30 30 Minutes or Less OP One Pan GF Gluten-Free

Lemon Pepper Shrimp – super easy recipe!

Name: Lemon Pepper Shrimp Recipe
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 15 min
Ingredients: 1 pound shrimp, de-veined, shelled, tail-on, thawed and patted dry (size 16-20); ½ teaspoon kosher salt; ½ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper; 1 tablespoon olive oil; 2 cloves garlic, minced; 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice ((from ½ lemon)); 1 tablespoon unsalted butter; 1 teaspoon lemon zest ( (from 1 lemon)); Chopped fresh parsley

15 mins

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By: Rachel GurkPosted: 01/11/2021Updated: 01/09/2023

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Super fast and easy, lemon pepper shrimp is hard to beat! Serve it with pasta, on a simple lemon and arugula salad, or just chow it down right out of the pan.

Recipe Overview

Why you’ll love it: It comes together in minutes, is packed with flavor, and is packed with protein!

How long it takes: Only 15 minutes!
Equipment you’ll need: A skillet or frying pan, a lemon zester, and a knife. Tongs help, too!
Servings: 4

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Garlic, lemon, cracked black pepper, and butter dress this shrimp perfectly, enhancing its seafoody flavor, and enchanting your tastebuds. A few minutes in a hot skillet and the shrimp is ready to dive into your mouth. Who needs sides, anyways! Just give me the shrimp!

You will want something to serve with your shrimp though. Lemon pepper shrimp is perfect with an easy arugula salad dressed with a luscious lemon vinaigrette. Or serve it with spaghetti squash with herbs and Parmesan cheese. Try it with Ina Garten’s lemon capellini. Lemon roasted broccoli with Parmesan is a great side, too.

About this lemon pepper shrimp

I always have frozen shrimp in my freezer. It thaws quickly under running water for quick and easy meals. Keep reading for more shrimp recipes.

I’ll give you a quick overview of the recipe here with extra tips and information. As always, you’ll find the printable recipe card at the end of the post with full instructions including measurements and nutrition information.

What you’ll need

The ingredients needed for this recipe are simple and perfect. You don’t need much!

Shrimp: deveined, tails on, shelled raw or frozen shrimp, thawed under cold running water
Salt and coarsely ground black pepper: The shrimp is simply seasoned. Omit the salt if you’re watching your sodium intake.
Oil, for frying: I like olive oil but grapeseed or avocado oil are good choices, too.
Butter: Use unsalted butter if you can.
Garlic: Two cloves of fresh garlic add plenty of garlicky zest. Increase or omit, depending on how much you like garlic.
Fresh lemon juice and zest: Buy a lemon so you have freshly squeezed lemon juice and zest. It makes all the difference in the world.
Fresh chopped parsley: The parsley not only adds flavor, it adds a nice touch of color.

How To Make This Recipe

So, so, so easy! All you need is a good hot skillet and about 5 minutes. Make sure everything is ready before you get started because this goes really fast! Choose a pan that’s large enough to accommodate all the shrimp in a single layer. We don’t want to crowd ’em!

Sizzle the shrimp for a couple of minutes, flip them over as quickly as you can with tongs, and add butter, lemon, and garlic. Cook two more minutes and hey, presto! you’re done. Dinner is served.

Cooked shrimp in a skillet, a green salad is partially visible.

FAQs

What can I do with frozen cooked shrimp?

Thaw them under cold running water. Since they are already cooked, they only need to be reheated briefly. In this recipe, cook the shrimp for just a couple of minutes with the other ingredients so they absorb some of the flavor.

What can you season shrimp with?

Shrimp are mild tasting and will adapt easily to almost any type of seasoning. Match the seasoning with what you’re serving with the shrimp. For example, for my shrimp fajitas (see link below), I season the shrimp with fajita seasoning.

Will lemon cook shrimp?

You’re probably thinking of ceviche, a dish in which the shrimp is “cooked” by the juice of citrus fruit. Raw seafood is marinated in citrus juice, usually lemon or lime, causing the protein to become denatured, which gives the seafood the appearance of being cooked. This method does not kill any bacteria, etc. which may be present in the seafood.

Cooked shrimp garnished with fresh parsley.

Make It Your Own

This is such a simple and perfect recipe that it’s difficult to imagine a different way to make it. That being said, you could:

Substitute extra large shrimp or scallops. Keep in mind, this will change cook time.
Omit or increase the garlic.
Make it spicy by adding ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes.
If you’re looking for a meal idea, try shrimp with chimichurri rice. So good!
Okay, that’s all I’m giving you. I really want you to experience this shrimp in all its perfect glory.