Lemon Garlic Shrimp Rice (Printable)
Shrimp cooked in lemon-garlic butter sauce atop fluffy white rice for a bright, satisfying meal.
# What You’ll Need:
→ Rice
01 - 1 cup long-grain white rice
02 - 2 cups water
03 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
→ Shrimp
04 - 1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
05 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
06 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
→ Sauce
07 - 3 tablespoons unsalted butter or olive oil for dairy-free
08 - 4 garlic cloves, finely minced
09 - 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
10 - Zest and juice of 1 large lemon
11 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
12 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
→ Garnish
13 - Lemon wedges
14 - Extra parsley, chopped
# How-To Steps:
01 - Rinse rice under cold water until clear. Combine rice, water, and salt in medium saucepan. Bring to boil, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 15 minutes. Remove from heat; let rest covered 5 minutes. Fluff with fork.
02 - Pat shrimp dry and season with salt and black pepper.
03 - Heat olive oil and 2 tablespoons butter in large skillet over medium heat. Add minced garlic and red pepper flakes; sauté 30 seconds until fragrant.
04 - Add shrimp in single layer; sauté 1-2 minutes per side until pink and cooked through.
05 - Add lemon zest and juice, remaining tablespoon butter, and half the parsley. Toss to evenly coat shrimp and remove from heat.
06 - Plate shrimp atop cooked rice. Garnish with extra parsley and lemon wedges.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- It comes together in 25 minutes, which means you can make it on a regular Tuesday and still feel fancy.
- The shrimp cooks so quickly that once you taste one, you'll understand why this became my go-to weeknight dinner.
- That lemon-garlic butter sauce is pure magic—bright enough to feel healthy, rich enough to feel indulgent.
02 -
- Never crowd the shrimp in the pan or they'll steam instead of sear, turning mushy instead of staying tender and slightly crispy on the outside.
- Fresh lemon juice is non-negotiable here—bottled juice tastes thin and chemically, and it's the first place your guests will notice you cut corners.
- The sauce comes together in the residual heat even after you take the pan off the flame, so don't keep cooking it once the shrimp is done.
03 -
- Buy shrimp from a fishmonger or the seafood counter if you can—they're fresher and the person there can tell you exactly how recently they came in, which matters more than you'd think.
- If you're cooking for guests, you can prep everything ahead except the actual cooking; the shrimp can sit seasoned in the fridge, the garlic can be minced, and the lemon can be zested hours before you start heating pans.