Lemon garlic shrimp is a date night dinner that can be prepared in as little as 15 minutes. Put a fancy dish on the table anytime, even when you are busy!
What do you do with frozen shrimp?
You can use either frozen or raw shrimp in this lemon garlic shrimp recipe. Prices vary, so choose the one that fits your budget.
If you choose to use frozen, thaw the shrimp first. There are two acceptable ways to thaw frozen shrimp:
- Let it thaw overnight in the fridge. (Recommended by me!)
- Let it sit in a bowl of cold water. This should only take about 15 minutes.
You want to let the shrimp sit at room temperature for a bit before cooking anyway. It cooks better when it is not super cold.
Frozen shrimp is good for three to six months.
What is the best way to peel shrimp?
The easiest way to make this lemon garlic shrimp dish is to purchase shrimp that is already peeled and deveined. You can and should cook it with the tails on though.
But if you buy shrimp that needs those things done, here’s how to peel and devein before cooking.
- Peel starting at the legs. You can still leave the last part of the tail on.
- Make a small slit in the back and expose the black line that needs to be removed.
- Lift it out with the knife or wash it away under running water
Keep in mind, the vein is edible. It’s removed mostly for aesthetic purposes.
How do you flavor lemon garlic shrimp?
A couple of key ingredients take this lemon garlic shrimp from OK to sensational.
- Lemon juice provides a bright citrus flavor
- Saute the garlic separately to deepen the flavor
- Use both butter and olive oil for the best of both
- Sprinkle with coarse sea salt
How can you tell if shrimp are cooked?
Shrimp makes a quick and easy weeknight meal. They only take about four minutes total to cook completely. The ideal cooked shrimp should be pink with red tails. The flesh should become opaque and slightly white.
When it becomes completely white, they are overcooked.
Let the pan heat before attempting to cook the shrimp. They cook quickly so maintain an even and high temperature.
To keep them evenly cooked, do so in batches. Don’t let any of the shrimp touch while cooking in the pan.
What tastes good with lemon garlic shrimp?
While this shrimp tastes amazing, you’ll want some side dishes to go with it. Try these:
Lemon Garlic Shrimp
Lemon garlic shrimp is a date night dinner that can be prepared in as little as 15 minutes. Put a fancy dish on the table anytime, even when you are busy!
Ingredients
- 1 lbs peeled and deveined tail-on raw shrimps the larger the better
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 lemon
- sea salt
- 1 Tbsp butter
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- dill
Instructions
Take shrimp out of the fridge at least 10-15 minutes before it will hit the pan so they are not as cold.
Rinse and drain, then pat dry each shrimp with a paper towel to make sure it is very very dry. Set aside.
Wash and dry lemon, then zest lemon. Peel and finely chop garlic. Set aside.
Preheat a pan over medium-low heat, once very hot add 1/3 of the butter and olive oil and 1/3 of the shrimp. Don't overcrowd the pan!! Each shrimp should not touch the shrimp next to it. Cook shrimp for 2 minutes on one side, then flip and cook 2 minutes on the other. Repeat this step until all shrimp are cooked. I cooked them in 3 batches total.
Set shrimp aside and add chopped garlic and lemon zest to pan and stir-fry until fragrant. Return cooked shrimp to the pan and stir-fry for about 1 minute.
Serve, sprinkle with freshly chopped dill and sea salt, and drizzle some lemon juice over it.
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
This pairs really well with rice, mashed potatoes, and salad.
The reason you want shrimps with tails on is because the shell, though not edible, gives a lot of flavor. Remove the tails while eating.
PRINTABLE MEAL PLAN
Get your free 5-part Meal Prep Series and printable Meal Plan!
Marcy youker says
love your recipes, my husband loved it, thank you for sharing.
Lorena says
Thank you so much for coming back and leaving a comment. I’m so happy to read you and your husband enjoyed this recipe :)
Carol Agnes Kolefas says
Very good and simple. Over zucchini vegetable noodles was great after cooking the shrimp add zucchini to the same pan. Super easy
Lorena says
It sounds like a wonderful combination.