Description
A lightning-fast, 15-minute weeknight dinner featuring crispy, pan-seared shrimp coated in a smoky garlic butter sauce. This versatile dish uses pantry staples for maximum flavor with minimal effort.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 lbs large shrimp, raw, peeled, deveined, and thawed
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter
- 6–8 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour or cornstarch
- 2 tbsp olive oil (or neutral oil like avocado/canola)
- Juice of 1/2 fresh lemon
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Pat the shrimp extremely dry with paper towels. In a bowl, toss shrimp with salt, pepper, and smoked paprika. Sprinkle with flour or cornstarch and toss again until lightly dusted.
- Heat a large skillet (preferably cast iron or heavy-bottomed stainless steel) over medium-high heat. Add olive oil and let it heat until it shimmers.
- Add half of the shrimp to the pan in a single layer, ensuring not to overcrowd. Cook undisturbed for 1.5-2 minutes until golden-brown edges form. Flip and cook for another minute until pink and opaque. Remove to a plate and repeat with remaining shrimp.
- Reduce heat to medium. Add butter to the same pan and let it melt and foam. Add minced garlic and cayenne pepper, stirring constantly for 30-60 seconds until fragrant but not burnt.
- Return the cooked shrimp to the pan. Toss to coat evenly in the garlic butter sauce. Squeeze fresh lemon juice over everything and toss one last time. Remove from heat.
- Garnish with chopped fresh parsley and serve immediately.
Notes
Ensure shrimp are completely dry before coating to achieve crispiness. Do not overcrowd the pan, as this causes steaming instead of searing. Add garlic after removing the shrimp to prevent burning. Serve immediately to maintain texture.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: Approximately 1/2 lb
- Calories: 350
- Sugar: 1
- Sodium: 400
- Fat: 18
- Saturated Fat: 8
- Carbohydrates: 6
- Fiber: 1
- Protein: 35
Keywords: shrimp, garlic butter, paprika, quick dinner, weeknight meals, seafood, skillet, crispy shrimp, 15 minute meals