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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.
This is a keeper!
I used cram for the milk, added roasted red peppers, sun dried tomatoes and red pepper flakes! WOW it is excellent!
That’s wonderful to hear! I am very glad you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂
I made this in less than 45 mins… 😂
But seriously….this was fast and easy! And I didn’t use the Parmesan cheese…..I used Fried Rice seasoning and it’s sooooo DELICIOUS!!!! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
This was SOOOOO good! I used dry rice and I also added a bag of peas for some veggies. I didn’t realize until I was already cooking that I didn’t have any milk so I ended up using heavy cream and it just made it even more rich and delicious. My son had 3 bowls!
I haven’t made this exact recipe I was just looking for something that would help me with my already-cooked brown rice and my raw unpeeled shrimp. I can’t understand the negative posts. Perhaps they are not cooks. This helped me use what I had on hand. I am a very talented cook (not a chef) but I often use Pinterest to help me use what I have on hand. Like tonight.
Anytime you have to peel and clean a pound of shrimp before chopping parsley and mincing garlic you’re already out of the “quick and easy” category IMHO. The only thing quick about this was the minute rice. They probably sponsored this recipe. That said, the recipe is also full of fat, and not the good kind. There are so many ways this recipe could have been made healthy and tasty and quick. After spending 45 mins preparing it I now also have a lot of clean up to do, garlic press, pots, chopping blocks, graters and the list goes on . As for taste, for the amount of fat and calories that are in it, I wish I had had something way more enjoyable to the palate.
It took you 45 minutes to mince the garlic with a garlic press, clean the shrimp (you can buy them already cleaned and deveined, by the way), and chop up some parsley? I don’t believe that for a second. That should take 5 to 8 minutes at maximum. Cleanup is also part of the “homecooked” process. There’s no way around it. What, in your opinion, is homemade but quick and easy?
No, Minute Rice did not sponsor this. If they did, it would be clear as day because we have to disclose that information all over the post.
Also, 99% of the commenters have left a 5-star review on this recipe. 🤔
Reply to Dana’s comment:
Personally I found this recipe to be great as most of the other commenters have. I made it very simple by purchasing the garlic butter shrimp already made, so all you have to do is sauté it or put it on a sheet pan. Your preference. For time constraints and even more simplicity, I also used the 10 minute boil in a bag brown rice. When that was done the only thing left to do would be drain the rice and finish in the sauté pan with your garlic butter shrimp. I have also made this recipe as suggested by Katerina by using the already Deveined tail off shrimp along with the minute rice and it really does not take any time at all. if you are worried about all the fat or cholesterol in the butter, you can always modify the butter and even substitute. Personally, I use I can’t believe it’s not butter and I have used others as well. regardless, I believe the whole recipe done Either way and with cleanup has taken about 35 to minutes. I’m not sure where it went wrong for you. Sometimes if I overthink things I make things more difficult for myself. I usually will try a recipe twice before I leave a comment that paints something in a negative light.(the first time more often than not is a trial) Hopefully you will be able to try the recipe again and find a way that works best for you so that you can experience the same yumminess as others who have tried this recipe
Personally I found this recipe to be great as most of the other commenters have. I made it very simple by purchasing the garlic butter shrimp already made, so all you have to do is sauté it or put it on a sheet pan. Your preference. For time constraints and even more simplicity, I also used the 10 minute boil in a bag brown rice. When that was done the only thing left to do would be drain the rice and finish in the sauté pan with your garlic butter shrimp. I have also made this recipe as suggested by Katerina by using the already Deveined tail off shrimp along with the minute rice and it really does not take any time at all. if you are worried about all the fat or cholesterol in the butter, you can always modify the butter and even substitute. Personally, I use I can’t believe it’s not butter and I have used others as well. regardless, I believe the whole recipe done Either way and with cleanup has taken about 35 to minutes. I’m not sure where it went wrong for you. Sometimes if I overthink things I make things more difficult for myself. I usually will try a recipe twice before I leave a comment that paints something in a negative light.(the first time more often than not is a trial) Hopefully you will be able to try the recipe again and find a way that works best for you so that you can experience the same yumminess as others who have tried this recipe
Dana, perhaps frozen meals are more your style. It takes seconds to chop parsley, perhaps a minute to chop up your garlic, and you can buy shrimp that is already skinned and deveined. I have a feeling you just don’t like to cook. There’s cleanup with every meal, and you don’t need a garlic press to chop garlic. Who doesn’t buy parm cheese already grated? You should really give the dish a try.
If you want it any quicker or easier perhaps you should just order in. You saw the ingredients before cooking so if there were too many “bad” fats and calories, why go to the trouble of making it? Sounds like a lettuce leaf and a scoop of cottage cheese is more your speed and skill level.
This was delicious- very comforting meal. I added a few red pepper flakes and asparagus pieces with the garlic. Yum!
Quick, easy and delicious….my husband don’t usually eat more than one plate of a new recipe but he had 3 plates!!!! Definitely going to do a shrimp and chicken with this recipe!
Made this recipe just as it states and it was very easy and very good!
This is the best, easiest meal to make quickly! So delicious! Thank you! The Parmesan is the key! Added lemon too! Delicious!
Thank YOU! I’m very glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
This has to be the easiest and tastiest shrimp recipe that I’ve tried! I doubled the recipe and I don’t think there will be leftovers. I’ll definitely be adding this to my monthly meal list.
That’s great! I’m very glad you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂