Shrimp Saute with Garlic Butter

Shrimp Sauté with Garlic Butter. Easy peel shrimp, sautéed in garlic butter. A sweet, messy, garlicky main dish that is ready in no time.

Jump to:

• Ingredients
• What Kind of Shrimp Should I Use?
• How to Thaw Shrimp
• Seasoning Options for Shrimp
• How to Make a Shrimp Sauté
• Recipe Variations
• Serving Suggestions
• Shrimp Sauté with Garlic Butter
• What do you think?
• 💬 Comments

My plan was to follow my don't let a little winter weather stop you from grilling post, and make some shrimp skewers. Then we had a snowstorm, the kind where I don't want to shovel five inches of snow off the deck, while the storm is blowing sideways, and it's not supposed to end for hours. So, I changed my plans to this quick pan sauté of shrimp.

Ingredients

• 21-25 count "easy peel" shrimp
• Kosher salt
• Fresh ground black pepper
• Butter
• Olive oil
• Garlic
• Red pepper flakes (optional)
• Parsley (optional)

What Kind of Shrimp Should I Use?

Frozen shrimp are the way to go, unless you are close to the ocean and can get shrimp straight from the boat. Otherwise, If you are buying shrimp from a grocery store, the shrimp came to the store frozen. (The unfrozen shrimp in the fish case were frozen, thawed by the store, and put in the case). I'd rather do the thawing myself, to make sure the shrimp are frozen until I need them.

I get 21-25 count "easy peel" shrimp. Let's break that down into pieces. 21-25 count means 21 to 25 shrimp per pound. This recipe works with slightly larger and smaller shrimp; if you have 16-20 count or 26-30 count, follow the instructions. If your shrimp are larger or smaller or larger than that, you'll have to use your own best judgement on how many minutes per side. Use the description in the recipe (shrimp turn pink in the middle) to determine doneness instead of trusting a timer.

Next, Easy peel. Easy peel means the shrimp are shell on, but the shells have been cut and the shrimp are already deveined. You can make this recipe with regular, shell-on shrimp; either split the shell down the back with kitchen shears and devein them yourself, or skip the splitting and deveining, and serve the whole shrimp.

How to Thaw Shrimp

The best way to thaw shrimp is to leave them in the refrigerator overnight to thaw. But, I never plan that far ahead, so I go with a quick thaw in cold water. I pour the shrimp into a large bowl, put the bowl under cold running water, and leave the water running until the shrimp thaw, about 20 minutes.

Seasoning Options for Shrimp

This is a simple shrimp recipe, with nothing but salt, pepper, butter, red pepper flakes, and lots of garlic. (I think of it as an Italian style recipe.) If you have a favorite spice or spice blend that you think meshes well with shrimp, you can add a teaspoon or two with the red pepper flakes. Or, if you want to add fresh herbs, a couple of teaspoons of minced rosemary or thyme are good options. See the "Recipe Variations" section, below, for some specific options.

How to Make a Shrimp Sauté

1. Season the shrimp: Sprinkle the shrimp with the salt and pepper.
2. Sauté the garlic: Melt the butter and olive oil in a large skillet or frypan, then add the garlic (and optional red pepper flakes) and sauté for a minute, or until you smell garlic.
3. Cook the Shrimp: Add the shrimp to the pan and toss to coat with butter. Spread the shrimp out in a single layer and let them cook without moving until the shrimp are pink around the edges, about 3 minutes. Flip the shrimp and cook until they are pink all the way through, about 3 more minutes. Toss the shrimp again to coat with the butter, pour the shrimp from the pan onto a platter, scrape any butter and garlic left in the pan over the platter of shrimp, sprinkle with parsley, and serve.

Recipe Variations

• Shrimp with garlic and herb butter: Add a teaspoon of minced rosemary and 2 teaspoons of minced thyme when you add the garlic and red pepper flakes.
• Spanish Tapas Shrimp: Add a tablespoon of smoked Spanish paprika when you add the garlic and red pepper flakes.
• Greek Garlic and Lemon Shrimp: Add 2 teaspoons of minced fresh oregano when you add the garlic and red pepper flakes. When the cooking time is over, toss the sautéed shrimp with the fresh-squeezed juice of 1 lemon just before serving.
• Mexican Garlic Shrimp: Replace the red pepper flakes with 1 teaspoon of chipotle powder (or chili powder if you want to cut the heat). When the cooking time is over, toss the sautéed shrimp with the fresh-squeezed juice of 1 lime, and substitute minced cilantro for the minced parsley.

Serving Suggestions

Going with my Italian theme, I serve this shrimp with a side dish of angel hair pasta in tomato sauce, steam-sauteed broccoli, and a salad. Or, with a risotto and green beans.

Adapted From: Pam Anderson, Sauteed Shrimp, Fine Cooking Magazine #50

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What do you think?

What do you think?

Questions? Other ideas? Leave them in the comments section below.

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