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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.
More Shrimp Recipes
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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.
I used regular cooked rice and added some lemon juice (3 tbsp) to give it a bit of a zest. Yummy
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I am very glad you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂
this was delicious. I wanted something diffwrent to eat and a little healthier than chilli dogs and found this recipe. I used I can’t believe its not butter light, small shrimp and 2%milk and it taste amazing. Im new to the page and I know I’ll be back. Quick and easy
I’m very glad you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂
I tossed in some carrots I had that needed cooking. This dish is wonderful! It’s great as-is, or it can be a canvas for allllll kinds of other things. I don’t know what the deal was with the ads…I had no issue. Maybe the problem has been fixed. Anyhow, thanks for a great & quick recipe!
I am very glad you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂
We really liked this! I used more garlic than the recipe called for but that’s just our personal taste. I will definitely make this again!
I am very glad you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂
Good base recipe, it was kind of bland so we added cream of mushroom and it turned out amazing!
Could we get rid of that annoying video taking up 1/4 of my screen. And the ads. And you’re weird little bloggy intro thing. People don’t care, they just want to know how to make it and a couple pics.
Uhmmmm, no. Again, no. And finally, no.
You must be SO fun to be around. 🙄
I understand the necessity of ads on recipe sites. Or there’d be no incentive to create them. Something which may have been more helpful to post instead. Yes, the video takes up 1/3 of my screen and I can’t close it. The site does some does some strange scrolling too, when trying to read the comments. I’ve given up. But the recipe sounds great.
LMBO at the response to Really Annoyed from Katerina. Cute 😍
Annoyed, not everyone will enjoy another’s recipe. With that being said, you think coming at her that way online is appropriate? Just chalk it up to you not having the same taste as her. But also, the way it was recorded (with commercials, ???), are you digging at the recipe or the camera shot? Maybe you just don’t know how to fast forward and simply projecting onto her.
I didn’t have all the ingredients, yet I figured it out because I’m an adult.
Now, leave the cooking to the mature adults and just pop in a toaster strudel lil one.
The recipe sounds good, but I have to defend the Flowbee. I have used one on mine and my children’s and my husband’s hair 25 years. I get lots of compliments on my hair believe it or not LOL I’m sure you won’t believe it but I do.
I ran this recipe through the WW recipe builder and it came out as 15 points per serving. But when I calculated the nutrition info it came out as 9 points as listed. Is the nutrition info for 1/4 of the recipe? I haven’t made it yet but it sure sounds delicious!
Hi!
Thank you for chiming in! I posted this recipe years before nutritional calculators were added to our recipe boxes, and the software itself must have calculated the results that you are seeing. I’ll run it through my calculator and update it, asap. Again, thank you for alerting me to this.
Rice can be so boring and bland, but this looks full of flavor! Great weeknight dinner idea, but also gorgeous enough for entertaining.
Wow perfection!!!! Sooo yummy 😋
Love this recipe! I eliminated the rice and used a bag of riced cauliflower in its place. I also make it with less butter and milk. Otherwise it has too much liquid. Even my husband likes it! Have made it several times.
Thank you! This was exactly the kind of recipe I was looking for. On a side-note-I keep my rice in baggies. I buy in 20-pound bags because rice keeps a loooong time. Then I measure it out in four cup amounts because that’s always how much I make at a time (I use two cups cooked for my recipes and freeze the rest of the cooked rice in two cup batches. It’s just me and I love leftovers. They mean I don’t have to cook that day)). I can unfreeze a baggie of rice and it’s better than the par-boiled quick rice you get in boxes, always there and no bugs because you know, baggies 🙂
(I always wanted a thigh master, lol)