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
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.
PrintLemon Garlic Butter Shrimp
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!
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 2–4 servings 1x
Ingredients
- ½ pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 2 Tablespoons butter
- 1 large shallot, finely diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 ¼ teaspoons Old Bay
- ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
- ⅓ cup dry white wine
- 2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 cup low-sodium chicken stock
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- Toasted baguette slices, for serving
Instructions
- Pat the shrimp dry with paper towels and season generously with salt and pepper.
- Melt the butter in a medium skillet over medium-high heat until hot and bubbling. Add the shrimp in a single layer and cook for about a minute on each side, or until pink and no longer translucent. This doesn’t take long, so keep an eye on it and don’t overcook it! Remove the shrimp to a clean plate and set aside.
- Reduce the heat to medium. To the same skillet, add the shallot and cook for about a minute, or until beginning to turn soft and translucent. Add the garlic and sauté for an additional 30 seconds, or until fragrant. Add the Old Bay and thyme and briefly sauté.
- Add the white wine to deglaze the pan, scraping up all the browned bits with your spoon. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 2–3 minutes, or until the wine has reduced by about half.
- In a small bowl or measuring cup, whisk together the chicken stock and cornstarch until no lumps of cornstarch remain. Pour in the lemon juice and chicken stock, then bring to a simmer and cook for another 2 minutes or so, until the liquid thickens slightly and starts to turn glossy.
- Add the shrimp back into the pan and garnish with chopped parsley. Remove from heat.
- Serve immediately! I serve mine with plenty of sliced baguette, which I brush with olive oil and briefly toast under the broiler or in a skillet.
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