Description
This Garlic Butter Shrimp recipe is a quick and flavorful dish featuring tender shrimp sautéed in a rich garlic butter sauce with a hint of white wine, fresh herbs, and lemon. Perfect for a weeknight dinner, it pairs beautifully with rice, pasta, grits, or toasted bread for an easy yet elegant meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Shrimp and Seasoning
- 1 pound uncooked large shrimp, peeled and deveined
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- â…› teaspoon cayenne pepper
Sauce
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- 1 small shallot, minced
- ½ cup dry white wine (or low-sodium chicken broth)
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 small lemon, zested and juiced
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary or thyme (optional)
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
To Serve
- Cooked rice, pasta, grits, or toasted bread, for serving
Instructions
- Season Shrimp: Pat the shrimp dry with paper towels and place them in a medium bowl. Season evenly with kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper, and cayenne pepper to impart a balanced spicy and savory flavor.
- Sauté Shallot: Heat 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the minced shallot and sauté for about 2-3 minutes until softened and fragrant, creating a flavor base for the dish.
- Cook Shrimp: Arrange the seasoned shrimp in a single layer in the skillet with the shallots. Cook for about 1 minute on each side or until the shrimp turn pink and opaque, ensuring they are perfectly cooked but still tender.
- Add Wine and Garlic: Pour in the dry white wine (or chicken broth as a substitute) and add the minced garlic to the skillet. Continue cooking until the wine has reduced by half and the shrimp are cooked through, which intensifies the sauce’s flavors.
- Finish Sauce: Remove the skillet from heat and stir in the remaining tablespoon of butter to enrich the sauce. Add the lemon zest, juice from half the lemon, chopped fresh rosemary or thyme if using, and parsley. Toss gently to combine all the flavors.
- Serve: Serve the garlic butter shrimp immediately with lemon wedges and your choice of cooked rice, pasta, grits, or toasted bread to soak up the delicious sauce.
Notes
- For a less spicy option, omit the cayenne pepper.
- Use low-sodium chicken broth instead of white wine for a non-alcoholic version.
- Fresh herbs like rosemary or thyme add fragrant depth but are optional.
- Serve with crusty bread to enjoy the buttery garlic sauce completely.
- Ensure shrimp are not overcooked to maintain tenderness.
