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This garlic shrimp recipe is a quick and easy dinner that’s ready with one skillet in just 20 minutes! Stir-fry the shrimp in a savory garlic butter beer sauce, and serve it over rice, alongside pasta, or with a crusty loaf of bread. It’s a flavorful, family-friendly meal to enjoy any night of the week!
Garlic Butter Shrimp Recipe
When it comes to easy shrimp recipes, this garlic shrimp is about as simple as it gets! With just a handful of basic ingredients that you probably already have in your kitchen, you can whip up a flavorful seafood supper in about 20 minutes. Perfect for busy weeknights! We like to serve it alongside a loaf of baguette or other crusty bread to soak up those extra pan juices, but rice or pasta are also delicious.
Ingredients
This is just a quick overview of the ingredients that you’ll need for our easy garlic butter shrimp. As always, specific measurements and step-by-step cooking instructions are included in the printable recipe box at the bottom of the post.
- Salted butter: to sauté the garlic and shrimp, and to add rich flavor the sauce.
- Worcestershire sauce: for salty, umami flavor. Soy sauce accomplishes a similar profile if you don’t have any Worcestershire sauce on hand.
- Garlic: savory flavor that pairs nicely with the butter and shrimp.
- Kosher salt and ground black pepper: to enhance the other flavors in the dish.
- Dried oregano: I prefer dried oregano over fresh oregano, since fresh oregano can have a very strong taste.
- Shrimp: use any size shrimp that you like, and don’t forget to peel and devein them before cooking. We like jumbo shrimp or extra large shrimp, but any size works.
- Beer: for the sauce. Choose a light, crisp lager or light beer in this dish so that the flavor is mild and not overpowering.
- Basil and thyme: these delicate fresh herbs go into the sauce at the very end. You can substitute with dried herbs if necessary.
What size shrimp?
You can use any size shrimp that you prefer. Since the shrimp are the star of the show in this recipe, I recommend either “Jumbo” (16-21 count per pound) or “Extra-Large” shrimp. These larger shrimp are more impressive, have a better flavor, and are “meatier” than their smaller counterparts. They’re also more expensive, so take that into consideration and purchase the size that best fits your budget. If you’re using smaller shrimp, you’ll just need to reduce the cooking time slightly so that they don’t become overdone and tough.
I almost always use frozen shrimp in this recipe. Thaw the shrimp overnight in the refrigerator, or place the frozen shrimp in a colander and run under cold water until thawed. Quick and easy!
Do you eat the shells on garlic shrimp?
No, in this recipe you’ll need to peel and devein the shrimp before cooking. You can leave the tails on if you like the appearance, but you won’t want to eat those.
What spices enhance shrimp?
Garlic and herbs pair nicely with shrimp. Here we’re using oregano, basil, and thyme, but parsley, chives, and rosemary are also good options to enhance the flavor of the shellfish. Old Bay seasoning is another great way to add extra spice to the garlic butter sauce.
How to Make Garlic Shrimp
The shrimp cooks very quickly in a skillet on the stovetop, so have all of your ingredients prepped and ready to go before you get started!
- Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add the Worcestershire sauce, garlic, salt, pepper, and oregano. Cook and stir for 1 minute.
- Add the shrimp to the skillet and cook for 2 more minutes.
- Pour in the beer and simmer for about 1 more minute, until the shrimp turn pink and opaque.
- Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the fresh basil and thyme.
- Serve immediately.
What do you eat with garlic shrimp?
Serve the shrimp in a bowl with something that can soak up all of that delicious pan sauce. Good options include a big hunk of warm, crusty bread, baguette, focaccia, garlic bread, or garlic breadsticks. Rice or pasta also work well for this purpose. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley or other herbs, grated Parmesan cheese, or crushed red pepper flakes.
On the side, try vegetables such as a Caesar salad, cauliflower rice, mixed greens tossed with Dijon vinaigrette, roasted broccoli, Parmesan roasted cauliflower, sauteed spinach, sauteed zucchini, roasted green beans, roasted yellow summer squash, or a garlic Parmesan zucchini casserole.
Storage
Leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for 1-2 days. You can also freeze the leftover shrimp and sauce for up to 2 months. Reheat the leftovers in a skillet over low heat just until warmed through, or microwave individual portions.
Recipe Variations
- Make spicy garlic shrimp by adding cayenne pepper, hot sauce, or crushed red pepper flakes.
- Double all of the ingredients to serve a larger family. The cooking process remains the same.
- A dash or two of Old Bay seasoning adds even more zesty flavor to the garlic sauce.
- Saute some finely diced onions in the butter before adding the garlic and other ingredients.
- Squeeze in some fresh lemon juice for a bright, acidic finishing touch.
- Use Cooked Shrimp: If you have some pre-cooked shrimp on hand, those will work in this recipe, too! Simply prepare the garlic butter sauce, but wait to add the cooked shrimp to the sauce at the very end, just to warm through. Be careful not to overcook the shrimp or they will become tough and chewy.
Tips for the Best Garlic Shrimp Recipe
- Prepare all of your ingredients in advance. Make sure that the shrimp are peeled and deveined, the garlic is minced, and your sides are ready to go. This recipe comes together very quickly!
- Keep a close eye on the shrimp. The total cooking time will vary depending on the size of your shrimp, so remove them from the heat as soon as they are pink and opaque. If you overcook shrimp, they become rubbery and tough — not ideal!
- Light, crisp lagers and light beers work well with seafood and poultry, as the relatively mild flavor of the beer doesn’t overpower the shrimp.
- Serve the shrimp and some sliced baguette as a light appetizer when hosting guests for supper.
More Shrimp Recipes to Try
- Honey Garlic Shrimp
- Garlic Butter Shrimp with Old Bay
- New Orleans-Style BBQ Shrimp
- Dump-and-Bake Shrimp Alfredo Pasta
- Shrimp and Sausage Pasta
- One-Skillet Cajun Shrimp Pasta
- 20-Minute Italian Baked Shrimp
- Easy Shrimp Scampi
- Grilled Lemon Garlic Shrimp
Garlic Shrimp
Ingredients
- ¼ cup (½ of a stick) salted butter
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 large clove garlic, minced or pressed (about 1 teaspoon total)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 lb. shrimp, peeled and deveined (I use jumbo 16-20 count/lb. but any size will work)
- ¼ cup beer (such as a lager or a light beer)
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil leaves (or 1 teaspoon dried basil)
- 1 ½ teaspoons fresh thyme leaves (or ½ teaspoon dried thyme)
- Optional garnish: crushed red pepper flakes; grated Parmesan cheese; chopped fresh herbs
- For serving: crusty bread, rice, or pasta
Instructions
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt the butter. Add the Worcestershire sauce, garlic, salt, pepper, and oregano. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute.
- Add the shrimp to the skillet and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes.
- Pour in the beer, and cook for 1 more minute, or until the shrimp turn pink.
- Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the fresh basil and thyme.
- Serve shrimp and sauce with crusty bread or over rice or pasta. Garnish with crushed red pepper flakes and grated Parmesan cheese.
Notes
- Make spicy garlic shrimp by adding cayenne pepper, hot sauce, or by garnishing with crushed red pepper flakes.
- Double all of the ingredients to serve a larger family. The cooking process remains the same.
- A dash or two of Old Bay seasoning adds even more zesty flavor to the garlic sauce.
- Saute some finely diced onions in the butter before adding the garlic and other ingredients.
- Squeeze in some fresh lemon juice for a bright, acidic finishing touch.
- Use Cooked Shrimp: If you have some pre-cooked shrimp on hand, those will work in this recipe, too! Simply prepare the garlic butter sauce, but wait to add the cooked shrimp to the sauce at the very end, just to warm through. Be careful not to overcook the shrimp or they will become tough and chewy.
