- Calories
- 250
- Protein
- 30g
- Fiber
- 0g
- Sat. fat
- 6g
- Sodium
- 520mg
- Added sugar
- 0g
What this recipe does for you.
Garlic butter shrimp in 15 minutes: juicy shrimp tossed in a pan sauce of butter, a lot of garlic, lemon and parsley. 30g protein, naturally gluten-free and low-carb. The garlic barely cooks and the shrimp go back in last.
Why this works
Every recipe on this site ships with an explanation of the technique decisions, why sear then braise, why the acid goes in at the end, why the fat renders before the aromatics. The method below is those decisions, in order.
Ingredients
Serves 4- 1.5 lblarge shrimp · peeled and deveined
- 3 tbspbutter · divided
- 1 tbspolive oil
- 6 clovesgarlic · thinly sliced
- 1/4 tspred pepper flakes · optional
- 1lemon · juiced, plus wedges to serve
- 1/4 cupflat-leaf parsley · chopped
- 1/2 tspkosher salt · to taste
Method
Dry the shrimp so they sear, not steam
Pat the shrimp completely dry before they touch the pan. A film of surface water drops the pan temperature and steams them into rubber. Dry shrimp on hot metal caramelise slightly and stay snappy.
Sear the shrimp first, then take them out
Cook the shrimp in oil and one spoon of butter for about ninety seconds a side, just until pink, then remove them. This keeps them from overcooking while you build the garlic sauce. They go back in at the very end.
Cook the garlic gently, do not brown it
Lower the heat, add the rest of the butter and the sliced garlic, and cook just until fragrant and pale gold, about a minute. Browned garlic turns bitter and takes the whole dish with it. Slice it rather than mince it so it cooks more evenly.
Lemon off the heat for brightness
Pull the pan off the heat before adding the lemon juice. Acid boiled hard goes flat and dull, added off-heat it stays bright and lifts the butter. A little zest deepens it if you like.
Return the shrimp to coat, not to cook
Toss the seared shrimp back into the garlic butter for thirty seconds, just to warm through and coat. They finished cooking in step two, this is only about clothing them in the sauce.
Finish with parsley and serve over something to catch the sauce
A generous handful of chopped parsley for freshness, then serve over rice, zucchini noodles, or with crusty bread to mop the garlic butter. The sauce is the reward, do not leave it in the pan.
Variations
Substitutions and adaptations land with the photography shoot. The method holds across most reasonable swaps.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 to 4 days, sealed. Freezer: up to 3 months. Reheat covered to retain moisture.
Frequently asked
- How do I keep the garlic from burning?
- Turn the heat down before the garlic goes in, use butter mixed with a little oil so it does not scorch, and cook the garlic only until pale gold and fragrant, about a minute. Slicing rather than mincing also helps it cook evenly without catching.
- Is this keto and low-carb friendly?
- Yes. Shrimp, butter, garlic and lemon are all essentially carb-free, so the dish fits keto and low-carb eating as written. Serve it over cauliflower rice or zucchini noodles to keep the whole plate low-carb.
- Can I use frozen shrimp?
- Yes. Thaw them in a bowl of cold water for ten to fifteen minutes, then pat them very dry. The drying step matters more with previously frozen shrimp because they hold extra water.
- Can I make it dairy-free?
- Use a good olive oil or a plant-based butter in place of the dairy butter. You lose a little of the richness but gain a cleaner garlic-and-lemon flavour, and the dish still works.
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