My all time favorite shrimp are ones that are loaded with butter and garlic. This recipe is very similar to Gambas al Ajillo, a Spanish tapas dish that cooks shrimp in a lot of olive oil, garlic and red pepper flakes. I took inspiration from that recipe and made it with butter instead. It results in a sweet, garliicky and delicious shrimp dish that comes together in under ten minutes!

Key Ingredients and Substitutions:

  • Cleaned and Deveined Shrimp – I like cleaned and deveined shrimp for ease of eating. Here I left the tails on for presentation, however you can remove the tails if you like. You can use any kind of shrimp or prawns here!
  • Butter – I used a high quality grass fed butter for this recipe. Any butter will work. If you want to make it dairy free, use olive oil.
  • Garlic – Make sure to use freshly minced garlic, none of that jarred sh*t! The quality of jarred minced garlic is truly horrible, and will ruin the flavor of this dish! I like to buy whole garlic cloves already peeled, and blend in my food processor until it looks minced. It is extremely easy to do, and way tastier than already minced garlic.
  • Crushed Red Pepper Flakes – These are totally optional, but they add a nice kick. If you don’t like spice, omit.
  • Fresh Lemon Juice – Make sure to use lemon juice from freshly squeezed lemons. This balances the garlic and butter. If you don’t have lemons, use a touch of white wine vinegar, or sherry vinegar.
  • SERVINGS:  2
  • PREP TIME: 10 Mins
  • COOK TIME: 15 Mins
  • TOTAL TIME: 25 Min

This is great with crostini or grilled bread!

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb cleaned and deveined shrimp
  • salt
  • 1/4 cup butter
  • 20 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1 lemon, juiced
  • 2 tbsp parsley, minced for garnish

Preparation:

STEP 1.

Season the shrimp with salt and set aside while you do the other prep.

STEP 2.

In a large stainless steel pan over medium heat, add the butter. Once the butter has melted and is bubbling, add the shrimp and lay flat, make sure each shrimp are touching the pan. Let it cook on the first side until the shrimp are half way cooked up the side, around 2-4 minutes.

STEP 3.

Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and begin stirring the shrimp and coating it withe the garlic and red pepper flakes. Flip the shrimp to the uncooked side and cook or 2-3 minutes. Once the shrimp are pink throughout, add the lemon juice and stir to combine.

STEP 4.

Serve with the butter lemon sauce from the pan, garnish with parsley and enjoy!