Lemon Garlic Shrimp

Name: Lemon Garlic Shrimp
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 10 min
Ingredients: 1 pound large or jumbo shrimp (peeled and deveined); ½ teaspoon salt; ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper; ½ teaspoon paprika; 2 tablespoons butter; 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil; 4 cloves garlic (minced); ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper; 1 lemon (zested and juiced); 2 tablespoons freshly chopped parsley

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Lemon Garlic Shrimp is tender, buttery, and finished with fresh parsley and lemon to enhance the taste even more. If you want a flavor-packed dinner recipe, this pan-seared lemon garlic butter, shrimp will hit the spot. Serve with a side dish or two for a no-fuss meal the whole family will love.

Shrimp in pan with lemon zest and squeezed lemon wedge, garnished with chopped fresh parsley.

Why you’ll love this lemon garlic butter shrimp
Ingredients to make lemon garlic shrimp
How to make lemon garlic shrimp in one pan
Tips for making the best lemon garlic shrimp recipe
Popular substitutions & additions
What to serve garlic butter shrimp with lemon
How to store & reheat lemon garlic shrimp
Frequently asked questions
More shrimp recipes:
Lemon Garlic Shrimp Recipe

My household loves seafood, and when I’m in a pinch, having a quick shrimp recipe in my arsenal is a sure way to satisfy my hungry family. With a hot skillet and a few ingredients, this butter garlic shrimp recipe is your next dinner rotation favorite!

Why you’ll love this lemon garlic butter shrimp

So easy to make. Any recipe that uses one pan and is ready in under 10 minutes is a winner in my book! Once you’ve prepped the garlic, pan-searing the shrimp only takes 5-6 minutes.
Perfect for pairing with leftover sides. This garlic shrimp recipe is so great for a quick entrée to serve with leftover sides like alfredo pasta, lemon rice, or fresh salads.
The best garlicky lemon butter sauce. Now that’s a mouthful; believe me, you’ll love every bite of this herbaceous shrimp recipe. The garlic and red pepper flakes sizzle in the hot oil and butter, infusing it with the best flavor before searing the shrimp. The final touch of fresh herbs with a squeeze of lemon juice awaken the savoriness with a burst of freshness.

Ingredients to make lemon garlic shrimp

Shrimp: I use thawed large, peeled, and deveined shrimp from frozen for this recipe. Pat the shrimp dry with a paper towel to remove extra moisture to get the best sear in the hot oil.
Garlic: Fresh garlic gives the best flavor. Mince the garlic or use a garlic press and cook the garlic until you can smell it.
Lemon: You’re going to use the skin and the juice of the lemon, so you want to pick one that looks nice on the outside and is free of spots or damage. When zesting, you want to avoid going too deep and getting into the pith (white part under the skin), as it is bitter.
Butter + oil: I use a combination of extra virgin olive oil and butter. The oil helps deliver a nice sear, while the butter is purely for flavor.
Seasonings: Salt, pepper, paprika, and crushed red pepper flakes. For a little extra lemony flavor, you could also add a little lemon pepper seasoning.
Fresh parsley: Parsley adds a nice balance and supports the rich flavors.

Ingredients for recipe before prepped: oil, garlic cloves, peeled and deveined shrimp, spices, whole lemon, butter, and parsley.

How to make lemon garlic shrimp in one pan

Pat the shrimp dry with paper towels.
Season all over with salt, pepper, and paprika.
Heat the butter and oil in a large skillet, then add the garlic and crushed red pepper. Cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant,
Add the shrimp keeping them in a single layer if possible.
Cook, stirring occasionally, until the shrimp is tender and opaque throughout.
Remove the skillet from the heat. Add the lemon zest and lemon juice and sprinkle with the chopped fresh parsley. Serve immediately.

6 image collage making recipe in a pan: 1- patting shrimp dry with a paper towel, 2- shrimp on plate with seasoning, 3- large skillet with melted butter, garlic, and crushed red pepper added, 4- shrimp added before cooking, 5- wood spoon stirring partially cooked shrimp, 6- lemon zest and juice being added to pan.

Tips for making the best lemon garlic shrimp recipe

Use a hot skillet. To get the best sear on the shrimp, you want the pan to be hot and the oil/butter to sizzle, which will also help it cook quickly and evenly.
Avoid overcooking the shrimp. You’d be surprised how quickly shrimp can overcook, but it can happen fast, even with no direct heat. Once you see the shrimp is no longer gray and has a pink color, remove it from the heat and add in the remaining ingredients. Serve immediately to enjoy the best texture and flavors.
Use fresh ingredients. For the best flavor, fresh lemon, garlic, and parsley are the way to go. They’re easy to keep on hand, and you can always freeze extra herbs for a fresh addition to many dishes.
Choose your shrimp size. This recipe calls for a pound of shrimp, so you can use whatever size you like. To match the shrimp in the photos, I used large/jumbo. If you pick a smaller size of shrimp, you’ll get more pieces, but you may need to adjust the cooking time. Just watch for the opaque color to check for doneness.

Popular substitutions & additions

Add peppers and onions. After melting the butter, sauté thinly sliced peppers and onions. Once softened and blistered, add the garlic and flakes, cook until fragrant, and follow up with searing the shrimp. Similar to my shrimp fajitas recipe.
Make it spicier. The red pepper flakes add a kick of heat, but you can up the heat more by either adding more red pepper flakes or sprinkling on cayenne pepper.
Serve over salad. Spoon the seared butter garlic shrimp over a fresh salad like my Caesar side salad or fresh chopped salad. It’s a delicious protein to add to salads.
Use roasted garlic. I’m hooked on roasted garlic and love to use it in all of my recipes. You can use twice as much roasted garlic as freshly cooked. Just add it in at the end by smearing it into the butter sauce and coating the shrimp with it.

What to serve garlic butter shrimp with lemon

Garlic shrimp served over pasta in a shallow bowl with a forked dipped inside and the pan of shrimp nearby.

How to store & reheat lemon garlic shrimp

This garlic butter shrimp recipe is best served after being made, but you can store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge.

To reheat: Warm a pan over medium and quickly heat back up. Because the shrimp has already been cooked, you’ll want to briefly (but thoroughly) heat it through so it doesn’t become rubbery from reheating.

How long will lemon garlic butter shrimp last in the fridge?

Cooked shrimp can be stored in the fridge for 2-3 days. After that, it should be tossed.

Can i freeze this lemon garlic butter shrimp recipe?

Yes, you can. This shrimp recipe is so quick and easy to make that freezing isn’t really necessary, but if you find that you want to precook the shrimp or have leftovers, it is okay to freeze it. Just make sure to let it cool down all the way before adding it to a freezer-safe container.

Frequently asked questions

How long does it take to pan-cook shrimp?

To cook shrimp, you’re going to want to cook them for about 2-3 minutes or so on each side. Just until it hits that opaque color, remember that working with larger shrimp may take up to 4-5 minutes per side.

Can you use frozen shrimp?

When it comes to seafood, I prefer frozen because it’s more convenient and, in many cases, fresher than fresh shrimp! Thaw them thoroughly and pat them dry to remove as much excess moisture as possible before seasoning and cooking.

How do you make the most flavorful shrimp?

Using a combination of butter and oil, infusing it with garlic and red pepper flakes, and finishing with fresh herbs and citrus is a surefire way to pack the most flavor into shrimp.

Garlic shrimp in pan with spoon lifting some to show plump shrimp with lemon wedges and parsley.

Simple, flavor-packed, and ready in under 10 minutes, this Lemon Garlic Shrimp recipe is the exact seafood dinner entrée you’re looking for and will want to make over and over again. Grab some common ingredients and pair this pan-seared lemon garlic shrimp with your favorite dinner sides for an irresistibly buttery herbaceous dish.

More shrimp recipes:

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