Easy Shrimp Recipe with Garlic

This broiled lemon dill shrimp recipe is perfect for beginners as well as experienced cooks. It’s simple, quick, and absolutely delicious! The shrimp comes out juicy and flavorful with a delightful lemony dill glaze. I like to serve them over pasta or rice for a wonderful weeknight meal!

Garlic Lemon Shrimp with Butter and Dill

Do you love seafood but feel a little too intimidated to cook it? This shrimp recipe is one of the most elegant yet easiest you can cook. It’s a sophisticated yet simple dinner that will impress anyone at the table.

There are only a few ingredients and a couple of simple steps that will give you the satisfaction you crave when your family asks for more. 

You can use fresh or frozen shrimp. If you can’t find fresh shrimp, feel free to use frozen. Make sure you thaw it completely before you use it. Most grocery stores have jumbo shrimp in the frozen seafood section.

Ingredients

You probably have some of these ingredients on hand. As for the shrimp, I purchased frozen jumbo shrimp and thawed them in the refrigerator overnight.

• Raw jumbo shrimp that is peeled and deveined
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Fresh lemon juice
• Dill weed (dry or fresh dill)
• Minced garlic (from a jar or fresh garlic cloves)
• Salt
• Ground black pepper

For exact measurements of each ingredient and full directions, go to the recipe card at the bottom of the page. You can even print out the card by using the “print” button.

You can use other ingredients in the future if you want variety. Here are some I’ve used:

• Lemon zest
• Lemon slices
• Italian dressing
• Old Bay seasoning
• Garlic powder
• Onion powder
• Red pepper flakes
• Melted butter
• Sour cream
• Chili powder
• Ground thyme

Tools to Make Broiled Lemon Dill Shrimp

You’ll need a baking sheet covered in aluminum foil. I’ve used parchment paper, but cleanup is easier with foil.

If you’re concerned about your food being cooked on foil, you can layer some parchment paper over the foil to keep cleanup to a minimum.

I used metal skewers. But if you have wooden skewers, soak them in water before using them.

Place the oven rack in the top position to get it ready for broiling.

Prepare the Lemon Dill Shrimp

Combine the olive oil, dill weed, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl (or a large bowl if you’re doubling the recipe). Whisk until it is well mixed.

You can use a food processor or blender to make this lemon dill sauce, but it’s not necessary.

Scoop out 2 tablespoons of the mixture and put it in a small bowl. Set it aside for basting the shrimp later.

Add the uncooked shrimp to the large bowl that has remaining marinade. Mix well using a spoon or your hands.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate it for 30 minutes. This gives the marinade time to flavor the shrimp.

Drain and thread shrimp onto the skewers. I like to put 5 or 6 shrimp on each skewer. This makes it easy to turn them while broiling.

Place shrimp on the foil covered baking pan in a single layer. 

Put the baking sheet with shrimp on the top rack of your oven and broil for 3-4 minutes on the first side.

Now turn the shrimp and broil for another 2 minutes.

Remove the pan from the oven and baste the shrimp with the marinade mixture you set aside earlier.

Put the pan of shrimp back in the oven and broil for another 2 minutes.

When the shrimp turns pink on both sides, it’s done.

How to Serve Broiled Lemon Dill Shrimp

Serve this delicious shrimp with your favorite sides. We like either pasta or rice and a green vegetable. 

You can combine the shrimp with al dente noodles for a delightful shrimp pasta dish. When I do this, I typically make a little extra lemon dill sauce to coat the pasta. For even more flavor, sprinkle feta cheese over the top.

Anyone who is trying to cut carbs can serve this shrimp with zucchini noodles, also called “zoodles.” It’s absolutely delicious and so colorful!

Or you can use cauliflower rice. It’s easy to make in a food processor, but you can also buy it already “riced” in the freezer section at most grocery stores.

Another way to serve this shrimp is over a bed of lettuce. It adds a whole new dimension to your shrimp salad.

If you’ve never had a shrimp sandwich, give it a try. Put a half dozen shrimp in a hoagie bun, add some shredded lettuce, tomatoes, provolone, cheese, slices of bell pepper, sliced kalamata olives, and a little salt and pepper. 

Either add mayonnaise or a sprinkle of Italian dressing, and you’ll have one of the tastiest sandwiches ever!

Alternatives to Broiling the Shrimp

If you prefer, you can cook this marinated shrimp in a large skillet over medium heat on the stovetop. I like to use either a 10 or 12-inch skillet.

If your skillet is round, you might not have room for skewers, That’s fine, but it will take a little bit longer to turn all of them.

The best way I’ve found to cook them on the stovetop is to heat an iron skillet over medium-high heat and then turn it down before adding the shrimp. 

You can use hot oil to keep the shrimp from sticking.

This shrimp is also delicious when grilled. Use either your outdoor grill or an indoor grill pan. As long as you cook the shrimp until it turns pink on both sides, it will be good.

Common Questions About Shrimp

If you’re like a lot of people, you may have some questions about shrimp. Here are some common questions and answers:

How Long Should You Cook Shrimp?

Many people overcook shrimp because they cook so quickly. My suggestion is to cook them for a couple of minutes on each side. Once they turn pink, they should be done.

How Do You Clean Shrimp?

Although it’s not necessary to clean shrimp before cooking them, they look a lot more appetizing when you do. Take a small, sharp knife or a pair of small cooking shears and run it along the back of the shrimp.

As you cut the shell, the dark vein is exposed. Most of the time, it’s easy to gently grasp the vein and pull it out.

At that point, you have a choice of removing the shell or leaving it on. That’s a personal preference.

Can You “Cook” Shrimp in Lemon Juice?

The chemical reaction between the acidic lemon juice and shrimp will change the color and texture of the shrimp to make it appear cooked. However, the shrimp is not technically cooked. You should still cook it to make sure you kill any bacteria that may be on the shrimp.

What is Good to Serve with Shrimp?

Almost anything that you serve with any seafood is also good with shrimp. Here are some side dishes we enjoy with a shrimp dinner:

Potato Salad – If you like old fashioned southern potato salad, you’ll love my mama’s recipe. It’s always the first to disappear at potlucks!

Watermelon Cucumber Salad – For a refreshing side dish, make this one. It’s absolutely delicious!

20 Side Dishes for Shrimp – Here are even more wonderful side dishes that go with any type of shrimp!

More Easy Recipes

I’ve always enjoyed cooking dinner for my family. However, I typically don’t have much time. So I’ve come up with a bunch of easy recipes that I can put on the table in less than an hour. Some of these meals even take less than half an hour.

Here are some of our favorite easy recipes:

Baked Eggplant Parmesan – I make this delicious one-pan meal without any breadcrumbs, so it’s also gluten free.

Pork Sausage and Rice Skillet Dinner – It’s packed with flavor and lots of colorful vegetables. So you can feel really good about serving this yummy dinner to your family.

Air Fryer Pork Tenderloin – This delicious pork tenderloin is so quick and easy to make! You’ll be amazed by how much flavor it has! Serve it with any of your favorite sides for a winning family dinner.

Homemade Sloppy Joes – This wonderful recipe from Julia’s Simply Southern will take you back to your childhood in the most delightful way. Be prepared for everyone to ask for seconds!

Catalina Taco Salad – Make Taco Tuesday extra special by serving this yummy salad! Serve with a side of tortilla chips, and you have everything you need in a delicious meal!

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