Lemon Garlic Shrimp Rice (Print View)

Succulent shrimp with lemon-garlic butter sauce over fluffy white rice for a bright, easy dish.

# Ingredient List:

→ Rice

01 - 1 cup long-grain white rice
02 - 2 cups water
03 - 1/2 teaspoon salt

→ Shrimp

04 - 1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
05 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
06 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

→ Sauce

07 - 3 tablespoons unsalted butter or olive oil for dairy-free option
08 - 4 garlic cloves, finely minced
09 - 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional
10 - Zest and juice of 1 large lemon
11 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
12 - 1 tablespoon olive oil

→ Garnish

13 - Lemon wedges
14 - Extra parsley, chopped

# How to Make:

01 - Rinse rice under cold water until clear. Combine rice, water, and salt in a medium saucepan. Bring to boil, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 15 minutes. Remove from heat, keep covered for 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork.
02 - Pat shrimp dry and season evenly with salt and black pepper.
03 - Heat olive oil and 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add minced garlic and red pepper flakes; sauté 30 seconds until fragrant.
04 - Add shrimp in a single layer; cook for 1–2 minutes per side until pink and opaque.
05 - Stir in lemon zest, juice, remaining tablespoon butter, and half the parsley. Toss shrimp to coat evenly; remove skillet from heat.
06 - Plate shrimp atop cooked rice. Garnish with extra parsley and lemon wedges.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The sauce is bright and buttery without being heavy, and somehow tastes like you spent hours on it.
  • Everything cooks in one pan while rice simmers quietly, so cleanup feels almost criminal.
  • It's fancy enough to cook for people you want to impress, but simple enough that you won't stress about it.
02 -
  • Don't crowd the shrimp in the pan or they'll steam themselves instead of getting that delicate crust; work in batches if needed.
  • The moment shrimp turns opaque it's done; even 30 seconds too long and they become rubbery, and there's no coming back from that.
  • Let the rice rest covered for 5 minutes after cooking; this makes all the difference between fluffy and sticky.
03 -
  • If your shrimp are thawing, pat them extra dry before cooking; this is where the difference between steamed and seared lives.
  • Keep a small bowl of water nearby while cooking so you can splash the pan if the sauce ever looks like it's drying out or browning too dark.

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