Garlic butter shrimp

Shrimp seared in butter with garlic, lemon and parsley. Ready in about 10 minutes.

  • Have some energy
  • Gluten-free
  • American
  • Dinner
  • Shrimp
  • Keto
  • Low carb
  • High protein
Hands-on
12 min
Total time
18 min, show breakdown
  • Prep 8 min
  • Cook 6 min
  • Clean up 4 min
Pans
1
Ingredients
6
Cost/serving
$4.83

Per serving

Calories
283
Protein
41 g
Fiber
0.4 g
Net carbs
2.6 g
Fat
12 g

High in (% Daily Value per serving): Selenium 140%, Vitamin B12 93%, Vitamin K 54%, Niacin (B3) 33%, Zinc 26%, Vitamin B6 24%, Vitamin E 20%

Full nutrition facts, vitamins and minerals. All nutrition is estimated; check your own labels.

Already egg-free, gluten-free, nut-free, soy-free.

Ingredients for 2

Tap an ingredient for other units and forms.

  • 400 g raw shrimp, peeled and deveined

    Same amount as: 14 oz.

  • 2 tbsp butter (28 g)

    Same amount as: 30 mL, about ¼ stick.

  • 4 cloves garlic, smashed (12 g)

    Same amount as: 4 tsp fresh minced garlic, 2 tsp jarred minced garlic, ½ tsp garlic powder.

  • 1 pinch crushed red pepper flakes (0.3 g)
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice (15 g)

    Same amount as: 15 mL, ¼ lemon squeezed from fresh lemons.

  • 2 tbsp fresh parsley (7.6 g)

    Same amount as: 30 mL.

  • salt, to taste
  • black pepper, to taste

Find alternative ingredients

Healthier swaps

Optional. Nutrition and cost update as you choose; the recipe was written with the original.

  • butter
    • olive oil: Much less saturated fat. Uses a little less, since oil is all fat. Best for cooking, not baking.

Quantities are for 2 servings. More than 400 g of shrimp crowds a 30 cm pan. Cook in two rounds.

Nutrition Facts

2 servings per recipe

Serving size 1 plate (232 g raw)

NutrientPer serving% DV*Whole recipe
Calories283
Total fat12 g16%
Saturated fat7.4 g37%
Cholesterol352 mg117%
Sodium486 mg21%
Total carbohydrate3 g1%
Dietary fiber0.4 g1%
Total sugars0.3 g
Net carbs†2.6 g
Protein41 g82%
Vitamin D0.21 mcg1%
Calcium149 mg11%
Iron0.8 mg4%
Potassium288 mg6%
Vitamin A115 mcg13%
Vitamin C9.9 mg11%
Vitamin E3.1 mg20%
Vitamin K64 mcg54%
Thiamin (B1)0.06 mg5%
Riboflavin (B2)0.05 mg4%
Niacin (B3)5.3 mg33%
Vitamin B60.41 mg24%
Folate46 mcg12%
Vitamin B122.2 mcg93%
Magnesium49 mg12%
Zinc2.8 mg26%
Selenium77 mcg140%

Estimated, not verified. These numbers are calculated from typical ingredient data and haven't been checked against a lab or your brands. Check the labels of what you buy and confirm anything that matters to you, especially sodium, sugar and allergens.

* % Daily Value shows how much one serving adds to a 2,000-calorie day. † Net carbs is not on US labels; it is total carbs minus fiber, allulose, erythritol and half of other sugar alcohols. "To taste" amounts are counted as written. Counted items (eggs, cloves, spoons) use the rounded amount shown in the ingredient list. Vitamins and minerals are from raw ingredients; cooking lowers some, especially vitamin C and folate. How this is calculated.

Steps

  1. Thaw the shrimp if frozen. Pat them very dry with paper towel. Salt and pepper them.

  2. Mince the garlic. Chop the parsley.

  3. Melt 1 tbsp butter in the pan on medium-high until it foams.

  4. Add the shrimp in one layer. Cook 1–2 minutes without moving them. Flip each one.

    Done looks like: Pink on the underside and starting to curl.
  5. Turn the heat to medium. Add the rest of the butter, the garlic and the pepper flakes. Stir 1–2 minutes.

    Done looks like: Pink and opaque all through, curled into a loose C. The thickest one reads 63 °C / 145 °F.
  6. Take the pan off the heat. Stir in the lemon juice and parsley.

Equipment

Large frying pan or skillet, 30 cm (12 in) $25–60

What to look for

  • Wide flat base so food cooks in one layer
  • Stainless steel or cast iron for high heat

Skip: Woks on flat electric stoves; they do not heat evenly there.

Silicone spatula $5–12

What to look for

  • One-piece (no seam where the head meets the handle)
  • Stiff enough to scrape, safe on non-stick

Skip: Wooden spatulas for non-stick pans; they work but do not scrape as cleanly.

Chef's knife, 20 cm (8 in) $15–50

What to look for

  • Comfortable handle that does not slip when wet
  • Blade you can sharpen, or a cheap one you replace every few years

Skip: Knife blocks with 12 knives. A chef's knife and a small paring knife cover almost everything.

Cutting board $10–30

What to look for

  • At least 30 × 40 cm (12 × 16 in), so food stays on it
  • Wood or plastic; plastic goes in the dishwasher

Skip: Glass or stone boards. They dull knives fast.

What goes wrong

WhatCauseFix
Rubbery, tight shrimpOvercooked. They curl into a tight O when cooked too long.Take them off the heat as soon as they form a loose C.
Pale shrimp sitting in liquidWet shrimp or a crowded pan steams instead of searing.Pat them dry and cook in two rounds if they do not fit in one layer.
Bitter, dark garlicGarlic added with the raw shrimp on high heat.Add it only after flipping, with the heat turned down.

Versions

VersionChangesPer serving
OriginalAs written. Hands-on 12 min, total 18 min.283 kcal
41 g protein
0.4 g fiber
2.6 g net carbs
12 g fat
Dairy-freeOlive oil instead of butter. Hands-on 12 min, total 18 min.302 kcal
41 g protein
0.4 g fiber
2.6 g net carbs
15 g fat
Higher carbAdd cooked white rice (microwave pouch). Hands-on 12 min, total 18 min.446 kcal
44 g protein
0.9 g fiber
37 g net carbs
13 g fat

Notes

Allergies: removing an allergen from the recipe does not remove it from your kitchen or from other products. Check labels for "may contain" warnings.

Pregnancy: Cook shrimp to 63 °C / 145 °F, until pink and opaque all through.