Garlic Butter Shrimp

Garlic Butter Shrimp is such a classic recipe that always makes for a perfect entrée. With summer just around the corner (or basically already here if you live in Florida like I do), it’s time to stock up on all of the best easy seafood recipes! This shrimp recipe is great for sunny days because it’s flavored with fresh lemon and garlic, which lend just the right amount of brightness to every bite.

This easy shrimp dinner comes together in under half an hour, making it perfect for both party prepping and weeknight dinners alike! The prep time itself is only about 5 minutes – after that, the oven does all of the work for you. Along with being incredibly easy to make, this shrimp is also made delicious with a handful of inexpensive ingredients! Most of these staples are likely already in your kitchen now.

When it comes to serving Garlic Butter Shrimp, your options are pretty limitless. To compliment the light lemony flavors of the shrimp, I usually like to plate them with roasted veggies or side salad. Pasta is also a great choice because it helps to soak up that mouthwatering butter sauce! No matter how you choose to plate your baked shrimp, you’ll love how incredibly tender, juicy, and flavorful they are.

Shrimp – I use jumbo shrimp, but you can use whatever size you’d like. Keep in mind that the cook time will depend on the size of the shrimp. Also, yes – you can certainly use frozen shrimp, just make sure that they’re completely thawed before cooking.

Butter – Use unsalted butter so you can control the salt amount. You can also easily use plant-based butter if you wish. Whether you need a lactose-free option or simply wish to lighten the dish, you can definitely use a plant-based butter or butter spread. My personal favorite plant-based butter is Green Valley Creamery and my favorite butter spread is Earth Balance.

Garlic – This is a key ingredient, so it’s very important to use fresh garlic only!

Lemon – You’ll need the zest of one whole lemon and the juice of half the lemon.

Parmesan Cheese – Freshly shaved parmesan will always give you the best flavor. If you don’t want to shave it yourself, check with your local deli – they may have some freshly shaved cheese for sale.

See recipe card for complete information on ingredients and quantities.

How to Prepare the Shrimp

If you’re new to peeling and de-veining shrimp, have no fear… It’s much easier than it seems. Check out all that you need to know here – How to Peel and De-vein Shrimp.

1. Peel the shrimp– start pulling on the shell by the legs and take the shell off each shrimp. You can choose to leave the tails on or pinch them off. Keeping the tails on makes a nice presentation but it’s much easier to eat shrimp without tails.
2. Take the vein out – Use a paring knife or another small knife to slice the top of the skin all along the back. Cut very gently to only cut through the top thin layer of skin to expose the “vein.” When you see the dark, long string, use the tip of the knife to gently pick it up and then pull it out. Repeat with all the shrimp.
3. Rinse the shrimp under a gentle steam of cold water, pat them dry with a paper towel, and it’s ready to cook. 

How To Make Garlic Butter Shrimp

Here’s how to make the BEST oven-baked shrimp! With these easy steps, your shrimp will turn out tender, flavorful and juicy.

Prepare: Clean and de-vein the shrimp if necessary. While you’re doing that, preheat the oven to 375°F. Rinse the prepared shrimp in cold water and gently pat them dry with a paper towel.

Melt the butter: Place the butter, garlic, zest, sage, and salt in a casserole dish (1). Pop the dish into the oven for about 5 minutes just to melt the butter (2).

Bake the shrimp: Remove the dish from the oven and stir to combine all of the ingredients. Add the shrimp to the dish and mix well (3).

Bake the buttery shrimp for about 10-15 minutes. The bake time will vary depending on the size of the shrimp you use. If you use jumbo shrimp, they’ll need about 14-15 minutes to fully cook (4).

Remove the baked shrimp from the oven and squeeze lemon juice all over. Stir to mix the juice into the other ingredients.

Serve with freshly shaved parmesan cheese on top. Enjoy with pasta, salad, or whatever other side dish your heart desires.

Storing and Reheating

Storing: Make sure to store leftover shrimp in an air-tight food storage container with a lid, in the refrigerator. Properly stored, shrimp should last 1-2 days.

Reheating:

First things first – never reheat shrimp in the microwave! It almost always overcooks the shrimp and turns them into a tough, rubbery mess. The best way to reheat shrimp is in a pan over medium to medium high heat.

Add a little olive oil to the pan and let it preheat. Once it’s hot, add the shrimp and flip them after a few seconds. Remove them from the pan as soon as they’re warmed through.

Some More Shrimp Recipes to Try

Thai Pineapple Fried Rice

Spring Roll Rice Bowl

Shrimp Salad Stuffed Avocado

Shrimp Pesto Pasta

Creamy Tuscan Shrimp Ravioli

Shrimp Florentine

All images and text ©Lyubov Brooke for ©Will Cook For Smiles. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If using my posts in collections and features, please link back to this post for the recipe.
Disclaimer: Nutrition information shown is not guaranteed to be 100% accurate as most ingredients and brands have variations.