Lemon Garlic Butter Shrimp

Name: Lemon Garlic Butter Shrimp
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 1/2 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined; 2 Tablespoons butter; 1 large shallot, finely diced; 4 cloves garlic, minced; 1 1/4 teaspoons Old Bay; 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme; 1/3 cup dry white wine; 2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice; 1 cup low-sodium chicken stock; 1 teaspoon cornstarch; 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley; Kosher salt and black pepper; Toasted baguette slices, for serving

Apr 19, 2023 · 1,702 Comments

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This garlic butter shrimp recipe evokes the flavors of Louisiana with a hit of Old Bay and plenty of lemon. A simple but perfect appetizer or light meal!

If I had to order my last meal, I’d immediately place a call to the new Southern restaurant near my house. I would order not one but two Nashville hot chicken sandwiches, plus an order of their Louisiana shrimp. The first time I had that shrimp, adrift in a sea of lemony garlic butter sauce, I think I ascended to a higher plane. And I knew right away that I had to recreate it at home.

I’m proud to say I really hit the nail on the head with this one. No exaggeration, I would eat this garlic butter shrimp every day of my life. It’s impossibly rich and buttery without being heavy, so you can easily inhale half a pan on your own without a second thought. Plus, for how special it feels, it’s dead simple to make. Serve it with a little green salad on the side and get ready to love your life.

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Ingredients
Instructions
Substitutions and Variations
Expert Tips
Make-Ahead and Storage Tips
Lemon Garlic Butter Shrimp

Ingredients

This recipe leans on a short list of high-quality ingredients. It might feel too simple to end up delicious, but trust that it’ll all come together. Just don’t skimp on the garlic and shallot. Be sure to scroll all the way down for the full list of ingredients with measurements!

To make this garlic butter shrimp, you’ll need…

Shrimp. Use the biggest, juiciest, freshest shrimp you can find. If you’re buying frozen shrimp, look for 16/20 or 25/30 — those numbers indicate the approximate number of shrimp in a pound. Bigger is better for this recipe!
Butter. Either salted or unsalted will work just fine.
Shallot and garlic. This recipe uses an amount of garlic that’s verging on too much. But we’re working with very few ingredients here, so several very fat cloves are in order.
Old Bay and dried thyme. Old Bay gives this shrimp that classic Southern seafood flavor, and a pinch of dried thyme brings out a savory punch.
White wine. I opt for a dry variety like Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio or even Sauvignon Blanc. If it’s dry and you’d drink it, it’ll fit right in.
Lemon juice. Now is not the time for bottled lemon juice! The lemon is a star here, so be sure to use fresh. Pick a lemon with smooth, thin skin for best results.
Chicken or seafood stock. Make sure you go for a low-sodium variety because Old Bay is pretty salty.
Cornstarch. This is technically optional, but I like to add a tiny scoop of cornstarch to make the sauce extra glossy and just a little bit thick.
Fresh parsley. A sprinkle of something green really takes this dish over the top. I like to use flat-leaf Italian parsley for the best flavor.
Lots of toasted bread. Pick out a quality crusty loaf, brush the slices with olive oil and toast them in a pan or under the broiler. When you think you have enough, make an extra slice. Trust me, you’ll want it.

Instructions

It feels special, but this shrimp actually comes together super fast! You can throw it all together in 20 minutes for a last-minute appetizer or light dinner. Be sure to scroll all the way down for the full written recipe with temperatures and cooking times.

Here’s how to make this lemon garlic butter shrimp:

Pat the shrimp dry. It may feel annoying, but this is a crucial step to get a nice sear. Shrimp, especially frozen ones, can retain a lot of water, so adding wet shrimp to the pan may result in a watery mess. Once your shrimp are nice and dry, season ’em liberally with lots of salt and pepper.
Cook the shrimp in lots of very hot butter. This takes no time at all so keep an eye on them! Once they’re done, put them on a plate for later.
Cook up all your aromatics. We’ll sauté the shallot, garlic, Old Bay and thyme until the whole house smells delicious.
Deglaze the pan. By now you should have built up a nice layer of browned bits (AKA flavor) on the bottom of the pan. Add the white wine and scrape-scrape-scrape until all those bits lift off the pan, then let that mixture reduce until it’s not so liquidy.
Finish the sauce. Whisk together the cornstarch and stock, then add that to the pan along with the lemon juice. Cook it all together for a minute or two until the cornstarch starts to work its magic and the sauce starts to thicken just a bit.
Add the shrimp back to the pan and garnish it all with a flurry of chopped parsley. Serve it right away with lots and lots (and lots) of toasty bread.

Substitutions and Variations

Try using green onions in place of shallots. Add the white and light green parts to the pan with the garlic, then slice up the dark green parts to garnish the finished dish.
There are many recipes where you can swap out white wine for something like stock, and you can technically do that here. But because the wine is such a star player here, omitting it really will alter the flavor.
If you can’t find Old Bay or just want to try something different, look for another Cajun or Creole seasoning blend. Tony Chachere’s and Slap Ya Mama are good options — just be aware that they’ll make it a bit spicier.

Expert Tips

Be sure to get the butter nice and hot before adding the shrimp. It should be foaming and bubbling. This will give you the nicest sear on the outside of the shrimp.

Make-Ahead and Storage Tips

Unfortunately, this recipe doesn’t keep incredibly well. Make enough for the crowd you’re serving and eat it all right away. Fortunately, it’s so delicious, I can’t really imagine having leftovers anyway.

More simple but perfect appetizer recipes…
Cheesy Bacon Spinach Dip
Potato, Bacon and Caramelized Onion Galette
Whipped Feta and Sundried Tomato Dip

Did you make this recipe? If you loved it, please leave a ⭐5-star rating⭐ and/or leave a comment below the recipe card! And don’t forget to share a photo and tag me on Instagram, Facebook or TikTok — I love seeing you recreate my recipes.