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!
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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
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.
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.
Step 2: Sauté garlic and shallots
Add garlic and shallots to the pan and sauté until softened and fragrant, for a few minutes.
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.
Frequently Asked Questions
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
What To Serve With Garlic Lemon Shrimp Recipe
Here are a few tasty option to round out this meal:
- Blueberry Cucumber Salad
- Roasted Vegetable Flatbread
- Hot Artichoke Dip
- Chocolate Dipped Almond Shortbread Cookies
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!
Garlic Sautéed Shrimp
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ pounds large shrimp peeled, deveined and tails removed
- 2 Tablespoons butter
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 Tablespoon minced fresh garlic, or pressed
- 2 Tablespoons minced shallots,
- Kosher salt, to taste
- Ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice, or more to taste
- 2 Tablespoons finely chopped fresh dill or 1-2 teaspoons dried dill
Instructions
- Heat a large skillet over medium-low heat and melt the butter and olive oil together.
- Add garlic and shallots to the pan and cook for around two minutes, stirring often (don't let them brown).
- Add the shrimp to the pan and increase the heat slightly. Cook for around 3-4 minutes, turning once until just done to taste (the shrimp will turn pink). Add salt and pepper to taste and toss to combine.
- Remove shrimp to a bowl and scrape all sauce into the bowl as well.
- Add lemon juice and dill to the bowl and mix well
- Serve immediately or refrigerate for 3-4 hours before serving chilled.
Video
Notes
- 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.
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