This delicious and healthful simple sautéed shrimp appetizer combines two ingredients that are a match made in heaven, garlic and butter. This shrimp dish is fancy and elegant but super quick (it takes just a few minutes to cook this perfect flavorful meal) and easy to make. This healthy dish comes together in just under 20 minutes and is sure to rival a fine dining seafood fare. It is an ultimate splurge, buttery, garlicky sauce together with succulent shrimp that is tender, juicy with a beautiful hint of sea water flavor. And this recipe for sauteed shrimp is one of the best shrimp recipes ever.

Just heavenly. They are tasty and flavorful but nothing overpowering. We really want the true flavor of shrimp to shine through.

I can eat this easy-to-make dish for dinner every single day, but I do care about the size of my waist especially with bikini season rapidly approaching. So it is truly a treat for a special occasion because it has low calories while it is full of nutrients and vitamins and absolutely cholesterol free. The star of the dish is the shrimp so I prefer (and definitely recommend) buying great quality, fresh shrimp for cooking shrimp by this recipe and bigger is definitely better in this case. Jumbo key west pink shrimp is my favorite and luckily living in Florida I can get them at my neighborhood fish market. But you can use any of the big sized shrimp of your choice in this recipe.

Let’s talk about how to saute shrimp. The sautéing method is a piece of cake. And my favorite part is that it is all made in one pot or skillet. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add shrimp, salt and pepper to the melted butter. Sautee, stirring occasionally, until pink, about 2-3 minutes then remove the shrimp from the pan to avoid overcooking. Nobody likes rubbery, chewy, overcooked shrimp, so do not let your money go down the drain. To the same pan add minced garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in chicken stock, add salt, pepper and lemon juice. Bring to a boil reduce heat and simmer until reduced by half, about 1-2 minutes. Stir in remaining 6 tablespoons butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, until melted and smooth. Finally add the cooked shrimp and toss to combine, take of the heat and serve immediately.

You can serve sautéed shrimp on their own, with a side of chopped vegetables or they are phenomenal over Italian pasta or rice and sprinkle with fresh parsley.