Garlic Sautéed Shrimp

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This Garlic Sautéed Shrimp will knock your socks off! Made with lemon, dill and chopped shallots, it's full of insanely delicious flavor and ready in under 20 minutes!

An overhead image of half a white bowl of lemon shrimp with fresh dill next to the bowl.

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Why You'll Love This Shrimp In Garlic Sauce
Ingredient Information and Substitutions
How To Make Lemon Garlic Shrimps
Frequently Asked Questions
Tips For Making Garlic Butter Sauce For Shrimp
What To Serve With Garlic Lemon Shrimp Recipe
Other Delicious Shrimp Recipes
Garlic Sautéed Shrimp

Why You'll Love This Shrimp In Garlic Sauce

I am seriously excited to share this recipe with you guys today. My Aunt has been making this for years and we all go crazy over it. Sometimes she serves it as a main dish and other times it's an appetizer. But every single time it's makes it's way to our family table, it goes fast. And with good reason.

Originally from the Silver Palate Cookbook, the recipe's name is Spicy Shrimp. I've never really understood why it's called this because it's not spicy at all. So perhaps they mean flavor- of which this has plenty! Minced shallots and plenty of garlic blend beautifully with the freshness of lemon juice and dill.

Here's why you'll love it:

Minimal ingredients
Maximum flavor
Lightning fast- ready in less than 20 minutes
Great as a main or appetizer
Make ahead potential- can be served hot or cold

A close up of a garlic shrimp in a white bowl with other shrimp and butter dill sauce.

Ingredient Information and Substitutions

Shrimp- Frozen raw shrimp is my go-to for this and I like to remove the tails. In terms of the size of the shrimp, this recipe works best with large shrimp (the package may say 35/40 shrimp and this indicates how many shrimp per pound at that size). I prefer them peeled, deveined and tails removed for effortless eating.
Fats- I mix olive oil with salted butter because the oil helps keep the butter from burning. My preference for salted butter is all about adding more flavor, but if you only have unsalted, just add a little more salt as they cook.
Produce- Chopped shallot and minced garlic (measure with your heart) add a ton of flavor while lemon juice and chopped fresh dill add just the right burst of freshness. Fresh lemon juice is preferable and you can always substitute fresh chopped dill for 1-2 teaspoons of dried dill.
Seasoning- I keep it simple with Kosher salt and ground black pepper- be sure to season as the shrimp are cooking for the best results and of course, taste and adjust seasonings just before serving.

An overhead image of labeled ingredients in glass bowls.

How To Make Lemon Garlic Shrimps

Step 1: Melt the fats

In a large skillet over medium-low heat, add oil and butter and cook until fully melted together.

A skillet on a stove with butter and oil melting together.

Step 2: Sauté garlic and shallots

Add garlic and shallots to the pan and sauté until softened and fragrant, for a few minutes.

Shallots and garlic sautéing in melted butter and oil in a skillet on the stove.

Step 3- Add shrimp

Add the shrimp to the pan in a single layer and cook for around 2-3 minutes per side, turning once. Add salt and pepper as the shrimp cooks.

Step 4- Add dill and lemon juice off the heat

Pour the shrimp mixture into a bowl and stir in dill and lemon juice. Adjust for seasoning as needed and either serve hot immediately or chill and serve later.

Shrimp in a glass bowl with dill and lemon juice on it being stirred with a wooden spoon.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best way to thaw frozen shrimp?

I have two favorite ways- if you have the time you can place the bag of frozen shrimp into your fridge to that overnight. The quickest way is to fully submerge in a bowl of cold water for 15-20 minutes until fully thawed and drain well.

How do you peel and devein shrimp?

I always encourage you to purchase shrimp that has already been peeled and deveined to save time, but you can also do it yourself. Here are the steps:
1. Take a sharp paring knife and make a shallow slit down the shrimp's back.
2. Peel off the shell- I gently pull the legs and usually that brings the shell with it. At this point you can also gently pull the tail off.
3. Use the tip of your knife to carefully remove the black vein going along the shrimp's back and dispose of this.

How do I know the shrimp is cooked?

Typically, raw shrimp is gray and when it's cooked the color will changed to pink and the texture will be a bit more solid and opaque. The shrimp will also curl into more of a c shape.

Why is my shrimp rubbery?

Rubbery shrimp is typically an indication that your shrimp is overcooked. Shrimp tends to cook quickly, so try to turn after two minutes and remove from heat after another 2 minutes.

An overhead image of a white bowl of sautéed shrimp with fresh dill and a grey napkin around it.

Tips For Making Garlic Butter Sauce For Shrimp

Buy the shrimp peeled and deveined with tails removed. Less work for you!
Use fresh dill. In general fresh herbs are always preferable. But especially for this recipe, the fresh dill really shines.
Don't overcook the shrimp. It can be really easy to do this, but I encourage you to keep a close eye on it and remove the lemon shrimp when it is just cooked.
If you're cooking for a crowd, make a double batch. Trust me on this, these go fast at a party.
Season during cooking for the best flavor in the shrimp.
Taste it when it's done for seasoning. And add additional salt and pepper if needed
Serve Hot or Cold- The original recipe calls for the shrimp to be chilled for a few hours and served cold but it really is awesome either way.
Prep ahead- Peel garlic, dice shallots, wash dill and lemon, thaw and prep shrimp.
Leftovers and Storage- This will last up to 2 days covered in the refrigerator.

A close up image of a fork piercing into a cooked piece of shrimp.

What To Serve With Garlic Lemon Shrimp Recipe

Here are a few tasty option to round out this meal:

Other Delicious Shrimp Recipes

Love this recipe? Please leave a 5 star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating in the recipe card below ⬇️ and/or a review in the comment section further down. Check out my Amazon Store for all my favorite tools, including those used in this recipe. And follow @thelifejolie on Instagram and TikTok!