This Creamy Garlic Shrimp recipe is the most delicious dinner and it’s ready to eat in less than 15 minutes. Pan-seared shrimp with a decadent, garlicky sauce works as a weeknight dinner served with potatoes and veggies or a fancy entree for a dinner party.
Cooking with shrimp is amazing because they cook SO quickly. These creamy garlic shrimp are succulent, in a flavorful butter, garlic, and parmesan sauce that you’ll want to lick off of your plate!
Everyone loves these creamy shrimp, so grab this easy garlic shrimp recipe now, and make them for dinner along with some Olive Oil Pasta and a quick salad!
One-pan Skillet Dinners are kind of my specialty! Check out the recipes for Marry Me Chicken, Fish Piccata, and Shrimp Fried Rice to see what I mean.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Rich, Bold Flavor– This garlic shrimp sauce is the best I’ve ever made, and I know you’ll agree. It’s savory, creamy, and completely decadent.
- Versatile – These shrimp are flavorful, but not in an overpowering way. You can pair creamy garlic shrimp with any of your usual dinner side dishes.
- Quick and Easy– It’s a one-pan dish that comes together quickly with minimal cleanup.
Ingredients In This Creamy Garlic Shrimp Recipe
Here’s what you need to make this easy garlic shrimp dinner.
Complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
- Butter: I like to sear shrimp in butter to give them an extra rich flavor. You can also use olive oil if you prefer.
- Shrimp: Here we’re using Jumbo shrimp (21-25 count). You can use other sizes of shrimp too. Be sure that your shrimp is raw, not pre-cooked. It should be peeled and deveined before cooking. Tails can be left on or off – it’s up to you!
- Salt and Pepper: basic seasonings keep this recipe simple and versatile.
- Garlic: Freshly minced garlic cloves are the star of this sauce. You’ll need two cloves.
- Vegetable or Chicken Stock: Shrimp plays nicely out with either variety of stock. Use what you have on hand. You can also use a combination of dry white wine and stock. Details on that are in the recipe.
- Heavy Cream: Look for “double cream” if you’re in the UK. This creamy ingredient thickens the sauce and makes it rich and amazing.
- Parmesan Cheese: Buy a block or wedge of parmesan and grate it yourself. It’s so much better this way. A Microplane grater does an excellent job of finely grating hard cheeses.
- Optional Garnishes: Chopped fresh parsley is a beautiful addition to an otherwise plain-looking cream sauce, and a wedge of lemon can be a functional and pretty garnish for shrimp.
How To Make Shrimp Sauce
- Sear the Shrimp: In a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt the butter and add the shrimp. Season them with salt and pepper and cook for 2-3 minutes until they are opaque. Do not overcook! Remove the shrimp and set them aside while you make the sauce.
- Make the Sauce: Add garlic to the same pan and cook for just 30 seconds. Add the stock and bring to a simmer. Cook at a simmer until the stock reduces by half. Then add the cream and simmer on medium heat until the sauce thickens. Stir in the parmesan cheese to finish the creamy shrimp sauce.
- Combine: Add the cooked shrimp back to the skillet and stir them in so that they are coated. Taste the sauce and adjust seasonings if desired. Remove from the heat and garnish with fresh parsley before serving.
Tip!
Don’t Overcook the Shrimp!
Shrimp really only take a few minutes to cook, so keep a close eye on them and remove them as soon as they are no longer translucent (see-through).
Also, avoid letting the shrimp cook too long in the sauce at the end. Stir them in, let them get warm, and serve immediately.
Garlic Shrimp Recipe Tips
- It’s truly a 15-minute recipe. Be sure that you plan your side dishes so that they are ready when the shrimp is. This main dish cooks much more quickly than chicken or meat recipes would.
- Use Fresh, Quality Ingredients. There are only a few ingredients in this dish, so it’s important that they taste great. Fresh heavy cream and parmesan cheese are key.
- Want more flavor? Add a small amount of Italian Seasoning or red pepper flakes to the sauce. I didn’t add them because I think that shrimp does best without too many other flavors, but a little bit could be delicious!
- Add Some Wine. Instead of using just vegetable stock or chicken stock, you can use ¼ cup of wine and ½ cup of stock or broth. Choose a dry white wine. It doesn’t need to be fancy. Enjoy the rest of the bottle with dinner if you like!
- Instead of Shrimp, try this creamy garlic recipe with scallops!
Storing Tips
Store leftover creamy garlic shrimp in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
To reheat, add to a skillet or saucepan and heat on medium-low on the stovetop for 5-10 minutes, or until heated through. If needed, thin the sauce with a splash of water.
What To Serve With Garlic Shrimp
A creamy, rich sauce is always at home with some carbs! Try Serving these garlicky shrimp on top of mashed potatoes, polenta, rice, or pasta.
See how I make fluffy brown rice in the Instant Pot!
Garlic Bread will also be the perfect thing to help you soak up all of the sauce from your plate!
If you’re trying to make healthier choices, these shrimp will be amazing with zucchini noodles, cauliflower rice, a healthy kale salad, or your favorite steamed vegetables too.
What Else Can I put Shrimp Sauce On?
This sauce is actually incredibly delicious on just about anything! It’s a creamy alfredo-style sauce with garlic and parmesan, so try this recipe with other seafood like crab, scallops, or lobster. You can also make it with chicken!
For more specific instructions on how to make creamy garlicky dinner recipes, see Creamy Garlic Chicken, Creamy Garlic Shrimp Pasta, Creamy Lobster Pasta, and my amazing Tuscan Salmon recipe.
More Tasty Shrimp Recipes
All Seafood →
FAQs
This is up to you! Leaving the tails on the shrimp is visually appealing but makes them messier to eat since you’ll need to remove the tails later.
I love Jumbo Shrimp in this garlic shrimp recipe, but you can use medium, large, or even extra-jumbo shrimp if you like. The time it takes to cook the shrimp will adjust based on the size, so just watch them carefully so that you don’t overcook them.
Pre-cooked shrimp are best enjoyed cold with some Cocktail Sauce. This recipe should be made with raw shrimp. You can buy them frozen, just be sure to thaw them before cooking.
This is such a delicious garlic shrimp recipe, and you’re going to love how quick it is to make for dinner. Pin the recipe to save it!
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!
Creamy Garlic Shrimp
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons (26 g) unsalted butter
- 1 pound (after peeling) (450 g) raw shrimp I used 31-40 count per pound size, thawed if frozen and deveined (see note 1)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ¾ cup (180 ml) vegetable stock or chicken stock (see note 2)
- 1 cup (240 ml) heavy cream (double cream in the UK)
- ½ cup (43 g) grated parmesan cheese freshly grated
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley for garnish
Instructions
- In a large skillet over medium high heat, melt the butter and add the shrimp.
- Season with salt and pepper, and cook for 2-3 minutes or until opaque. Do not over cook. Remove onto a plate and set aside.
- To the same skillet, add garlic, and sauté for 30 seconds.
- Add the stock, and bring to a simmer and reduce for a few minutes. When reduced in half, add the heavy cream and simmer on medium heat until it thickens (1-2 minutes). Stir in the parmesan (keep in mind that this will help the sauce thicken more).
- Add the cooked shrimp back to the skillet, and stir them with the sauce so they’re coated. Taste the sauce and adjust seasonings to your preference (salt and pepper). Remove from heat, garnish with fresh parsley and serve over rice, mashed potatoes or polenta.
Notes:
- Jumbo size (21-25 count) shrimp is recommended, but any size shrimp will work. You can leave the tail on or remove them if you prefer.
- Instead of using just stock, consider using ¼ cup of wine and ½ cup of stock instead to add extra richness.
- Be sure that you plan your side dishes so that they are ready when the shrimp is. This main dish cooks much more quickly than chicken or meat recipes would.
- Grate your parmesan cheese fresh from a block or wedge for the best flavor.
- To Store: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- To Reheat: Warm the shrimp and sauce in a saucepan over medium heat, just until hot. If the sauce has thickened too much, add a bit of water to thin it out.
Nutrition Information
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
© Little Sunny Kitchen
Gin says
This was very good, but I’d like to add a little hint that IMO will put this over the top! Use extra cloves of garlic and simmer and garlic and your shrimp shells in a little water, 3/4 cup will do nicely, for about 30 minutes. Then use this shrimp stock in place of the broth. So much flavor that the parmesan is not even needed. Deliciosa!
Little Sunny Kitchen says
Great tips! Thank you so much for the feedback.
Chef Mimi says
A beautiful pasta dish!