Juicy lemon garlic shrimp is a quick and straightforward shrimp recipe, cooked scampi-style in a zesty mixture of lemon juice, parsley, and garlic butter. Serve this flavor-packed shrimp as an appetizer or as a meal with pasta or rice!
In the event you love simple recipes like this garlic and lemon shrimp, strive my shrimp alfredo and any of my different favourite shrimp recipes, subsequent!

Garlicky lemon shrimp is certainly one of my go-to methods to arrange shrimp—it’s really easy, so flavorful, and at all times seems tremendous juicy! I really like how this recipe is just like my shrimp scampi however skips the white wine (although I’ll generally add a splash if I’m feeling fancy). I simply cook dinner up a packet of peeled, deveined shrimp in a zesty garlic butter sauce with parsley and lemon, and in about 20 minutes, it’s able to serve. Whether or not it’s an appetizer or the principle dish, this one’s at all times successful at our desk!
What Makes This Lemon Garlic Shrimp So Nice
- Fast and easy. In different phrases, my standards for a weeknight dinner! This shrimp recipe is straightforward to arrange in a skillet utilizing tremendous easy substances, and it’s at all times additional flavorful.
- Juicy and flavor-packed. Candy, briny shrimp and vivid, zesty lemon go so nicely collectively. Throw garlic and parsley into the combo, and each juicy chunk is loaded with recent, gentle taste.
- Versatile. I’ve usually served this lemon garlic shrimp as an appetizer, and it’s simply as simple to show it right into a meal with a aspect of pasta or white rice.


What You’ll Want
With simply 5 substances, shrimp dishes don’t get a lot less complicated than this. However somewhat goes a great distance, and the flavors of recent lemon and garlic actually shine by way of. I’ve included some fast notes beneath. Scroll right down to the recipe card after the submit for a printable substances checklist with the total recipe particulars.
- Butter – This may be salted or unsalted butter. Substitute olive oil to make this dish dairy-free.
- Garlic – Freshly minced garlic will give this shrimp the absolute best taste. Relying in your choice, you possibly can go lighter or heavier on the garlic.
- Shrimp – I really like utilizing recent shrimp after I can, however frozen shrimp works completely, too. You’ll have to thaw and drain frozen shrimp beforehand. In both case, ensure that the shrimp is peeled and deveined.
- Lemon Juice – You’ll want a superb quantity of lemon juice, so I HIGHLY advocate squeezing recent lemons. You’ll want roughly 2 small lemons or 1½ massive lemons to squeeze sufficient juice for the ¼ cups referred to as for within the recipe.
- Parsley – You’ll be able to mess around with completely different herbs like basil, thyme, or oregano. Mince up recent herbs or you possibly can substitute ⅓ of the quantity with dried herbs as a substitute.
Tips on how to Make Lemon Garlic Shrimp
All it takes is one pan and simply 20 minutes to whip up this shrimp recipe—it’s that easy and fast! Right here’s how I make it:






- Sauté the garlic. First, you’ll add the garlic to a big skillet with melted butter. Stir the garlic often whereas it cooks over medium warmth for a minute, taking care to not burn it.
- Cook dinner the shrimp. Subsequent, stir within the shrimp and season it with salt and pepper. Proceed to cook dinner till the shrimp is pink and curled right into a “C” (my useful means of realizing when the shrimp is completed). This normally takes about 2 minutes, relying on the dimensions of the shrimp.
- Add lemon juice and parsley. In the meantime, squeeze the lemon juice right into a bowl, and whisk within the parsley. Add the sauce to the pan with the shrimp and let that boil for two minutes or so.
- Serve. Take the shrimp off the warmth and season to style yet another time if wanted. Garnish with additional parsley for those who’d like, and dig in!


Ideas and Variations
- Don’t overcook. Overcooked shrimp might be powerful and chewy, so be sure you solely cook dinner the shrimp till they’re opaque and pink.
- Use white wine. Deglaze the pan with a splash of dry white wine, like Chardonnay or Pinot Grigio, earlier than you pour within the lemon juice/parsley combination. You would additionally change the lemon juice with wine completely and easily squeeze over a recent lemon when serving.
- Make it creamy. For a creamy model, stir in a splash of heavy cream or soften in cubes of cream cheese or grated parmesan cheese on the finish of cooking.
- Make it spicy. Sprinkle in crushed crimson pepper flakes or chopped recent chilis. In the event you like your garlic shrimp with a little bit of kick, you may also love my Mexican camarones al ajillo, made with three kinds of chili.


Serving Options
I really like serving this lemon garlic shrimp over fettuccine or spaghetti for a light-weight and straightforward dinner (washed down with white wine sangria in the summertime, or a glass of pinot noir within the winter). It’s additionally nice with a aspect of white rice, or you possibly can construct on the flavors with a mattress of Mediterranean rice or jollof rice. Afterward, get pleasure from a slice of pear cake for dessert.


Storing and Reheating Leftover Shrimp
- Refrigerate. The leftover lemon garlic shrimp will be saved hermetic within the fridge for as much as 2 days. I like so as to add leftovers to a shrimp Caesar salad or use them as a topping for crostini or tostadas.
- Reheat. Heat the shrimp in a coated skillet over low warmth till they’re scorching all through. Watch out to not overcook.
- Freeze. You may as well freeze the cooked shrimp for as much as 3 months. Thaw it within the fridge earlier than reheating.
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Sauté. Soften butter in a big skillet over medium warmth. Add garlic and cook dinner for two minutes, stirring very often. Don’t burn the garlic.
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Cook dinner the shrimp. Add the shrimp and season with salt and pepper; cook dinner till the shrimp turns pink on all sides, about 2 minutes.
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Add lemon juice and parsley. Combine the lemon juice and parsley in a small bowl till nicely mixed. Add the lemon juice combination to the shrimp and convey it to a boil. Cook dinner for two minutes.
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Season and serve. Take away from warmth and style for seasonings; regulate accordingly. Function is, or serve with pasta or rice for an entire meal.
Energy: 254kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 35g | Fats: 12g | Saturated Fats: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fats: 1g | Monounsaturated Fats: 3g | Trans Fats: 0.5g | Ldl cholesterol: 304mg | Sodium: 295mg | Potassium: 501mg | Fiber: 0.2g | Sugar: 0.5g | Vitamin A: 667IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 124mg | Iron: 1mg
Dietary information is an estimate and offered as courtesy. Values could range in line with the substances and instruments used. Please use your most well-liked dietary calculator for extra detailed information.