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This delicious and quick shrimp and rice recipe is prepared with juicy shrimp sautéed in a rich garlic butter sauce and mixed with fluffy, perfectly cooked rice. It’s a quick, easy, and incredibly delicious meal!
Shrimp and Rice Recipe
Sometimes, the most straightforward recipes are the most extraordinary, and our garlic butter shrimp and rice is the perfect example. Combining the rich taste of melted butter and pungent garlic with perfectly cooked shrimp and fluffy minute rice, this dish is a testament to the power of well-balanced, straightforward flavors.
Unlike traditional shrimp fried rice, which uses leftover rice, this recipe uses minute rice for a quicker, fresher approach. The beauty of this rice recipe lies not just in its flavor but also in its speed and simplicity. It’s a meal that can be whipped up in about 20 minutes, making it perfect for busy weeknights when you want something quick and easy yet delicious and enjoyable.
Why You’ll Love This Shrimp Recipe
- Quick & Easy: With simple ingredients and easy instructions, you’ll have a delicious meal ready in no time.
- Flavorful Sauce: The combination of melted butter and lightly browned garlic offers a rich, aromatic base that pairs beautifully with shrimp.
- Creamy Parmesan Goodness: Adding parmesan cheese and milk creates a creamy texture, adding depth and richness to the dish.
- Perfect for Any Occasion: Elegant enough for a dinner party, yet simple enough for a weeknight meal.
Ingredients You’ll Need
To make this buttery and garlicky shrimp fried rice even more enticing, just take a look at the short list of the ingredients!
- Minute rice: Serves as the hearty base for the dish, absorbing flavors and adding substance.
- Unsalted butter: Creates a rich, silky base for the sauce and helps in sautéing the garlic and shrimp.
- Garlic: Infuses the dish with a fragrant and savory aroma, a key component of the garlic butter sauce.
- Shrimp: Juicy shrimp are delicious and their mild flavor pairs well with the garlic butter sauce.
- Parmesan cheese: Adds a creamy and slightly tangy flavor, enhancing the richness of the dish.
- Milk: Provides a touch of creaminess to the sauce, complementing the melted cheese. You can use skim milk, 2%, or whole milk.
- Garnish: To make this buttery and garlicky shrimp fried rice even more tasty, consider garnishing it with a sprinkle of fresh parsley or a squeeze of lemon juice. The fresh, vibrant flavors of these additions cut through the richness of the garlic butter and bring a welcome burst of freshness.
How To Make Shrimp and Rice
Garlic butter shrimp and rice is one of my go-to recipes when I have zero time to think and absolutely no time to prepare. THIS is that. It takes just twenty minutes if that, and there’s very little clean-up. Looking for an easy shrimp recipe without rice?
- Prepare the Minute Rice according to the package instructions.
- Meanwhile, melt the butter in a skillet and stir in the garlic. Add the shrimp and cook for a couple of minutes or until pink.
- Stir in the rice, followed by the cheese, milk, parsley, salt, and pepper; mix and stir for a minute or two or until creamy and heated through.
- Remove from heat and serve!
Recipe Tips And Variations
- Opt for good-quality fresh shrimp to elevate the dish’s taste. For convenience, consider purchasing shrimp that’s already peeled and deveined. For those utilizing frozen shrimp, ensure they’re thoroughly thawed before you start cooking.
- Shrimp Cooking Tip: Shrimp have a short cooking time, often only a few minutes. To avoid a rubbery texture, monitor them closely. You’ll know they’re ready when they turn a pink hue and lose their translucency.
- Garlic Butter Preparation: Avoid over-browning the garlic, as it can introduce a displeasing bitter flavor to the overall dish.
- Seafood: Consider incorporating scallops or pieces of white fish for a diverse flavor and texture profile.
- Rice: If rice isn’t your go-to, feel free to pair the shrimp with alternatives like quinoa, couscous, or even your favorite shrimp pasta.
- Spice: For those who enjoy a spicy kick, introduce a sprinkle of red pepper flakes or a hint of cayenne into the garlic butter mix.
Serving Suggestions
By serving this garlic butter shrimp on a bed of rice allows the grains to soak up the delicious buttery sauce, but we can always use a side dish or three. Simple steamed or roasted vegetables like bok choy, broccolini, asparagus, or green beans can balance out the richness of the shrimp and rice.
A fresh salad with a light vinaigrette can provide a refreshing contrast to the warm, buttery shrimp and rice. Try this tangy Radish Cucumber Tomato Salad. This Grilled corn on the cob or my Air Fryer Corn on the Cob would add a sweet, smoky flavor that complements the shrimp wonderfully.
How To Store Leftovers
Leftovers should be stored in an airtight container and refrigerated for 2 days. When you’re ready to enjoy the shrimp and rice again, reheat gently on the stove or in the microwave until warmed through.
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Garlic Butter Shrimp and Rice
Ingredients
- 1 cup Minute rice, you can use dry rice, as well, just cook it according to the package directions
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 12 to 16 ounces extra large shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails on or off
- ¼ cup shredded parmesan cheese
- 3 tablespoons skim milk
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, plus a little more for garnish
- salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste
- shredded parmesan cheese, for garnish, optional
Instructions
- Prepare the rice according to the directions on the box.
- Meanwhile, in a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat.
- Add the garlic and cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring very frequently. Do not burn the garlic. Lower the heat if the garlic starts to brown too fast.
- Stir in the shrimp and cook for 2 minutes, or until they turn pink, stirring frequently.
- Add the prepared rice to the skillet; stir and mix until well combined.
- Add the parmesan cheese, milk, parsley, salt, and pepper; mix and stir for 1 to 2 minutes, or until creamy and heated through.
- Remove from heat.
- Garnish with parmesan cheese and fresh parsley, and serve.
Notes
- Use fresh, good-quality shrimp for the best flavor. If possible, buy them already peeled and deveined to save time. If you’re using frozen shrimp, thaw them properly before cooking.
- Cooking the Shrimp: Shrimp cook quickly, usually in just a few minutes. Overcooking can make them rubbery, so keep a close eye on them. They’re done when they turn pink and opaque.
- Making the Garlic Butter: Be careful not to burn the garlic when making the garlic butter. Burned garlic has a bitter taste that can overpower the dish.
- You can add scallops or chunks of white fish to the dish for more variety.
- If you prefer, you could serve the shrimp over quinoa, couscous, or even pasta instead of rice.
- If you like heat, add a pinch of red pepper flakes or a dash of cayenne pepper to the garlic butter.
Nutrition
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
Delicious!! and very easy and quick. This is definitely going to be a go-to staple from now on. Thank you so much for sharing!
Hi, can I make this without the parmesean cheese?
Hi Jessica! You could, but it does add a great amount of flavor to the dish. Without the cheese, the dish won’t be the same.
Could I use mozzarella cheese if I don’t have parmsean cheese?
Hi Megan!! I think the mozzarella might melt a bit sooner and lack flavor, but if that’s all you have, I’d still give it a try. 😀
Made this with my boyfriend it is so delicious!
I made this tonight and my family ooved. I added asparagus and mushrooms as well. Def will be making this again.
I just found your blog via Pinterest and will be making this recipe this week! By the way, I am so relieved to know that there’s someone else out there who freaks out about bugs getting into their food packages through the tiniest of openings. And of course they will lay eggs and we will eat them and die! LOL! Anyway, thanks for a great recipe!
You’re so right! Butter and garlic are incredible together… they equal perfection. Add garlic and it’s even more perfection! Looks super tasty!
This looks amazkng! I am soooo making it today! On the ingredient list you said 2 tbs fresh cilantro but in the instructions you said to garnish with fresh parsley. Could you specify which one we should use?
Hi John!! I should have someone proofread my recipes before I hit the “live button” … SO sorry about that! What I meant to say is, if you like cilantro, use that, if not, use parsley. I myself can’t stand cilantro. 😀 Hope that helps! Have a great weekend!
Thank the Gods! I thought I was the only person on the planet that loathes cilantro! It tastes like getting my mouth washed out with soap!
Made this the other night and it was very delicious!! We only used 4 tablespoons of butter and it was perfect.
I’m not much of a shrimp fan, but do you suppose I could use chicken instead? Would I have to make any changes?
Hi Kaelin! You will have to cook the chicken a lot longer than you would cook shrimp. To make it quicker, chop up the chicken into cubes, cook it as per the directions for the shrimp, and once the chicken is cooked through, add the rice into the pan; add cheese, milk, parsley, salt, pepper and mix and stir for 2 minutes, or until creamy and everything is heated through. I hope that helps!
Thank you! I will definitely give this a go 🙂
left over rotisserie chicken was awesome in this
I wish I could read this recipe but my page keeps scrolling on its own and changing due to SO MANY ADS. No more diethood.com for me 🙁
I’m sorry Dawn! The reason that’s happening is because I’m trying to work in the background to fix those ads. It’s the ads that are glitchy. My apologies please. I will send you the recipe via email asap. Thank YOU!
I always get confused on the Parmesan cheese, you said shredded. So that means the cheese in the bag not the canister. Canister is called grated. I just want to buy the right ingredients.
I always get confused on the Parmesan cheese, you said shredded. So that means the cheese in the bag not the canister. Canister is called grated. I just want to buy the right ingredients. For the recipe Garlic shrimp and rice
Hi Lisa! I have the same problem! 🙂 But, yes, grated is in the canister and shredded is the one in the bags. 😀 Hope you like it!!