Shrimp with Garlic Sauce is an easy recipe with big flavors bringing tender, juicy shrimp and a rich garlic sauce together for a quick and delicious meal.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
Listen up, novice chefs! This shrimp recipe is for you because even beginners can nail this recipe.
When it comes to recipes that check all the boxes—quick, flavorful, healthy, and versatile—this Garlic Shrimp recipe is a superstar.
It cooks up as both a cozy weeknight main dish or a crowd-pleasing appetizer. Either way, it's minimal effort (yay!) and big time taste (double-yay!).
I fell in love with this shrimp dish because it's ready in just 15 minutes, making it perfect for busy nights. It also is packed with lean protein from the shrimp and cooks in an amazing garlic sauce, all in one pan.
I'd go so far as to say this could also be served up on a toasted sub roll and served as a field meal sandwich!
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🛒 INGREDIENTS
You'll only need a handful of ingredients from the grocery store.
- raw shrimp - buy them already peeled and deveined. We'll use large shrimp, which are sometime labeled as 31/40 count, meaning there are 31 to 40 shrimp per pound. This is a perfect size for our garlic shrimp, as they cook quickly while still being meaty enough to hold flavor. (I used frozen shrimp in these photos).
- garlic - I often use refrigerated, pre-chopped garlic, but for this recipe, I'm going with fresh cloves of garlic for both the taste and texture.
- extra virgin olive oil
- sweet paprika - not only does this ingredient add a subtle, smoky flavor, it also adds a wonderful color to otherwise colorless shrimp.
- kosher salt - just a pinch will do
- fresh parsley - I love the pop of vibrant color the parsley adds, plus it gives a slightly herbaceous feel to the dish.
See recipe card for quantities.
📋 Substitutions
- Butter Instead of Olive Oil: For a richer flavor, swap olive oil for butter or ghee.
- Frozen Shrimp: If fresh shrimp aren’t available, frozen shrimp work just as well. Thaw and pat dry before cooking.
- Herb Alternatives: If parsley isn’t your thing, try fresh cilantro or dill.
Love shrimp? Try these buffalo shrimp tacos, and Lenten recipes too!
🥣 How to make garlic shrimp
Making these garlic shrimp is as easy as 1-2-3!
- Step 1: Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Don't overcook or burn the garlic or it will become bitter.
- Step 2: Add shrimp and season with paprika and salt.
Sauté for 2-3 minutes per side, or until shrimp turn pink and are fully cooked.
- Step 3: Garnish with chopped parsley and serve immediately. Additionally, you can squeeze a wedge of fresh lemon or lime for a bright, tangy finish.
Tip: Have all ingredients ready before starting, as this dish cooks fast. Boom! Dinner is served!
📖 Variations
- Spicy: Add a pinch of red pepper flakes or cayenne for some heat.
- Creamy: Stir in a splash of heavy cream or coconut milk for a luscious sauce.
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🍽 Serving Suggestions
This cooks up as a great weeknight dinner or simple appetizer. Serve over rice, (mashed cauliflower or cauliflower rice for low carb) or buttered noodles with a side of steamed broccoli or parmesan roasted asparagus, or pair with a green salad and crusty bread for soaking up the garlic butter sauce.
You could also tuck the shrimp into warm tortillas with a drizzle of lime juice for a fun twist. Or, turn it into surf and turf alongside steak on the grill.
See, the options with these garlic shrimp are endless!
Top tip
Garlic burns quickly at high heat, turning bitter. To avoid this, sauté it over medium heat and keep a close eye on it. When it becomes fragrant and lightly golden, it’s ready—don’t let it brown too much.
Storage
To store leftovers: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Reheat gently in a skillet to avoid overcooking.
To freeze for later: Freeze for up to 3 months in a freezer-safe bag. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat as above.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with garlic shrimp:
Shrimp with Garlic Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 pound large shrimp peeled and deveined
- 6 cloves garlic sliced thin
- 1 ½ Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon sweet paprika
- Pinch kosher salt
- ¼ cup fresh parsley chopped
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Instructions
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the olive oil.
- Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Take care not to overcook or burn the garlic.
- Add the shrimp to the pan, seasoning with the paprika and salt. Sauté the shrimp for 2-3 minutes on each side until they turn pink and are fully cooked. Take care not to overcook the shrimp as they can become tough.
- Remove from pan, garnish with chopped parsley and serve immediately.
Notes
- Butter Instead of Olive Oil: For a richer flavor, swap olive oil for butter or ghee.
- Frozen Shrimp: If fresh shrimp aren’t available, frozen shrimp work just as well. Thaw and pat dry before cooking.
- Herb Alternatives: If parsley isn’t your thing, try fresh cilantro or dill.
- Use fresh, high-quality shrimp for the best flavor.
- Adjust the amount of garlic to suit your preference.
Nutrition
This Farm Girl Cooks is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
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