Lemon Garlic Butter Shrimp (Printable)

Juicy shrimp cooked in a luscious lemon garlic butter sauce with fresh herbs and citrus.

# Ingredient List:

→ Shrimp

01 - 1 lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined
02 - 1/2 tsp salt
03 - 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

→ Sauce

04 - 3 tbsp unsalted butter
05 - 2 tbsp olive oil
06 - 4 large garlic cloves, minced
07 - Zest of 1 lemon
08 - 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice (about 1/2 lemon)
09 - 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)

→ Garnish

10 - 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
11 - Lemon wedges for serving

# Directions:

01 - Pat shrimp dry using paper towels, then season evenly with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
02 - Heat 1 tablespoon of butter with olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add shrimp in a single layer and cook 1–2 minutes per side, until pink and opaque. Remove shrimp and set aside.
03 - Lower heat to medium, add remaining 2 tablespoons butter and minced garlic to the skillet. Sauté garlic for 1 minute until fragrant without browning.
04 - Incorporate lemon zest, fresh lemon juice, and red pepper flakes if using; allow to simmer gently for 1 minute.
05 - Return shrimp and any accumulated juices to the skillet, toss to coat thoroughly in sauce, and warm through for 1–2 minutes.
06 - Remove from heat, sprinkle with chopped parsley, and plate immediately with lemon wedges alongside.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It's ready in 20 minutes, making it perfect for those nights when you want something restaurant-quality but don't have hours to spend cooking
  • The bright lemon and savory garlic create a sauce so delicious you'll find yourself using bread to soak up every last drop
  • It feels fancy enough to serve to guests, but easy enough that you won't stress about execution
02 -
  • Pat your shrimp dry. This is the single most important step. Moisture is the enemy of a good sear, and a good sear is what makes this dish sing
  • Don't walk away while the garlic cooks. It goes from golden and fragrant to burnt and bitter in seconds, and there's no recovering from burnt garlic
  • Shrimp cooks so fast that it's better to pull it off the heat slightly underdone than to overcook it. The residual heat will finish the cooking as you toss it in the sauce
03 -
  • Keep your shrimp in the freezer until the moment you're ready to cook. Cold shrimp sear better than room-temperature shrimp, and freezing preserves their delicate texture
  • If your pan isn't large enough to fit all the shrimp in a single layer, cook them in two batches. Overcrowding the pan drops the temperature and leads to steaming instead of searing, which is a texture tragedy

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