Shrimp in Garlic Sauce

This shrimp in garlic sauce is PACKED with garlicky, herby flavor. With a kick of heat and a small touch of acid, this buttery shrimp dish is wildly addicting. So, what are you waiting for, start toasting some crusty bread and read on.

My viral Calabrian Shrimp is getting a friend, meet shrimp in garlic sauce, in green garlic sauce to be exact. If you have ever had my spicy Calabrian shrimp you know just how good it is. It’s spicy and acidic, and stands on its own at the dinner table. It has taken almost a year+ to find what the next spicy shrimp dish is and trust me when I say this shrimp in garlic sauce stands up to the original. Originally inspired by Portuguese shrimp in green garlic sauce this dish took a turn, and in my opinion for the better. After eating it several times out and doing research I found that some we spicy, some were not, some had scallions, and some had wine. At the end of the day I wanted to give you a dead simple shrimp dish that you can pull together in 20 minutes with minimal effort.

LET’S TALK SHRIMP

I will recap this a bit under the recipe list, but the shrimp matter here. Whether you are treating this as an appetizer or the main course this is the time to splurge on shrimp. For dishes like this, where shrimp is the star I like to get the 2-3 biter ones. You know the ones that are perfect for shrimp cocktail. Fresh is always best, but frozen works here too. Whether you are going for fresh or frozen below are a few tips when buying and prepping the shrimp.

• If opting for frozen make sure you are calculating enough time to get them completely defrosted. Optimal method is to defrost in the fridge overnight. To be honest though I’ve never done this. For a quick defrost place the frozen shrimp in a bowl of cold water. Let them sit until defrosted, 10-15 minutes, or longer if they are larger.
• If going for fresh, buy them the same day. Shrimp have a short fridge-span, last thing you want to find is that your shrimp spoiled.
• Remove the shells, and devein if they aren’t already. Do this by taking a knife along the top of the shrimp, making a small (not deep) long incision from the top to the tail. Run the shrimp under cold water to remove the intestinal tract (poopy line). If you are skilled try and remove the bottom tail if you want easy eating.
• Pat the shrimp dry and salt generously.

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WHAT YOU’LL NEED TO MAKE SHRIMP IN GARLIC SAUCE

• Shrimp – If there was ever a place to splurge and get those 2-3 biter shrimp this is the dish, because frankly shrimp is the dish. This doesn’t go over pasta, it doesn’t get ladled over polenta or mashed potatoes. Its shrimp and crusty bread. I buy my shrimp same day fresh from Whole Foods, but you can absolutely use frozen shrimp. Just make sure they are fully defrosted and patted dry before cooking.
• Garlic – Fresh only, absolutely no exceptions. You are going to need 10 cloves of it. I know, I know that seems like a lot, but completely necessary.
• Butter– Warning if you decide to go rouge and reduce the amount of butter in this dish it will eat differently. The amount of butter is necessary. I have made Calabrian shrimp with less butter, and it just wasn’t as good.
• Cilantro– Ah my favorite herb. Cilantro adds a great brightness to the dish, while parsley adds a herbaceous, slightly earthy flavor.
• Parsley
• Jalapeño – 1 whole jalapeño if you want it to have a kick, 1/2 if you just want the flavor. Did you know that the heat from the jalapeño actually comes from the pith and ribs of the inside and not the seeds. Remove all the insides before mincing.
• Olive Oil – Any olive oil is fine, but if you want to make this dish truly special use a good EVOO. My favorite and recommendation most times is Graza. It is expensive, yes, but worth every penny.
• Lemon – Fresh.

STEP BY STEP

Clean and Season – Prep your shrimp. Depending on the state you bought them this is either just peeling back the shell, peeling and deveining, or defrosting and patting dry. Once cleaned and dry season with a generous pinch of salt and toss.

Make the Sauce – In a wide pan over low heat add the butter and 1 tbsp of olive oil. Once melted and heated add the garlic and jalapeño. Cook for 2-3 minutes on low until soft and fragrant. Add the cilantro and parsley and the additional tbsp of olive oil. Mix and cook for another minute.

Cook the Shrimp – Add the shrimp. Depending on the size cook time will vary. This could be anywhere between 2-4 minutes on each side. You’ll know it’s ready to flip when the side touching the pan has firmed up and turned pink (or orange). Don’t overcook these! There is a huge taste and textural difference between perfectly cooked, and overcooked. Once both sides have been thoroughly cooked give it a toss in the pan to coat in the butter, and serve with crusty bread.

STORING/REHEATING

This dish needs to be enjoyed fresh. The only way I can think to properly re-heat is to microwave it, and by then your shrimp will be annihilated.

Looking for more shrimp? I got you.

Chili Garlic Shrimp
Portuguese Garlic Shrimp