Garlic Chili Butter Shrimp
This garlic chili butter shrimp is rich, spicy, and cooked to perfection in under 20 minutes. With a garlicky, buttery sauce and just the right amount of chili heat, it's the perfect one-pan dinner to serve with pasta, rice, or crusty bread. Quick, flavorful, and utterly satisfying, it's ideal for busy weeknights or impressive last-minute meals.
Ingredients
- 40 ml olive oil for frying
- 500 g large shrimp peeled and deveined
- 1 pinch coarse salt
- 1 pinch ground black pepper
- 80 g unsalted butter
- 5 cloves garlic finely chopped
- 2 tbsp vegetable broth or water for deglazing
- 1–2 whole red cayenne peppers or substitute with chili flakes to taste
- 0.25 bunch fresh parsley chopped
Instructions
Cooking Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
- Add the shrimp in a single layer. Season with coarse salt and black pepper.
- Sear the shrimp for 1–2 minutes on each side, until they begin to turn pink but are not fully cooked.
- Deglaze the skillet by pouring in the vegetable broth or water. Scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan using a wooden spoon.
- Add the butter, chopped garlic, and cayenne peppers (or chili flakes) to the pan. Stir and let the butter melt, creating a bubbling sauce.
- Return the shrimp to the pan and stir well to coat with the sauce. Cook for another 30 seconds to 1 minute, until shrimp are fully opaque and cooked through.
- Sprinkle with freshly chopped parsley and remove from heat. Serve hot with rice, pasta, or crusty bread.
Notes
- Use fresh garlic for the best flavor—avoid jarred garlic.
- You can substitute chili flakes if whole cayenne peppers aren't available.
- To avoid overcooking, remove shrimp from heat as soon as they turn opaque and pink.
- This dish pairs well with white wine or a citrusy salad.