Best Garlic Lemon Shrimp Recipe

Here is an easy lemon shrimp recipe that's packed with so much flavor. It's made in one pan and takes less than 25 minutes from start to finish.

Do you love shrimp recipes as much as we do? Then you should try our spicy shrimp marinara linguine, baked shrimp in chermoula sauce, grilled shrimp skewers, and the best ever shrimp cakes. Shrimp is quite versatile and easy to work with. This lemon shrimp recipe is perfect for a simple weeknight dinner. 

20-minute shrimp recipe! 

What I love the most about shrimp is that you can make it in no time. It takes only 15-20 minutes to put together a meal when shrimp is the star. Shrimp cooks very quickly and you can tell it's ready when it's curled and the color is pink. This lemon shrimp recipe works well because of the simple lemon garlic sauce. Every bit is bursting with flavor and your dining companions will ask for seconds!

This shrimp recipe is perfect for times that you have people over and want to make something quick and easy. A big bowl of this lemon garlic shrimp with some crusty bread would be perfect for your dinner table. 

Lemon shrimp ingredients

To make this easy shrimp recipe, you need the following ingredients:

• Olives
• Garlic 
• Shrimp
• Salt
• Paprika 
• Cumin 
• Lemon juice

You probably have all of these ingredients in your pantry right now. This shrimp recipe is so simple and asks for just a few ingredients. 

How to buy good shrimp

When buying shrimp, you should pay attention to a few notes:

• Always buy raw shrimp. Cooked shrimp will become rubbery if heated. 
• Make sure you're buying the right size of shrimp. I usually opt for large or jumbo. They're meatier and are good as a main dish or on skewers such as these shrimp kabobs.
• If buying fresh shrimp, make sure they're really fresh and don't smell funny. Avoid slimy shrimp since it's probably about to be spoiled. 
• For easier cooking, buy shelled, cleaned and deveined shrimp. This will bring your cooking time down to less than 20 minutes. 

Read more on Serious Eats about everything you need to know to buy better shrimp. 

Can I use frozen shrimp?

Yes. You can use frozen shrimp to make this recipe but make sure they're fully thawed before you cook them. Frozen shrimp contains extra water that would ruin the sauce if added directly to the it, therefore it's best to thaw the frozen shrimp before using. 

How to defrost frozen shrimp

Place frozen shrimp in a bowl and place the bowl under cold running water. It will take about 5-7 minutes for the shrimp to defrost. You can shell the shrimp after they're thawed. 

How to make the best lemon shrimp recipe

Start by heating the olive oil in a non stick pan over medium heat. Pat dry the shrimp using a kitchen towel. Add sliced garlic to the olive oil and cook for a couple of minutes until it releases its flavor and aroma. We don't want the garlic slices to turn brown so please keep a close eye.

Cook the shrimp in olive oil and garlic for just a couple of minutes and then add all the spices. Pour in the lemon juice and saute for another minute until the shrimp is cooked and pink. Serve warm and top with chopped parsley. 

Baked lemon shrimp

You can also bake lemon shrimp instead of sauteing it in a pan. To make baked lemon shrimp:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F and coat a baking sheet with non stick spray. 
• Mix olive oil, minced garlic, shrimp, spices and lemon juice in a bowl. 
• Transfer the shrimp to the baking sheet and bake in the oven for 10 minutes until shrimp is opaque and cooked. 

What to serve with lemon garlic prawns

This lemon shrimp recipe can be served with many side dishes. Some of our suggestions are pesto pasta, instant pot brown rice, cucumber tomato avocado salad and Greek potatoes. You can also simply make some angle hair or linguine pasta and serve it with this delicious lemon shrimp. I also love serving this lemon garlic shrimp with some bread and dunking the bread in the sauce. 

Looking for more shrimp recipes?

• Creamy shrimp pasta salad
• Shrimp avocado salad
• Sriracha lime shrimp lettuce wraps
• Spicy shrimp tacos 
• Shrimp noodle salad
• Lemon ginger shrimp orzo

Notes and tips to make this shrimp recipe

• Shrimp cooks very quickly therefore keep a close eye to them when sauteing in the pan. When the shrimp turns opaque and pink, it's cooked completely. 
• You can store the leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 48 hours. I don't recommend freezing this shrimp dish. 
• Taste the shrimp at the very end and if it needs more lemon juice, squeeze half of a lemon on the shrimp right before serving. 
• This shrimp is a great addition to leftover rice or noodles. If you have some leftover rice or noodles, simply heat it up and serve it with the shrimp to turn this into a full meal. 
• I usually shell the shrimp but leave the tail on as it makes the shrimp look more beautiful. But you can also remove the tail before cooking. 

Step-by-Step Recipe