic minced. You can certainly adjust the amount of garlic up or down based on your preferences.
What Seasonings to Use in Garlic Shrimp
The pinch of red pepper flakes is completely optional, but I think it adds a depth of flavor to the garlic shrimp. If you do not like or can not have spices, simply omit it. It will still taste delicious!
Also, the chopped parsley adds a fresh flavor to this garlic shrimp that we just love. It also adds color and makes the shrimp prettier! I love that it also adds a slight green hue to the butter.
Buttery, with a hint of heat from the red pepper flakes, I especially love that this garlic shrimp is one of those dishes I can make week in and week out without a single complaint from my family.
Other Easy Shrimp Recipes We Love:
Here’s my Easy Garlic Shrimp recipe. I hope you love it as much as we do!
Easy Garlic Shrimp Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons butter, divided
- 1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- pinch red pepper flakes, optional
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a skillet set over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp and cook, stirring often until it just begins to turn pink.
- Stir in the minced garlic, lemon juice, remaining butter, red pepper flakes, and the parsley and continue to cook until the shrimp is fully pink and opaque about 3 minutes.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Enjoy!
Robyn xo
These look delicious! Thanks for all you do in creating these recipes for all of us!
Amazing! From pan to plate in minutes and absolutely delicious! What more can I say?
Love your recipes
Thank you, Denise.