Creamy Lemon Garlic Butter Shrimp are coated in a rich sauce that is bursting with lemon flavor. This show stopper shrimp dish can be made in under 20 minutes!
What makes this dish so delicious is the rich sauce. It’s the perfect blend of garlic and lemon flavors combined with heavy cream. There are also a few crushed red pepper flakes added for a little heat. It’s a simple sauce but it really packs the flavor. It is plenty thick to wonderfully coat the shrimp.
Ingredients Needed
- Butter– either salted or unsalted
- Garlic– about 4 medium cloves
- Crushed Red Pepper Flakes– add some heat
- Salt and Pepper
- Cajun Seasoning– creole seasoning can be used instead
- Lemon Juice– use fresh
- Heavy Cream
- Parsley
How To Make Creamy Lemon Garlic Butter Shrimp
- Cook the garlic and shrimp. Remove the shrimp and set aside.
- Reduce the lemon juice and heavy cream to concentrate the flavors and thicken the sauce.
- Add the butter. Stir until melted. Return the shrimp to the pan. Garnish with parsley.
Best Ways To Serve
- As an appetizer with crusty bread slices.
- Mixed into angel hair pasta with Parmesan cheese.
- Served over a baked potato.
- Served over rice with steamed asparagus.
Tips For Buying and Cooking Shrimp
If you live near the coast or on the coast like I do, you can’t beat freshly caught shrimp. Otherwise, buy frozen, wild-caught shrimp and thaw them before using. Most shrimp sold at the supermarket are flash frozen at sea. There’s no telling how long they have been defrosted and sitting in the display case. Frozen shrimp thaw very quickly. Place them in a colander under cool running water and it just takes minutes.
I prefer large shrimp for this recipe. Peel and devein them , leaving the tail on. If it is your preference, you can remove the tails as well.
Shrimp cook quickly. Overcook them and they will be tough and rubbery. For this recipe, just cook them until they are mostly pink. They will finish cooking when you add them to the sauce.
Try These Other Shrimp Favorites
- Italian Marinated Shrimp
- Hawaiian Garlic Shrimp
- Bourbon Shrimp
- Spicy Party Shrimp
- Buttery Broiled Shrimp
- Garlic Shrimp in Creamy Parmesan Sauce
Creamy Lemon Garlic Butter Shrimp
Ingredients
- 6 tablespoons butter, divided
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 2 pounds large shrimp, peeled (tails left on) and deveined
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon cajun seasoning
- 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Melt 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat in a large skillet.Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook for 1 minute.
- Add shrimp, salt, pepper, and cajun seasoning and cook until shrimp are mostly pink. (They will cook more later so they don't need to be all the way cooked.)
- Remove shrimp from skillet and set aside. Add lemon juice to skillet and cook until reduced a little.
- Add heavy cream and stir to mix it into the lemon juice. Bring to a boil and simmer for 3 to 4 minutes to thicken it some. Turn heat down a little. Cut the remaining butter into slivers and stir it into the sauce until melted.
- Return shrimp to skillet. Add parsley. Stir shrimp into sauce and cook until shrimp are cooked through.
Nutrition
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I have never left a comment on any recipe blog but am making an exception because this is that good. Quick and easy is good enough most nights, this is delicious as well. I’m going to try the recipe subbing chicken tenders, scallops or tilapia. I think any of those would make a great dinner.
This sauce was amazing , this was a restaurant style meal. I added steamed brocoli and grilled zucchini. But the sauce to this dish was the ABSOLUTE BOSS .