The only real debate revolves around whether to cook shrimp first, and then add the garlic; or sauté the garlic first, and then cook the shrimp. I’ve used and enjoyed both methods, but I think I prefer the one shown here.
If you cook the garlic first, it mellows out the flavor, and gives it a little sweeter aspect, but it also increases the risk of browning it too much, which is the only way to screw this up. Besides that, it prevents getting any kind of color on the seafood.
By searing the shrimp first, you’ll get some nice caramelization, which I think really adds to the depth of flavor. Speaking of flavor, I can’t believe I’m giving away my caper brine secret; but I decided it’s just too good to not share. The little splash of salty goodness does something that’s easier to taste than explain.
Anyway, if you like shrimp and LOVE garlic, I hope you give this fast and delicious recipe a try soon. Enjoy!
Ingredients for 2 large or 4 small portions:
1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
1 pound shrimp
salt to taste
6 cloves garlic, minced fine
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
2 tbsp cold butter, cut in 4 pieces
3 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp caper brine
1/3 cup chopped Italian parsley, divided
water as needed to thin sauce
89 comments:
Question, is it better use groundnut oil (peanut oil) instead of olive oil as it can withstand more heat?
do you think my memmory is that bad?
this is just like what you did with the bay scallop dish inspired by the italian place you worked at as a dishwasher...why did i remember that?
Hummmmmmm!!!! Delicioso!!!
Looks awesome! Will be making this, this weekend. Thanks again Chef!
this looks delicious!
but where i live shrimp are very expensive and hard to find,so
do you think i can use lobster instead?
i HATE parsly, what other herb can i use?
That is some great looking shrimp, but I really think you could have put some more on top of the toast, it was what only 3 or shrimp high.
Chef...is that garlic not fresh? Out of a jar maybe?
It was freshly minced, but I did it early so mixed with some evoo to keep it from oxidizing.
Looks so delish! Is there a place where we can get the written cooking instructions as well as the ingredients list? I love watching your videos but I'd like to have the written instructions when I actually make this dish.
My mouth is watering after watching this video.
What is the difference between this and the traditional shrimp scampi? It seems to have pretty much the same ingredients.
Mire lemon bread? That isn't something you made, is it? I would love to see a recipe for that.
I'm trying to picture what lemon bread would taste like. Probably good.
I will try and demo that.
I'm curious about Varg's question as well... why not use an oil with a higher smoke point, or combine the olive with another oil to at least raise it?
you certainly could, but i like the flavor of olive oil and butter. It works fine!
This would go well with the butter beans or Udon noodles. Saturday dinner!!
Reminds me a lot of the little shrimp toast squares I sometime get at dim sum. The only difference might be using green onions instead of parsley.
Chef John. I like shrimps and i like garlic, but i don't like garlic shrimp. can i use lemon and chicken?
I use capers very often, even in omelet. But have not used the brine like that. Sounds great! Thank you Chef!
Mary misses the whole point. What a goofy question. If you don't like garlic and shrimp, why look at the recipe? If you don't like parsley, use cilantro. It's MEYER lemon, which you can buy in oil form. I plan on purchasing a Meyer lemon tree to plant this spring. Chef John, you could have used a bigger piece of toast or used two slices. I'm cooking this tonight with pasta, so I will be using more lemon and caper juice, as well as more oil and butter so the shrimp AND pasta will be nicely coated. I will also take the tails off for easy eating. Thank you for sharing an easy peasy recipe. I like anything with garlic.
Yo Chef J, I wasn't able to use the Caper Brine tonight in this recipe, I'm not sure if I missed out on a crucial ingredient, can you tell me what flavours I didn't get?
Also could you suggest an alternative as I don't think I'll ever get round to buying a jar of capers.
Thanks again my parents loved this dish!
Yo Chef J, thank you for this lovely dish, my parents really enjoyed it!
Quick question, I don't think I'll ever get round to buying a jar of capers so I didn't get to add the brine while making this tonight, what flavours did I miss out on and are there alternatives?
Cheers!
Just like a pickle brine. Basically salt water!
John, just wanted to say I enjoy your videos and will be making this one in the near future.
I was wondering if you had any neato recipes for shaved pork? I'm at a loss for what I can do with it.
Chef John, this recipe is perfect for a home sick Italiano! It made me feel as if my Nonna was right there in the kitchen! Lots of garlic and an excellent use of herbs definitely make this dish compare to my Nonnas recipes, just don't tell her that!! I do have a request for you though. Can you make something that's really Rustic Old School Italian? I want to blow their socks off with one of your amazing recipes!!
XOXO
Quite delicious over cream zucchini.
How different would it taste if we didn't use capers?
I review Foodwishes daily and truely appreciate you and this site! Why are the tails left on while cooking? Thanks again
I have all the ingredients ready and am going to cook this tonight for a Lent-friendly dinner. I am not a big fan of Shrimp but my wife loves it.
I made this tonight, chef, and it was fantastic. So simple and flavorful and just right for the little warm spat were having in the NE.
The videos lately have been really really good and my girlfriend and I are always trying your stuff out. Thanks for all the great content over the years!
Made this dish and served over some thin pasta and it was superb!
I can't believe all the times I'd previously cooked shrimp without tricking it up a little bit with some additional flavors.
Even I couldn't mess up this dish.
Chef John rocks the house again! Hey even if you did steal it from some Hollywood chef or something or other, you'd THE MAN. Besides the video blog is priceless! I carry Chef John with me whenever I'm stumped at the grocery store for the night's meal or...some tasty treat that can't be beat. Tune in tomorrow. Same time! Same...err... shrimp channel!
Chef John, This recipe looks amazing! I cant wait to make it. I absolutly love all the videos i see that you make! Thanks for sharing with us!
i tried to make this recipe. It was awesome. Thank you Chef!
Another winner John! Awesome! Loved it. Keep up the great job :) Joe V.
Your Meyer Lemon Bread did not look like a sweet bread loaf.........was it? I can only find sweet Meyer Lemon Bread recipes. Please advise.
Just add lots of grated lemon zest to any bread recipe. That's it!
Novice cook here, who stumbled upon your website. Thank you, thank you, thank you for the garlic shrimp cooking technique (and caper brine secret). So delicious!!!
Found this recipe via Pinterest, and it sounds delicious! I added a little caper brine to my potato salad yesterday (also delicious). I wouldn't have thought to add it to something without capers, though. Thanks for sharing your secret!
I found this recipe while surfing the food wishes blog and I tried it for 4th of July. Amazing!! I mixed it with some penne pasta and it was a hit! Beautiful side dish to the burgers. Thanks, Chef John!
is it ok if I use precooked shrimp? I'm not able to get my hands on any fresh raw shrimp at the moment.
Sorry, won't work here. Re-cooking pre-cooked shrimp is usually a very bad idea. They get mushy and tasteless.
Can't wait to try this one! Quick question -- do you suggest salted or unsalted butter?
This recipe was FANTASTIC! My whole family was so impressed! Looking forward to more of your ideas!!
Cooked a couple pounds of this stuff for my mom's birthday dinner the other day. We started with a big green salad and served the shrimp & sauce with some dirty rice. So good.
I just made this recipe sans parsley for me and my roommate's dinner tonight. Holy wow is this good!
Thanks Chef John!
I made these for a pre-dinner snack, they were amazing. And, I've discovered a new food group, capers :) thanks Chef John!
chef, i don't think i have italian parsley in my country, can i just change the parsley into another herb? or can i just not use the herb? tq, chef :)
of course!
This turned out fabulous!! Love!
just had this for dinner its really quick and tastes great. Will make again soon. Thanks for posting this.
Just made this for me and my son it turned out great and tasty. will try again soon. Thanks for posting
2 thumbs up just for how good this looks, can't wait to try it!! Sssooo glad I came across your channel on YouTube, my favorite one since I did.. Thanks agipain chef
Chef John,
My wife and I just made this dish. It was the better than any restaurant shrimp we can remember.
P.S.
We voted for you!
Yummm
I did exactly as the video this was a hit with my Christmas surf and turf dinner.
I did exactly as the video. This was a hit with my Christmas surf and turf dinner.
Christmas?
I served this on a bed of sautéed kale and it was incredible!
Gambas al ajilo, the best meal ever!
Is there anything that can substitute for caper brine? I had a jar of capers but they'd been there so long I tossed them, and I have everything else in the house for this. I have a lot of vinegars and Asian ingredients too. Fish sauce maybe?
Also do you have any idea once capers are opened how long they last? I bought that just tossed jar for the sake on one tsp then hadn't used them in ages.
you can pickle juice, or just an extra pinch of salt.
I just made this, only had pre-cooked, pre-peeled and frozen shrimp. The initial sear took five minutes while all the water cooked out, then when I heard the familiar sizzle of the oil, I began with your instructions.
It turned out good, had to add more salt, lemon and paprika to give it a boost. Then I ate everything straight out of the hot pan. Was nice.
I probably won't make this again as it's too close to chicken piccata, my most common Foodwishes dish. Look forward to your other shrimp recipes though DAMN this was quick and easy. My weakness.
yummmmm....this was the second time I've ever cooked shrimp, and this will probably be the only way I ever cook shrimp from now on. Such an amazingly flavorful dish. I thought I had capers in my fridge, but didn't, so I just omitted that part. And used a whole lemon's juice. Each shrimp was garlicy, lemony and spicy in all the right ways. Served it with spaghetti, steamed veggies and crusty french bread. Thanks Chef John!!
I'm making this tonight for the 10th time and it gets better every time I make it. This is one fantastic shrimp dish. And you're right John- you need a lot of garlic.
Made this for my husband's birthday. We both loved it! Thanks for sharing this awesome recipe. I'm really appreciated it =)
Definitely will try soon again!
Leaving out any of these ingredients or changing any of the ingredients will give this dish a different flavor. I wouldn't change this for the world. I live on capers so I always have caper brine available and yes it does give the sauce a great kick. The only change I made was to add some lemon zest because I love the flavor of lemon. This is one of the best shrimp dishes ever. I'm having a Fourth of July seafood party this weekend and this is going to be one of my main dishes. This recipe made me a big fan of yours Chef John.
Made this tonight and it was delish! I served it along with pesto linguine and a salad...yummm!
My first time cooking shrimp and this was the recipe I chose. I doubled all ingredients since I was making 2 pounds of shrimp. Served this for my friends dinner party, and for a side dish I actually made the roasted Brussels sprouts and onions, which I also got off this site. Both were delicious, but the shrimp were the star of the show. My friends said the shrimp was garlic-y and amazing, with just the right amount of heat and spice to it. I had never made shrimp before and I was nervous about working with it because I heard shrimp can become very rubbery if you overcook them. Honestly though your recipes are freaking great, and the prep and cooking process is so easy with your detailed instructions. Thank you for posting your recipes, my friends think I'm a culinary genius! ... I'm really not at all lol.
Petunia, I made this over the Fourth of July weekend and my friends freaked out. They absolutely raved. I served it over linguine but made a double batch of the sauce. It was absolutely to die for. Try it that way.
Thank you so much for this recipe. It was super simple and quite good. I didn't quite get the shrimp as brown/golden as your video. I think I just had too much moisture in them. Thank you for all the nice videos you create.
Made this tonight and it was superb! So easy and hit the spot. Thanks
Chef John, first of all, I love you.
Yesterday was my boyfriend's birthday and I made him this recipe along with an entrée of your Tuna Tartar, and we had some guests over. OMG, was the reaction of all... Thank you so much for sharing your recipes and making the videos so easy to follow, I love that you are genuine and even throw a little humor in the mix. I LOVE YOU...seriously. You are my now cooking GURU.
Melissa (from Chile)
I swore I wouldn't change a thing about this recipe after having made it several times as written but I got a craving to try cilantro and lime instead of parsley and lemon. It was absolutely fabulous. I lean toward the parsley and lemon but if you don't like parsley try it with the lime and cilantro. A note here, the cilantro as well as the parsley must be perfectly fresh.
I made this for Sunday dinner along with Chef John's garlic spaghetti, yes I love garlic. Totally delicious. Good alternative when your family does not like tomato sauce.
Chef John's garlic shrimp recipe is the best! I really like it and especially my husband..Thank you Chef, I am your biggest fan..
The last couple of times I made the garlic shrimp I made a bit more sauce and poured it over linguine. I can't even begin to tell you how delicious that was.
I make the recipe but I use dill for the green instead of parsley
What size shrimp did you use?
I just made this! Delicious! Thank Chef. John
This. Was. To Die For! What do you mean, 4 small servings? I ate the whole pound of shrimp by myself and was ready to make a second pound when I realized I was out of garlic. This is, hands down, the best shrimp and garlic recipe I've ever tasted. And I love shrimp, so I've tasted a lot of them.
And I'll bite, that caper brine did add something extra to the sauce. However, since I've discovered I don't like capers, I'm going to toss them and keep the brine. Maybe the dog will eat them.
I have a question, though. How on earth do you peel those shrimp and still leave the hard tail on them? When I peel shrimp, I hold them by the tail, get my nails under the shell and pull. The whole shrimp comes out. And I'm left holding the shell by the tail. It worked out fine for me - I just ate them with a fork and shoved the whole shrimp into my mouth (yeah, I couldn't get them to my taste buds fast enough). But nosy minds need to know.
Does it really have to be olive oil? I live in a country where olive oil is expensive and rarely use. We use palm oil or vegetable oil instead. Can I substitute it with those?
I often use peanut oil because it has a high smoke point. With all the garlic and lemon going on you'll never notice the difference in flavor if any.
Hmmm... Am I blind, or are there no written instructions? :/
This recipe is now in ALL RECIPES. I make this dish on a regular basis and it is truly the best shrimp recipe I have ever had.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/allrecipes.com/recipe/220597/simple-garlic-shrimp/amp/?client=safari
I made this tonight as an appetizer and it was awesome.
I’m having this tonight for dinner over linguine for the sixth time. I can’t get enough of this incredibly delicious recipe .
This is the best recipe I have found on the internets for garlic shrimp, our goto recipe for quick meals, or to impress family and friends. Thanks for showing how.
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