North Shore Garlic Butter Shrimp
If you’ve ever driven the North Shore of Oahu, you know the shrimp trucks. Shell-on shrimp swimming in butter with a ridiculous amount of garlic, two scoops of rice to soak it all up, and a lemon wedge on the side. This is my home version. It’s fast, it’s messy in the best way, and the garlicky butter on the rice is honestly half the reason to make it.
Food safety: cook shrimp to 145°F
Cook shrimp until the flesh is opaque and pearly all the way through and reaches 145°F. Thaw frozen shrimp in the fridge overnight or in a sealed bag under cold running water, never on the counter. Keep raw shrimp away from cooked food and the rice.
Why it works / tips
- Keep the shells on. They protect the shrimp from overcooking and soak up the garlic butter. Slit the back with kitchen shears and pull out the vein so they’re easy to peel at the table.
- Cook the garlic gently. Garlic burns fast and turns bitter, so keep the heat at medium and pull it the moment it’s light golden.
- A light dusting of flour and paprika on the shrimp gives the butter something to cling to and a little color.
- Don’t crowd the pan. Cook in two batches if your skillet is small so the shrimp sear instead of steam.
North Shore Garlic Butter Shrimp
Ingredients
- 2 lb large shell-on shrimp (16 to 20 per lb), thawed if frozen
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 2 tbsp neutral oil
- 8 tbsp (1 stick) unsalted butter, divided
- 2 heads garlic (about 20 to 24 cloves), finely minced
- Pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)
- 1 lemon, half juiced and half cut into wedges
- 2 tbsp chopped parsley
- Steamed white rice, to serve
Instructions
- With kitchen shears, cut down the back of each shrimp shell, leaving the shell and tail on, and pull out the vein. Rinse and pat the shrimp very dry.
- In a large bowl, toss the shrimp with the flour, paprika, salt, and pepper until lightly coated.
- In a large skillet over medium heat, melt 4 tbsp of the butter. Add the garlic and cook, stirring often, 3 to 5 minutes, until fragrant and light golden. Scrape the garlic butter into a small bowl and wipe the pan.
- Raise the heat to medium-high and add the oil. Add the shrimp in a single layer (in batches if needed) and cook 2 minutes per side, until the shells are pink and the meat is opaque and reaches 145°F.
- Lower the heat to medium. Return all the shrimp to the pan, add the garlic butter, the remaining 4 tbsp butter, red pepper flakes if using, and the lemon juice. Toss about 1 minute until the butter melts and coats everything.
- Sprinkle with parsley and serve right away over two scoops of rice, with lemon wedges and all that garlic butter spooned over the top.
Notes
- Peeled shrimp work too. Cut the sear time to about 1½ minutes per side.
- Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours and eat within 2 days. Reheat gently to 165°F.
