Shrimp in lemon butter sauce

Name: Shrimp in lemon butter sauce
Total time: 15 min
Yield: 4 portions
Ingredients: 1 Puck® Lemon butter sauce; 1 tsp red peppers flakes; 500 g prawns, peeled and deveined; 1 fresh garlic clove, minced; 40 g fresh parsley chopped; salt and pepper to taste; 1 tbsp butter

Instructions

- Heat a large skillet at low heat. Add butter, garlic, and red pepper flakes and allow them to infuse for 30 seconds.
- Add shrimp to the pan and spread them out so they cook evenly. Cook for about 1 minute, flipping as needed. Then add Puck Lemon Butter Sauce and cook for 1 minute.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve with parsley.

Tip

Cooking tender and juicy shrimp in lemon butter sauce can be a bit tricky as this type of shellfish does not need much time in the skillet. With one made from aluminium, copper, or cast iron, you are sure to get a nice sear and a wonderful caramelisation on their surface. The seafood should be cooked until it is just opaque, not longer.

This usually takes 1-2 minutes on each side, but since the shrimp will continue to cook in the sauce as it is warmed through, it is fine to add the sauce to the pan before the shrimp are completely opaque to avoid overcooking them.

Questions about shrimp in lemon butter sauce

Shrimp in lemon butter sauce with chilli flakes and garlic is an incredibly easy and flavourful seafood dish. To learn more about it, continue reading below!

How to make shrimp in lemon butter sauce?

A delicate seafood dish is a wonderfully fresh addition to an iftar menu. Luckily, making this shrimp in lemon butter sauce recipe is incredibly easy. At low heat, warm up a large pan and melt the butter. Let the minced garlic and chilli flakes infuse for about 30 seconds before adding the raw shrimp. Cook them for about one minute. Then add the sauce and cook for one more minute to heat it through. Season the delicate shrimp in lemon butter sauce with salt and pepper and serve immediately with fresh, peppery parsley for a bit of additional brightness.

What spices are good with shrimp in lemon butter sauce?

A wonderful way to flavour shrimp in lemon butter sauce is with garlic and chilli. Pungent garlic makes for a great flavouring agent that perks up your taste buds and makes the entire dish more flavourful. Dried chilli comes in many forms, such as chilli flakes and chilli powder. Chilli powder, though, often has other spices like cumin and oregano mixed in which makes it less preferable for this delicate sauce which is all about lightness. As such, chilli flakes are the best choice to add some spicy heat to these shrimp in lemon butter sauce.

How to serve shrimp with lemon butter sauce?

Shrimp in lemon butter sauce may be served in several delicious ways including as it is with slices of crisp-crusted bread to soak up the creaminess. You can also serve it with couscous, rice, either regular white rice or yellow saffron rice with earthy, floral notes, or freshly cooked pasta. Adding vegetables like spinach, asparagus, broccoli, or tomatoes to shrimp in lemon butter sauce is a tasty option too. If you decide to experiment with the latter, remember to cook your vegetables of choice on their own so you do not accidentally overcook the shrimp in lemon butter sauce.

Irresistible seafood dinner with shrimp in lemon butter sauce

Well-cooked shrimp are meaty, juicy, and tender. They taste buttery and salty with a hint of sweetness from the caramelisation that happens when they are seared in the pan. They may be seasoned and served in any number of ways, but one option that is sure to be a hit every time is serving them with a chilli and garlic lemon butter sauce for shrimp.

Though this sauce made with cream and butter is velvety rich, the acidity of the lemon juice keeps it light and refreshing. As such, it is perfect for delicate seafood, including shrimp. Its round, buttery flavour mirrors some of the qualities of the tender shrimp themselves while the tartness of the lemon serves to brighten the dish and make their delicate flavour pop.

A spicy touch of garlic and red pepper flakes

To turn up the heat in these delicate shrimp in lemon butter sauce, we have chosen to add a few chilli flakes and garlic. The mild flavour of the fresh, slightly acidic, and creamy lemon butter sauce for shrimp lends itself well to a bit of hotness. Since its flavour as well as that of the seafood is quite delicate, though, not a lot of spice is needed. Especially not when the chilli flakes and garlic are allowed to infuse.

Cooking the chilli flakes for just half a minute allows their bold flavours to grow even stronger which is why a little goes a long way. Adding chilli flakes at the beginning of the cooking time spices up the entire dish rather than only providing pops of heat as adding them at the end does. When cooked, the pungent garlic becomes buttery and a little sweet. Together, the two aromatics flavour the sauce as well as the mild-tasting shrimp wonderfully.

If these tasty shrimp in lemon butter sauce have enticed you, you can find more inspiration on delicious seafood dishes in our recipes for seafood soup with lobster skewers, crab soup, and fish soup with saffron.

How to serve shrimp with lemon butter sauce

It is delicious as is, so, of course, you can serve it as it is with pieces of crusty bread to soak up the goodness of the shrimp and lemon butter sauce with garlic and chilli flakes.

But, if you are in the mood for something more filling, there are many other delicious ways to serve it. One idea is to plate it with nutty couscous or beautiful saffron rice. This yellow rice is cooked with vegetable stock and saffron to give it a savoury flavour with earthy and floral undertones. The combination of tender shrimp, spicy and creamy sauce, and decorative rice make for a luxurious meal.

Another classic option we highly suggest is shrimp pasta in lemon butter sauce. Tossed with freshly cooked pasta, the delicate grilled shrimp and delicate sauce truly get to shine. Choose a wide, flat pasta type like pappardelle or tagliatelle that will soak up all the creaminess.

Add your own touch

If you want to add vegetables to make these shrimp in lemon butter sauce more colourful and filling, sweet, baked tomatoes, slightly bitter, sautéed spinach, and steamed, snappy asparagus and broccoli are all wonderful options. You can also add freshly chopped dill, which is amazing with fish and seafood, to add a citrusy fresh taste. Each will add something different but equally delicious to it.

To avoid overcooking the delicate shrimp in lemon butter sauce, prepare your vegetables of choice separately before you start and add them when you add the easy lemon butter cream whether you opt for grilling, baking, or blanching the vegetables beforehand. This way, you make sure they are warm when you are ready to serve your vegetables and shrimp with lemon butter sauce.