When talking about shrimp, I think less is more, and I love simple recipes that call for just a few ingredients. Shrimp have a delicate flavor, and when we add too many things to them, their flavor can sometimes get lost.
Pan-fried shrimp can be made in less than 10 mins and are amazingly delicious. This pan-fried shrimp recipe only requires butter, minced garlic, red pepper flakes (you can omit them), dried parsley, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and shrimp.
They are ready in no time, and you can serve them over white rice or pasta. The butter and lemon juice make a nice sauce.
The only secret is not to overcook the shrimp, or they become mushy. Pan-frying shrimp recipes are quick and easy for when you don’t have too much time for cooking.
If you love shrimp, check out these other recipes: Red Lobster Shrimp Scampi, Creamy Cajun Shrimp Pasta, and Spicy Creole Shrimp Dip.
What Ingredients Do You Need?
- Shrimp – buy peeled and deveined shrimp for convenience. Peeling and deveining shrimp is not fun. You can buy any size shrimp you want. The bigger the shrimp, the fewer the quantity in one pound. So I would suggest for date night, you can buy jumbo shrimp, and for a normal family dinner, small or medium shrimp are great.
- Butter – is always best for pan-frying shrimp. I don’t like to use olive oil.
- Garlic – minced garlic is best, but if you don’t want to use fresh garlic, you can use garlic salt or powdered garlic.
- Red pepper flakes – if you don’t like spice or are feeding children, I would suggest you skip this ingredient.
- Dried parsley – is more convenient than having to chop fresh parsley, but you can use the fresh one.
- Lemon juice – I like it better than lime juice. I think lemons are a bit milder than limes. Add it at the very end.
- Salt and pepper to taste – add them at the very end as well and toss everything together.
How To Make Pan-fried Shrimp?
- This recipe is very easy to make. Melt the butter in a large skillet and saute the garlic with red pepper flakes and parsley for just a minute or so. Please don’t leave the garlic unattended, or it might burn. Burnt garlic turns bitter.
- Add the shrimp to the skillet and cook them for just one and half minutes on each side, or just until they are no longer pink.
- Squeeze about half a tablespoon of lemon juice and add salt and pepper to the shrimp. Toss everything together and serve.
Do You Have To Thaw Shrimp Before Pan Frying Them? How?
Most definitely. It is impossible to pan-fry frozen shrimp. The ice will melt, and they will boil. Before you pan fry them, you must thaw them in the refrigerator overnight. If you plan to cook them, they are not fully melted. Just leave them out for about 10 minutes until they do.
Best Seasoning For Shrimp
I like shrimp with salt and pepper, garlic, and lemon juice, but Old Bay Seasoning is also great for shrimp.
Other Seasoning Variations
- Cajun is a great seasoning for shrimp.
- Italian spices are also delicious on shrimp, especially when using them on pasta dishes.
- Mexican spices like coriander and cumin work great for grilling shrimp for tacos.
- Indian spices like garam masala are used when making shrimp curries.
- Lemongrass and tamarind are great when cooking some Asian dishes as well.
What To Serve With Pan-Fried Shrimp?
I love them over a bowl of Homemade Rice Pilaf or Mexican Rice if you want to get fancy and don’t want to eat them with plain white rice.
You can also serve them over pasta and for dessert something light and tangy like Pineapple Juice Cake, Pineapple Dream Dessert, Blackberry cobbler, or Strawberry Cobbler.
Store and Reheat Instructions
You can refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days and reheat them in the microwave for about 2 minutes.
You can also freeze them in an airtight container for up to 2 months and reheat them in the microwave for about 4 minutes if frozen or 2 minutes if thawed.
Remember always to let them cool completely before storing them.
Recipe Tips
- Do not let the garlic burn. It will taste bitter.
- Don’t overcook the shrimp, or they get mushy inside.
Pan Fried Shrimp Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 lb peeled and deveined shrimp
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- ½ tablespoon lemon juice
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a large skillet over medium heat, melt butter and saute garlic, red pepper flakes, and dried parsley
- Add the shrimp and cook for three minutes, just until they are no longer pink. Add the lemon juice, salt, and pepper and toss to combine
No.2 Says “cooked until they are “no longer pink”. I’m guessing that’s wrong, since shrimp turn pink when they’re cooked…
Sorry! I meant in the middle. They do turn pink on the outside and should be white in the middle.