Garlic Butter Shrimp

4 from 1 vote

Craving a quick, flavorful dinner? This garlic butter shrimp is ready in just 15 minutes! Juicy shrimp in a creamy, garlicky butter sauce makes for the perfect meal over pasta, rice, or crusty bread. It’s easy, delicious, and completely irresistible. Check out my video guide and make it for dinner tonight!

Prep Time10

Cook Time5

Total Time15

Course: Shrimp

Cuisine: American Recipes

Keyword: Garlic Butter Shrimp

Servings: people

Author: Bee Yinn Low

Ingredients

8 oz shrimp, shelled, deveined, tail-on
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 cloves garlic chopped
1/2 cup light cooking cream
1/2 cup white wine or Japanese cooking sake
1 tablespoon mirin optional
1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste
3 -5 dashes cayenne pepper

Garnishing

2 tablespoons chopped parsley
2 tablespoons shredded Parmesan cheese
1/2 lemon cut into wedges

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Rinse the shrimp, pat them dry with paper towels, and set them aside.
Heat a skillet over medium heat and melt the butter. Add the garlic and sauté until fragrant but not browned. Add the shrimp and cook until they turn pink and opaque on the surface, but are not fully cooked through.
Add the light cooking cream, white wine or Japanese cooking sake, mirin (if using), salt, and cayenne pepper. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil, allowing the shrimp to cook through, add the parsley, stir to combine well.
Remove from heat, sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top and garnish with lemon wedges. Squeeze the lemon juice over the dish just before enjoying with rice, pasta, or crusty bread.

Video

Notes

Start by buying frozen shelled, deveined, headless, tail-on shrimp. I always grab a few packs of these frozen shrimp at my local grocery store, or even at Walmart or Target. All you have to do is thaw them in the microwave or soak them in water, and they’re ready for cooking.
Stock up on Japanese cooking sake and mirin in your pantry. These are must-haves. For any recipe that calls for white wine, you can substitute with cooking sake. Sake has a slightly sweet, umami-rich flavor with a mild alcoholic taste. It’s often less acidic than wine and has a smoother, more rounded profile.
Mirin is a Japanese sweet rice wine. It has a rich, syrupy consistency with a mild alcohol flavor. I love the sweetness, as it’s perfect for balancing savory or salty flavors in dishes.
Plan and multitask: For this recipe, I’ll cook the pasta first, before starting to prep the shrimp. By the time the shrimp is ready, the pasta will be cooked al dente. Then, all you have to do is spoon the creamy garlic shrimp over the pasta, and dinner is served.

Shopping Guide: You can find Japanese cooking sake and mirin in the international aisle of most grocery stores or at Asian markets. Keep in mind that cooking sake is different from sake meant for drinking. When it comes to brands, you can always trust Mizkan—it’s a reliable choice for both cooking sake and mirin.

Nutrition