Garlic Butter Lemon Shrimp and Rice Recipe

Looking for an easy one pan dinner? This lemony shrimp with fried rice is seasoned with garlic and herbs for a mouth full of flavor. The best part is that it is ready to eat in under an hour.

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I like to make this garlic shrimp dish in my iron skillet but you can use any large skillet or even a Dutch oven if you like. You just need a pan with a lid.

The rice is fried in melted butter and then simmered in seasoned chicken stock. Your kitchen will smell delicious while this delicious dinner is cooking.

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Kitchen Equipment

• Deep nonstick skillet (I like to use my iron skillet)
• Wood spoon for stirring
• Small bowl for lemon juice
• Knife for cutting the lemons
• Kitchen shears for cutting the Basil

Ingredients

This recipe for lemon herb shrimp and rice uses a delicious combination of seasonings including fresh basil. Simple pantry staples like white rice and chicken broth plus a couple of fresh lemons.

The Shrimp

I like to use medium shrimp with the tails removed. I am not a fan of picking shrimp up out of cooked food to remove the tail before I can eat it. Yes, presentation is nice with tails on. So, you can leave the tails on if you like.

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 6 cloves of fresh garlic, minced
• 1 ½ cup uncooked white rice
• 2 ½ cups chicken broth
• 2 lemons, divided
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• Salt and black pepper, to taste
• 2 pounds medium peeled and deveined raw shrimp
• ¼ cup heavy cream, optional
• 1 tablespoon freshly snipped basil

Directions

Step 1

First juice one lemon into a small bowl and set aside.

In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the minced garlic and sauté for about 30 seconds, stirring constantly, or until fragrant.

Step 3

Add the rice to the skillet with the garlic and melted butter. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring often, until some of the rice begins to toast.

Step 3

Add the fresh lemon juice to the skillet. Then, stir in the chicken broth, Italian seasoning, salt and black pepper. Add the lid to the skillet and bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 10 minutes without stirring.

Step 4

Remove the lid and place the shrimp on top of the rice. Season with salt and black pepper as desired. Add the lid back to the skillet and continue cooking, stirring as needed, for about 10 to 12 minutes or until the shrimp is opaque and pink.

Last step

Stir in the heavy cream if you like. You may want to skip the cream to save on calories. But it makes this garlic and herb lemon shrimp dish nice and creamy. No need to bring it to a boil.

Then, slice the remaining lemon and garnish your lemon garlic butter shrimp with lemon slices and snipped basil. Serve and enjoy!

Also see my Guide to Cooking Herbs you can grow at home.

Printable recipe card below. Scroll down for more shrimp recipes.

This is a great idea for busy weeknights when you need dinner on the table in under and hour. A tasty meal without a whole lot of work in the kitchen and the best part is that it is a one pot meal.

Substitutions and Optional Ingredients

Can you use brown rice?

Yes, you can but brown rice takes much longer to cook than white rice. You will need to increase the cook time before adding the shrimp.

Can you use water instead of chicken broth?

Yes, you can but you will lose a lot of flavor. I’d recommend adding another seasoning such as Old Bay to increase the flavor if you use water.

Can you use Herbs de Provence instead of Italian seasoning?

Yes, you can and you obviously enjoy an aromatic Italian recipe.

What other seasonings can I add?

If your crew enjoys a little heat, you can season shrimp in about one tablespoon of Old Bay seasoning before adding it to top of the rice. You can also sprinkle a dash of red pepper flakes in with the other seasonings if you like.

Make this Lemon Butter Shrimp and Rice meal for your family dinner. The smell of the garlic sauteing in melted butter will bring everyone to the kitchen. Have them set the table while you finish cooking the meal. ~wink

If your family enjoys a good rice dish see these 7 Tasty Meals You Can Make with Rice as the star of the show.

More Weeknight Dinner Recipe Ideas

• Lemon Shrimp Penne Pasta Dinner with Broccoli
• Simple Shrimp Fried Rice recipe
• Easy Shrimp Tacos Recipe
• Low Country Shrimp Boil Recipe
• Baked Lemon Pepper Tilapia (Low Carb) Recipe
• Pan-Seared Grouper With Lemon-Thyme Sauce
• Easy Crockpot Beef Tips & Gravy recipe

Thank you for sharing!