This lemon garlic butter shrimp is the 15 minute dinner that feels like restaurant food without any of the fuss. ♡
If shrimp scares you because you have overcooked it before, this lemon garlic butter shrimp is the easy weeknight recipe that fixes that. Plump shrimp sear in 90 seconds per side, get bathed in a bright lemon garlic butter sauce, and land on the table in 15 minutes flat. Use them over pasta, rice, or just with crusty bread to soak up every drop of the sauce.
You need 5 main ingredients. Butter, garlic, lemon, parsley, and good shrimp do all the heavy lifting. Let’s make it together.
Ingredients
Lemon Garlic Butter Shrimp
- 1 1/2 lbs large shrimp (16/20 size), peeled and deveined, tails on or off
- 6 tbsp unsalted butter, divided
- 8 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice (about 1 large lemon)
- 1 tsp grated lemon zest
- 1/4 cup dry white wine (or chicken broth)
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
- Lemon wedges for serving
- Crusty bread or pasta for serving
Optional add-ins
- 2 tbsp capers
- 1/4 cup heavy cream for creamy version
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- Sliced shallots
- Fresh thyme or oregano
How to Make Lemon Garlic Butter Shrimp
- Pat. Pat the shrimp very dry with paper towels. Season with salt and pepper. Dry shrimp sear properly. Wet shrimp steam.
- Sear. Heat olive oil and 2 tbsp of butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the butter foams, add the shrimp in a single layer. Sear 90 seconds per side until pink and curled with golden edges. Transfer to a plate.
- Garlic. Drop the heat to medium. Add the remaining 4 tbsp butter and the minced garlic. Cook 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Deglaze. Pour in the white wine. Scrape up any brown bits with a spatula. Simmer 1 minute until reduced by half.
- Sauce. Add the lemon juice, lemon zest, and red pepper flakes. Stir to combine.
- Return. Add the shrimp back to the skillet and toss to coat. Cook 30 seconds just to warm through.
- Serve. Top with fresh parsley. Serve immediately with lemon wedges and crusty bread or pasta on the side.
Why This Recipe Works
The 90 second per side sear is the technical move. Shrimp cook fast and tighten up the second they overcook. Pulling them at the moment the flesh turns from translucent to opaque pink (90 seconds per side for large shrimp) means tender juicy bites every time. Most home cooks leave shrimp in the pan too long and end up with rubber.
Cooking the shrimp before the sauce is what gives you that golden seared edge. If you cook them in the butter sauce from the start, the sauce releases liquid which steams the shrimp instead of searing them. Sear first, build the sauce in the same pan after, then return the shrimp at the end. This is the same technique restaurant kitchens use.
The deglaze step pulls every flavor from the bottom of the pan into the sauce. Fond (those brown bits left after searing) is concentrated savory gold. According to USDA nutrition data shrimp deliver 24 grams of protein per serving with almost no carbs, which makes this quick weeknight dinner one of the leanest high protein meals you can make. Pair with our garlic butter steak pasta for a surf and turf upgrade.
Tips
- Pat the shrimp completely dry. Wet shrimp will not sear.
- Use large or jumbo shrimp (16/20 or 13/15 count). Small shrimp overcook before they brown.
- Do not crowd the pan. Sear in 2 batches if your skillet is small.
- Storage: leftovers keep for 2 days in the fridge but the texture suffers. Best eaten fresh.
- Reheating: gently warm in the sauce in a skillet over low heat for 60 seconds. Avoid microwaving which makes shrimp rubbery.
- Substitution tip: chicken broth or shrimp stock work in place of white wine.
- Meal prep: peel and devein shrimp the morning of and store in the fridge until cooking.
- For extra richness, stir in 2 tbsp of heavy cream with the lemon juice.
Variations
- Creamy garlic shrimp: add 1/4 cup of heavy cream with the lemon juice.
- Shrimp scampi pasta: toss with cooked linguine in the sauce.
- Spicy: double the red pepper flakes and add 1 tsp of sriracha.
- Shrimp tacos: serve in warm corn tortillas with cabbage slaw and avocado.
- Garlic herb: add 2 tbsp of fresh chopped basil and oregano.
- Coconut lime: replace lemon juice with lime juice and add 1/4 cup of coconut milk.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Overcooking the shrimp. They are done at 90 seconds per side. No more.
- Not patting them dry. Wet shrimp steam instead of searing.
- Burning the garlic. Once it goes brown the whole dish tastes bitter. Keep the heat at medium.
- Skipping the deglaze. The fond is where the deepest flavor lives.
- Adding the shrimp back too early. Return them in the last 30 seconds just to warm, not to cook again.
Lemon Garlic Butter Shrimp
Ingredients
Method
- Pat shrimp completely dry. Season with salt and pepper.
- Heat oil and 2 tbsp butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Sear shrimp 90 seconds per side. Transfer to a plate.
- Reduce heat to medium. Add remaining 4 tbsp butter and garlic. Cook 30 seconds.
- Pour in white wine. Simmer 1 minute, scraping the pan.
- Add lemon juice, zest, and red pepper flakes. Stir.
- Return shrimp to pan. Toss 30 seconds just to warm.
- Top with parsley. Serve with lemon wedges and bread or pasta.
