Creamy garlic shrimp is a recipe that combines shrimp, garlic, butter, and heavy cream. Flavors are combined by sauteing the garlic in butter until it is golden brown and fragrant before mixing this with heavy cream. The mixture is then sauteed in a saucepan before serving over hot pasta.
Creamy garlic shrimp
See more: Creamy lemon garlic chicken recipe
How to make creamy garlic sauce for shrimp
Ingredients
- 1 pound of shrimp, head, and legs removed and deveined.
- 1 tablespoon of butter.
- Muddled garlic clove, 1 clove, 1 clove, minced.
- 1/2 cup heavy cream (not ultra-heavy cream).
- Pinch salt to taste.
Instructions
- In a saucepan, saute the garlic in butter over medium-low heat until golden brown and crispy.
- Add 1/2 cup of heavy cream to the saucepan and saute until the mixture is thickened. Do not boil.
- Once sauteed creamy garlic sauce has thickened, remove the cream from heat and use a hand blender to puree the sauce, discarding the brown bits of garlic.
- In a bowl, mix together the shrimp with the sauteed garlic mixture. Add a dash of salt and serve over steamed rice or pasta to enjoy this flavor-infused dish with your favorite Italian side.
Creamy garlic sauce for shrimp
Popular creamy garlic shrimp recipes
Spinach and garlic shrimp in a creamy sauce
Ingredients
- For the shrimp.
- For the creamy garlic sauce.
- for the garlic shrimp pasta.
Instructions
- In a large saute pan, melt butter with garlic to make garlic butter. Once golden brown, cook until fragrant. Lower heat and add cream and salt. As soon as you remove it from heat, continue stirring until it has thickened.
- Set aside for 5 minutes before stirring, so the cream will thicken more evenly in the saucepan without cooking any more.
- In a medium-sized bowl, mix together the shrimp and garlic butter sauce.
- A medium-high heat should be applied to a large nonstick skillet. Add 1 tablespoon of oil, then add shrimp mixture and cook for 5 minutes or until shrimp is cooked through. Serve over pasta (I used spaghetti) immediately as it will overcook if left unattended or overcooked.
Spinach and garlic shrimp in a creamy sauce
Creamy garlic shrimp with parmesan
Ingredients
- Prepared a 1 pound shrimp that’s been peeled and deveined.
- Thinly sliced three small garlic cloves.
- 1 tablespoon butter.
- One and a half cups heavy cream (not too heavy).
- Dash salt to taste.
Instructions
- In a saucepan, saute the garlic in butter over medium-low heat until fragrant and golden brown. Lower heat and deglaze with cream. Removing the mixture from heat once it has thickened is a good idea.
- Set aside for 5 minutes before stirring, so the cream will thicken more evenly in the saucepan without cooking any more.
- In a mixing bowl, add shrimp and sauteed garlic mixture and mix well.
- One tablespoon of oil should be heated throughout a large nonstick skillet.
- Add the shrimp mixture to the skillet and cook until the shrimp is pink and opaque. Serve immediately over pasta (I used spaghetti) to enjoy this flavorful dish in minutes!
Creamy garlic shrimp with parmesan
Cooking notes for creamy garlic shrimp
- The garlic butter should be golden brown and fragrant before adding the cream. This ensures it will not overcook and also helps to tenderize the shrimp.
- It is recommended to add just enough hot creamy garlic sauce to coat the shrimp mixture, as the sauce will thicken more after cooling down in the heat of the skillet.
- If you are not using a nonstick skillet, be sure to use oil for cooking your shrimp or they may break apart during cooking. Also, add a dash of oil to help prevent sticking and burning of your food (if you wish).
- While cooking, add some crushed red pepper flakes and/or a few grinds of black pepper to add more flavor or heat to the dish.
- I recommend mixing in parmesan cheese to make it extra special, but if you prefer not to use it, that’s fine too.
- I find it better to serve the dish right away as soon as it’s cooked (while it’s hot). Try adding a pinch of red pepper flakes, garlic powder, or cayenne pepper, to quickly warm up this dish before serving. This will also have the effect of sopping up any leftover sauce on the plate that may be left behind.
- If you choose to use a hand blender to blend the sauce, it is best to pour the sauce into a container first and mix in the shrimp AFTER blending. As a result, spills will be prevented.
Serve creamy garlic shrimp
Some questions about creamy garlic shrimp
What’s the difference between extreme and non-ultra-heavy cream?
There are two types of cream – ultra-heavy cream (also called whipping cream) and heavy cream (which is what you usually use to make your coffee creamer). Ultra-heavy cream is whipped cream that has a higher fat content than regular whipping cream. It will not whip properly in a typical mixer, so you will need to use a hand blender or blender.
What is a shrimp sauce?
Shrimp sauce, also known as a pink sauce or shrimp glaze, contains finely diced shrimp on top of the dish. This is usually cooked and added at the end of the dish cooking process, like in this recipe.
What do you mean, shrimp “are” cooked?
Shrimp should remain pink and opaque throughout the cooking process. The mature ones turn pink when they are ready.
What is the best way to thicken shrimp sauce?
Shrimp sauce should be cooked but not fully thickened as it will thicken more once cooled. The easiest way to do this is to add a dash of heavy cream at the end of the cooking time and mix well.
Add cream at the end of cooking time
Why does my sauce break and separate into a gritty consistency?
This most likely means you have overcooked your cream and burned it, OR there isn’t enough hot cream in the skillet to coat all of your shrimp mixtures.
What should I serve with creamy garlic shrimp?
For a quick and easy dish to serve, I recommend garlic bread and a simple salad to enjoy with your meal!
Do I have to thicken my cream mixture before adding it to the skillet?
You can skip this step if you would like a thicker sauce, but since the sauce will thicken more after cooking, this step is recommended. Also, you don’t want to skimp on hot creamy garlic sauce as it is a very flavorful ingredient.
Do I have to use extreme cream for this recipe?
Yes! The cream should be ultra-heavy cream (also called whipping cream). Regular whipping cream will not whip well in a mixer or blender.
Creamy garlic shrimp is a super easy dish to make that’s packed with flavor. The creamy garlic sauce is not only delicious but also helps tenderize the shrimp.
A dash of heavy cream towards the end of the cooking process will help this dish to thicken even more, making it fully cooked and ready to enjoy! This is an easy recipe you can serve for lunch or dinner, and will definitely be a crowd-pleaser.
Janie Davies is a chef with many years of experience, she started her career in 2005. As a result, she has an extremely extensive knowledge of the culinary field and kitchen equipment. She is currently the author and editor of Food 4 Kitchen.