Recipe · made with Fresh Shrimp
Butter Garlic Shrimp
This is the dish that disappears fastest at the table: sweet shrimp tumbled in garlic butter, brightened with calamansi. It comes together in under five minutes, so the whole game is prep. Have everything chopped and within reach, because once the shrimp hit the pan there is no time to chase down the garlic.
The cook · 4 min active
Bloom the garlic
1 min
First side
2 min
Finish
1 min
Method
- Prep the shrimpShell and devein the shrimp, leaving the tails on if you like. Pat them thoroughly dry; dry shrimp sear and stay snappy, while wet shrimp steam and go rubbery.
- Season and set upSeason the shrimp lightly with salt and pepper and set aside. Have your garlic, chili, and calamansi prepped and within reach before you start.
- Bloom the garlicMelt the butter in a wide pan over medium-high heat until it foams. Add the garlic and chili and cook 30 to 45 seconds, just until fragrant; do not let the garlic brown or it turns bitter.
- Sear, single layerTurn the heat to high and add the shrimp in a single layer. Cook 2 minutes on the first side until the edges turn pink and the bottoms catch a little colour.
- Flip to a loose CFlip and cook 1 to 2 minutes more, just until the shrimp curl into a loose C and turn opaque. A tight O means they are overdone.
- Brighten and tossKill the heat. Squeeze in the calamansi, toss everything in the garlic butter, and taste for salt.
- Finish and serveScatter parsley or spring onion and serve straight away, with bread or rice to mop up the butter.
Chef's notes
- Prep everything before you turn on the heat; this dish cooks faster than you can chop garlic.
- Loose C, good. Tight O, overcooked. That is the whole doneness rule for shrimp.
- Pat the shrimp dry or they steam instead of searing.
- The garlic butter is the prize, so serve with rice or crusty bread.
Per 100 g serving · Protein 24 g · Omega-3 250 mg · 99 kcal. Values approximate.
Good to know
Why are my shrimp rubbery?
Overcooking, almost always. Shrimp need only 3 to 4 minutes total over high heat; pull them the instant they curl into a loose C and turn opaque.
Fresh or frozen shrimp?
Both work. If frozen, thaw fully and pat very dry first, since excess water is what makes shrimp steam and toughen instead of searing.
Tails on or off?
Tails on look better and add a little flavour, but off is easier to eat. Your call; the method is the same.
Can I use butter and oil?
A splash of oil with the butter lets you push the heat a little higher without the butter burning. Optional, but it helps.
What do I serve it with?
Steamed or garlic rice to soak up the butter, and plenty of calamansi. It also makes a fast pasta tossed with the garlic butter.
