This dish starts with a hot pan and raw shrimp—nothing pre-cooked. Butter melts fast; garlic sizzles for thirty moments—no more. Lemon juice goes in off-heat to preserve brightness. Overcooking ruins texture: 2 minutes per side, tops. Use jumbo shrimp (16–20 count) for margin of error. Serve immediately. The sauce clings best when plated over warm pasta or alongside crusty bread—exactly where it belongs.
Recipe Snapshot
- This garlic butter shrimp cooks in under 10 minutes using just one pan for quick preparation and easy cleanup.
- Sear shrimp for 2 minutes per side in butter and garlic to achieve tender, flavorful results without overcooking.
- Use dry shrimp and a hot 12-inch skillet to ensure proper browning and even cooking.
- Finish with fresh lemon juice off the heat to brighten the rich, garlicky butter sauce.
- Serve immediately with pasta, rice, or bread to soak up the sauce, garnished with parsley for freshness.
Originated in Coastal France
While many assume garlic butter shrimp is Italian at heart, its roots actually trace back to the coastal kitchens of France—where simplicity meets precision in every dish.
The 10 minute garlic butter shrimp method reflects classic French technique: high heat, minimal ingredients, and timing that makes or breaks the result. This quick shrimp dinner with garlic butter honors that tradition—no excess, all flavor.
High heat, few ingredients, perfect timing—this shrimp recipe is French precision on a plate.
An easy shrimp recipe for busy nights, it relies on a hot pan, dry shrimp, and butter that emulsifies into silk. You’ll sear, not steam—each minute matters. Garlic goes in at the right moment: fragrant, never burnt.
Lemon finishes it—brightness cuts richness. One pan, no fuss. Serve it over rice, with bread, or straight from the skillet.
It’s not just fast—it’s trained. Decades in restaurants prove that the simplest dishes demand the most attention. This one delivers, every time.
Recipe
This quick and flavorful garlic butter shrimp recipe delivers a restaurant-quality meal in just minutes using only a few simple ingredients. Perfect for busy weeknights, it comes together in one pan, minimizing cleanup while maximizing taste.
The combination of rich butter, fresh garlic, and succulent shrimp creates a luxurious sauce that’s brightened with a touch of lemon juice at the end. The high-heat cooking method guarantees the shrimp sear quickly, developing a golden exterior while remaining tender inside.
Since shrimp cook fast, this dish goes from stovetop to table in under 10 minutes, making it ideal for last-minute dinners. Serve it over pasta, alongside rice, or with crusty bread to soak up every drop of the garlicky, buttery sauce.
- 1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- Salt and black pepper
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the butter, allowing it to melt completely. Add the minced garlic and sauté for 30 seconds until fragrant but not browned.
Add the shrimp in a single layer, season generously with salt and black pepper, and cook for 2 minutes without moving them to get a nice sear. Flip the shrimp and cook for another 2 minutes until they turn pink and opaque throughout.
Remove from heat, drizzle with lemon juice, toss everything together to coat the shrimp in the garlic butter sauce, and serve immediately.
Pat the shrimp dry before cooking to guarantee proper browning and reduce splattering. Avoid overcooking—shrimp are done when they form a loose C-shape and turn pink; overcooked shrimp become tough and rubbery.
If the garlic begins to brown too quickly, reduce the heat slightly to prevent bitterness. For an extra kick, add a pinch of red pepper flakes when sautéing the garlic.
Cooking Steps
Start by melting the butter in a hot skillet—it should sizzle lightly, not smoke, meaning the pan is at the right medium-high heat.
Add the shrimp in a single layer after sautéing the garlic for exactly 30 seconds: any longer and it burns, any less and it lacks depth.
Flip them after 2 minutes—they’ll sear golden—then finish with a splash of lemon juice off the heat to brighten the rich butter sauce.
step 1. Melt Butter in Skillet
One tablespoon of butter at a time goes into a cold skillet—no waiting, no guesswork. This slow melt prevents burning and builds a steady foundation for your quick garlic butter shrimp.
Turn the heat to medium: too high, and the butter browns fast—too low, and it pools without clarifying. Give it 60 to 90 moments, swirling the pan, until the foam settles and the butter turns golden. That’s your signal: it’s ready for garlic.
This step is non-negotiable in an easy shrimp dinner—rushing risks bitterness. But done right, it creates a rich base that coats every bite. It’s the soul of the one pan shrimp recipe: simple, precise, effective.
You’re not just melting fat—you’re laying flavor down, layer by layer. And it starts cold, on purpose. No exceptions.
step 2. Sauté Minced Garlic for 30 Seconds
Drop the minced garlic into the melted butter the moment the foam subsides—heat activates flavor, and 30 seconds is all it takes to coax out garlic’s aromatic depth without tipping into bitterness.
Stir constantly: the goal is fragrance, not color. A pale golden hue means you’re on track; dark edges mean you’ve pushed too far. This step builds the foundation of your fast shrimp recipe—rushing it ruins everything.
Use a wooden spoon or silicone spatula to keep things moving. The pan should be hot, but if the butter begins to brown, pull it off heat for five seconds.
This technique is non-negotiable in any true garlic butter shrimp in 10 minutes. Get it right, and the sauce blooms with savory-sweet complexity. Get it wrong, and no amount of lemon juice saves it.
Precision here guarantees every bite serves flavor with grace—and that’s how home cooks feed others like pros.
step 3. Add Shrimp in Single Layer
Lay the shrimp in a single layer across the hot skillet—this guarantees even contact with the pan and promotes consistent searing. Crowding leads to steaming: leave space between each piece.
The single layer guarantees the surface temperature drops minimally, locking in a golden crust while preserving tender flesh inside. Use a 12-inch skillet—it gives ample room for even distribution.
If cooking in batches, keep finished shrimp warm while searing the next, but most home burners handle a full pound in one go. Dry shrimp thoroughly before adding; moisture is the enemy of browning.
A single layer also lets the garlic butter coat each piece more evenly later. This step isn’t about speed—it’s controlled precision. Patience here builds flavor fast: two minutes untouched, then flip.
No stirring, no moving. Let the heat do its job—efficient, effective, and done right. This is how you serve others a dish that looks and tastes professionally made, without the fuss.
step 4. Flip Shrimp After 2 Minutes
Flip the shrimp after two minutes of searing—timing it right guarantees even cooking and a firm yet tender texture.
Use a fork or tongs: turn each piece just once. Premature flipping risks tearing; waiting too long invites overcooking. The initial side should be golden—sear marks signal flavor development.
Once flipped, cook another 1–2 minutes. Shrimp are done when opaque through the thickest part. They cook fast—overcooking makes them rubbery.
A 12-inch stainless or cast iron pan holds heat evenly, preventing cold spots. Nonstick works if you skip the sear. Medium-high is the sweet spot: hot enough to sear, not scorch.
This method feeds four with ease. Serve to others: family, guests, someone needing comfort. It’s simple, yes—but looks like care.
Do it right: two minutes in, flip—no guesswork.
step 5. Drizzle With Lemon Juice
The moment the shrimp turn opaque and curl into loose C-shapes, pull the pan off the heat—this is where brightness cuts through richness.
Now, drizzle—don’t splash—2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice over the shrimp. The acidity lifts the butter-garlic sauce, balancing heaviness without masking flavor: think contrast, not correction.
Squeeze the lemon just before this step—bottled juice lacks punch and adds vinegar’s ghost. Use your dominant hand for the squeeze, the other to stir gently with a silicone spatula—don’t smash the shrimp.
The residual heat is enough to marry the lemon into the sauce—no simmering, no extra oil, no risk of overcooking. This is timing, not technique.
Serve directly from the pan—your guests get warmth, aroma, and shine. One squeeze. One move. That’s how flavor finishes clean.
Common Questions About This Recipe
Why do some garlic butter shrimp turn out rubbery while others stay tender? Overcooking is the culprit—shrimp need just 2 minutes per side over medium-high heat.
They’re done when opaque and firm, curling into a loose C: undercooked ones stay translucent, overcooked ones tighten into tight O’s and turn tough.
Always pat shrimp dry before searing—moisture steams instead of browns. Use real butter, not margarine; its milk solids promote browning but burn easily, so watch the garlic closely—30 seconds fragrant is enough.
If the pan screams when shrimp hit, it’s too hot: dial it back. Fresh lemon juice at the end brightens the sauce; add it off-heat to preserve its zing.
This method works whether serving guests or family—simple, fast, reliable. Get the timing right, and you deliver tender, flavorful shrimp every time: no guesswork, just results.
Over Linguine With Parsley Garnish
Linguine: it soaks up garlic butter like a sponge, turning a simple shrimp dish into a full meal worth building a dinner around. Cook the pasta al dente—11 minutes in salted boiling water—then drain, reserving a ¼ cup of starchy water to loosen the sauce if needed. Toss the hot linguine directly in the skillet with the shrimp and sauce; the residual heat blends flavors without overcooking.
- Use 8 ounces of dried linguine for balanced portions—enough to serve four without waste.
- Toss in a hot skillet: pasta, shrimp, and sauce together for 60 moments to marry flavors.
- Finish with a sharp chop of fresh parsley—½ tablespoon per plate—for color, freshness, and a mild bitterness that cuts the fat.
Parsley isn’t garnish theater: it lifts the dish. Serve fast, while the butter glistens and the shrimp stay tender. No reheating. No shortcuts that matter.
