Garlic Butter Shrimp Bites
Ingredients
- 1 lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Juice of half a lemon
- Fresh parsley, roughly chopped, for serving
- Crusty bread or small toast rounds, for serving
- Lemon wedges, for serving
Instructions
- Pat shrimp dry with paper towels. Season with smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. Toss to coat and set aside.
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add olive oil, then butter. Wait until butter melts and begins to foam.
- Add minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Do not let it brown.
- Add shrimp in a single layer. Cook for 2 minutes until edges turn pink. Do not crowd the pan — work in batches if needed.
- Flip each shrimp and cook another 1 to 2 minutes until fully pink, opaque, and curled into a loose C shape.
- Remove pan from heat. Squeeze lemon juice over shrimp and toss gently.
- Scatter fresh parsley on top and serve immediately with crusty bread and lemon wedges.
Notes
Pat shrimp completely dry before cooking — this is the single most important step for getting good color and texture instead of steamed, pale shrimp.