Simple Butter garlic prawns(shrimp) recipe in 5 minutes with video

This is a 5 minute Butter garlic prawns recipe, which is a very delicious yet very simple recipe that anyone can make in their kitchen. Butter garlic prawns, worldwide also known as garlic butter shrimp, are the most popular prawn or shrimp appetisers. Butter garlic prawns are made with prawns, butter, minced garlic, parsley, lemon juice, crushed pepper, salt & spring onion. Prepared by lightly searing prawns in creamy butter with finely minced fresh garlic, a sprinkle of lemon juice, crushed pepper, chopped parsley, and seasoning. Here I am also sharing a step by step short cooking video in detail for your reference, hope it will help you a lot.

For making this 5 minutes Butter garlic prawns recipe, quickly toss the prawns in a blend of melted butter with minced garlic straight into a sizzling pan. Prawns take just 5-6 minutes to fry in butter at a low heat. If fried over more than 5-6 minutes, prawns get hard & chewy due to overcooking. No marination is needed before cooking. Besides, less cooking time and no marination make this recipe quick and easy to prepare in this case.

However, lemon and parsley are the best practices for bringing the exact taste and flavour used in restaurants similar to the original recipe. Instead of parsley, you can even use basil, but skip using it if either of these 2 herbs is not available at home. Do not worry, herbs just enhance the flavour, do not hurt the taste if not added. Here, we use a little cornflour, which adds more creaminess to this gravy; not mandatory, you can skip it though.

Here I use medium size white prawns, however, no matter if you can make this dish with Jumbo or king size prawns(like scampi) or tiger prawns. But must use fresh prawns and surely remove the shells and devein them before cooking. Prawn shells mainly their veins carry dirt, so cooking prawns with shells or without deveining can cause food poisoning.

One of the most important things about this recipe is, we need the right amount of butter for cooking. Here, butter must have a dipping consistency so that the prawns get dipped in butter while cooking. More importantly, this recipe calls for a quick sauteing of prawns in a generous amount of butter, but does not support deep frying.

On the other hand, prawns will get dry if cooked in less butter. Even the juiciness of the prawns will be missing due to using less butter, and also not get the exact creaminess found in restaurants’ butter garlic prawns. If you think adding too much butter would not be healthy, then you can use half butter and half oil.

To make it in a microwave oven or in an air fryer, wrap the prawns in aluminium foil mixing with the same amount of butter, garlic, herbs & seasoning and cook it on grill mode for 1 minute. Check after every 1 minute and stop cooking when you think the prawns are perfectly cooked. Once you can easily cut the prawns with the light pressure of a fork, it means it is done.

If you are using frozen prawns, then wait until the prawns come to a normal temperature and cook. If frozen prawns are directly placed in the hot butter, prawns will release lots of water, causing burns on the skin from spluttering of the butter. Even preparing in this way takes a huge time to dry up the water, and prawns will get boiled in water rather than sautéing in butter, completely spoil the taste of this dish.

Here I also share a detailed step by step cooking video for your convenience, watch it.

If you are a vegetarian or allergic to prawns, can also try my cheesy stuffed mushroom recipe.

Love chicken starters, can try my crispy fried chicken tenders.

Try other prawn starter recipes from my website, crispy batter fried prawns and for Indian prawn starter, try Mangalore style prawn ghee roast recipe.

Simple Butter garlic prawns(shrimp) recipe in 5 minutes with video

Ingredients

500 g Medium White Prawns/Shrimps(deshelled & deveined)
60 g Salted Butter
2 tbsp Garlic(finely chopped)
1/2 tsp Chopped Parsley/Basil(dry/fresh)
2 tbsp Spring Onion(chopped)
1/2 Lemon(lime) juice
1/2 tsp Cornflour
1 tsp White Pepper/Black Pepper(as per taste)
1/4 tsp salt(as required)

Appetizer/starter: Quick Bite

Prep time: 5 mins

Cook time: 5 mins

Served in: 10 mins

Served for: 4-5 people

Author: Moumita Paul

How to make Butter garlic prawns with step by step pictures

Method

Firstly, clean the prawns- remove the prawns’ heads and shells except for the tail(though optional).
Devein the prawns and thoroughly wash them before use.
If using store-bought cleaned prawns, make sure prawns are deveined or not, devein them first, then thoroughly wash them and use.

For cooking, place a frying pan or saucepan on low heat on the stove top.
Add butter; once the butter melts, add parsley(or basil), and stir a little.
Then add the prawns to the pan and fry for 1 min.
Add minced garlic and toss well to give it a nice mix.
Fry the prawns for 3 more minutes.
Once the prawns get a light pink colour on both sides, it means the prawns are almost done.
Add pepper and salt, and fry for the next 30 seconds.
Salt is already in butter, so use it carefully to avoid saltiness in prawns and the gravy.

Sprinkle 1/2 lemon juice and add 1/2 tsp of cornflour(though totally optional) over the prawns, and quickly stir well.
Once the cornflour is nicely mixed with the gravy, raise the heat and cook the gravy until it gets slightly thick and creamy.
Then sprinkle chopped spring onion on top, stir well and immediately turn off the heat.
Butter garlic prawn is ready, serve as a starter before dinner or lunch, it is just awesome.
Cornflour mixed with the garlic & butter makes a creamy sauce-like consistency that also makes the gravy too yummy.
Especially if the preparation seems more buttery, cornflour will change from buttery to slightly creamy.