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This easy shrimp and rice recipe has juicy shrimp sautéed in a rich garlic butter sauce and tossed with fluffy rice. I finish mine with parmesan, risotto-style! It’s a quick, tasty dish that’s ready in 20 minutes.
Looking for more delicious shrimp recipes? Try my creamy shrimp alfredo linguine and this lemon herb garlic butter shrimp, next. You might also love this hearty chicken rice recipe!
Sometimes, the best-tasting recipes are the easiest to make. Case in point: This creamy garlic shrimp and rice! This quick and easy dinner idea combines juicy jumbo shrimp with a rich garlic butter sauce and fluffy minute rice. It’s fast, simple to prepare, and especially delicious if you’re as obsessed with garlic butter as I am.
Why I Love This Shrimp and Rice Recipe
- Quick and easy. With simple ingredients and easy steps, this shrimp with rice comes together in no time.
- Rich, flavor-packed sauce. Um, is there any flavor better than garlic and butter? If you love seafood recipes like shrimp scampi and garlic butter seared scallops served over rice, this is the dinner idea for you.
- Creamy parmesan goodness. Stirring in parmesan cheese right at the end creates the creamiest, most luxurious rice texture. It’s like a shortcut to risotto, and it really ties the whole thing together.
- Perfect for any occasion. This shrimp and rice dish is an easy weeknight meal, and I’ve also cracked it out at dinner parties. It’s a real all-rounder!
Ingredients You’ll Need
Unlike shrimp fried rice, which is quick to make with leftover rice, this recipe speeds things up with minute rice. You need just a handful of easy ingredients, which I cover below. Scroll down to the recipe card after the post for a printable ingredients list with the full recipe amounts and instructions.
- Minute Rice – You can actually make this shrimp and rice recipe with any rice you’d like, since you’ll be cooking it before you combine it with the shrimp. I’ve also made the occasion batch of Instant Pot jasmine rice to use instead of minute rice.
- Unsalted Butter – For sautéeing the shrimp, and to make the garlic butter sauce. You can use salted butter if you prefer.
- Garlic – Please, please use fresh garlic cloves for the best possible flavor. It makes all the difference!
- Shrimp – Peeled and deveined, fresh or frozen shrimp both work in this recipe. If you’re using frozen, thaw the shrimp completely in the fridge before you start.
- Parmesan Cheese – Ideally, grated fresh. You can also use pecorino or Asiago cheese.
- Milk – You can use 2%, whole milk, or any dairy or non-dairy milk you’d like. For an even richer dish, use half-and-half or heavy cream.
- Garnishes – I finish this dish off with a sprinkle of fresh parsley and extra parmesan cheese. A squeeze of lemon also brightens everything up!
How To Make Shrimp and Rice
This garlic shrimp and rice is one of my go-to recipes when I have zero time to think and no time to prepare. It’s ready in about 20 minutes and there’s hardly any clean-up! Here’s how to make it:
- Cook the rice. First, prepare the minute rice (or your rice of choice) according to the package directions or following your preferred method.
- Make the garlic butter sauce. Meanwhile, melt butter in a skillet. Add the garlic, stirring often until it’s fragrant, about a minute.
- Add the shrimp and rice. Now, stir in the shrimp and sauté for a couple of minutes until it’s pink. Then, add the cooked rice.
- Make it creamy. Lastly, fold in the cheese, milk, parsley, salt, and pepper. Give everything a good stir until it’s creamy and heated through. Remove from heat and serve!
Tips and Variations
- Opt for good-quality, fresh shrimp. Fresh is always best in terms of flavor. For convenience, I buy shrimp that’s already peeled and deveined. If needed, you can ask your local fish counter for guidance.
- Avoid rubbery shrimp. Shrimp have a short cooking time (often only a few minutes). To avoid a rubbery texture, keep a close eye on the little guys while they cook. You’ll know shrimp are done when they turn pink and curl into a “C” shape.
- Don’t burn the garlic! Burnt garlic tastes bitter, so do your very best to avoid overcooking the garlic. Turn the heat down or take the pan off the heat entirely if you notice it browning too quickly.
- More seafood. Consider tossing in a few scallops or bites of white fish to sauté with the shrimp for a yummy seafood medley.
- Substitute the rice. If rice isn’t your go-to, feel free to pair your garlic butter shrimp with alternatives like quinoa, couscous, or even your favorite shrimp pasta.
- Give it some kick. For those of you who love a spicy kick, sprinkle in crushed red pepper flakes or cayenne. You might also like these Mexican-inspired camarones al ajillo made with three types of chili!
Serving Suggestions
This shrimp and rice is a dream on weeknights when all I need to add is a side of steamed broccoli or a green bean salad to round out the meal. It’s also great with fluffy homemade dinner rolls and a roasted vegetable salad or corn on the cob. For dessert, I’ve been baking batch after batch of these apple oatmeal cookies lately. They pair perfectly with a cozy latte after dinner!
How To Store Leftovers
- Refrigerate. Store this shrimp and rice within 2 hours of cooking. Keep everything in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 2 days.
- Reheat. When you’re ready to enjoy leftovers, reheat the shrimp and rice 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
- Cook the rice. Prepare the rice according to the directions on the box.
- Make the garlic butter. 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.
- Add shrimp and rice. 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.
- Make it creamy. Add the parmesan cheese, milk, parsley, salt, and pepper; mix and stir for 1 to 2 minutes, or until creamy and heated through.
- Garnish and serve. 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! 🙂