A Simple & Satisfying Shrimp Dinner
There are a few recipes I keep in my pocket for regular dinner rotation, and they all have the same things in common. They must be quick to make, require little preparation, and, even if I’m just feeding my family, they must be both impressive and flavorful. My garlic butter shrimp checks all the boxes; it comes together in less than 30 minutes, can be made while holding a baby in your arm (the only kind of dinners I can make these days), and tastes totally gourmet. It’s also a true one pot meal, because the fewer dishes in my sink these days the better! The buttery (but not too rich!) sauce has a reduced white wine (or substitute chicken stock) base that’s savory and vibrant. A squeeze of lemon and some fresh parsley added at the end marries everything together perfectly. I like serving mine with garlic knots (for sopping up the amazing sauce!) and a salad. The final result is incredibly flavorful despite its simple ingredients, and it’s 100% restaurant quality in appearance and taste. I suspect this one will find its way into your regular dinner rotation, too.
Why you should make it:
Gourmet taste from basic ingredientsCooks in just 25 minutes in one potMakes an impressive meal or unique appetizerCustomizable; use broth or wine, add as much heat as you like, and serve how you wish
What You Need
You only need 9 ingredients (10 if you like some heat) to make this incredibly satisfying garlic butter shrimp recipe. Here are the important ones:
Shrimp. If you have access to fresh shrimp, that’s great! Otherwise, thawed frozen (raw) shrimp work just fine. Make sure yours are peeled and deveined; tails on or off is fine. Shrimp with tails removed are easier to eat, but I thought they looked prettier with the tails on for my pictures and video. White wine. Use a dry white wine you enjoy drinking (not cooking wine!). This makes the sauce taste truly restaurant-quality. If you don’t have any on hand, chicken stock will work too. Lemon. Using fresh lemon juice is important–do not use the bottled kind.Parsley. This adds some freshness and color to the dish. Either flat-leaf Italian parsley (not cilantro–they look very similar!) or curly parsley will work, so use whichever you prefer.Crushed red pepper. If you like a little bit of heat, I highly recommend adding this.
SAM’S TIP: Garlic butter shrimp also makes a great (and impressive) appetizer! Serve it with the tails on (easier to grab) with some crostini and extra lemon wedges. Remember, this is just an overview of the ingredients I used and why. For the full recipe please scroll down to the bottom of the post!
How to Make Garlic Butter Shrimp
SAM’S TIP: Slightly browning the butter adds a depth of flavor that plain melted butter alone wouldn’t have. I love using brown butter in my baking, too, and I have a separate post on how to brown butter if you’d like to learn more about this technique! Many of you have asked for more savory recipes after I shared my chicken corn chowder (can’t blame you!), and I hope this one hits the mark 🙂 Enjoy! Let’s bake together! I’ll be walking you through all the steps in my written recipe and video below! If you try this recipe, be sure to tag me on Instagram, and you can also find me on YouTube and Facebook
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