8 Garlic Shrimp Dinners for Two in 30 Minutes or Less
It’s 6:30, nothing is defrosted, and dinner still has to happen.
If there’s a bag of frozen shrimp in your freezer, you’re closer to a good dinner than you think, since it thaws in cold water in about 15 minutes.
These garlic shrimp dinners for two all come together in 30 minutes or less.
Some are cozy bowls over rice, grits, or orzo, and a few keep it light and low-carb with vegetables doing the heavy lifting.
1. Lemon Garlic Butter Shrimp and Asparagus
Shrimp and asparagus in one skillet with butter, garlic, and lemon, ready in about 15 minutes.
Cook the asparagus first until it’s bright green and crisp-tender, then move it to a plate and sear the shrimp.
The butter and garlic go in after the shrimp are flipped so the garlic doesn’t burn.
Squeeze the lemon over everything once the pan is off the heat.
2. Garlic Shrimp Zucchini Noodles
Spiralized zucchini in place of pasta, tossed with garlicky shrimp and a squeeze of lemon.
The zucchini noodles only need a minute or two in the pan, and any longer turns them watery.
Pat them dry with paper towels before they go in.
It’s a good pick for a night you want something lighter than pasta.
3. Honey Garlic Shrimp
Shrimp in a sticky glaze of honey, garlic, and soy sauce, done in about 20 minutes.
The sauce thickens fast once it hits the hot pan, so have everything measured before you start.
Serve it over white rice with steamed broccoli or green beans.
Sliced green onions and sesame seeds on top are the usual finish.
4. Lemon Garlic Shrimp Orzo
Orzo cooked until creamy with lemon and garlic, with seared shrimp on top, in about 30 minutes.
A handful of spinach or peas stirred in at the end adds a vegetable without another pan.
Add the lemon juice at the end so it stays bright.
Leftovers are good the next day for lunch, cold or warmed.
5. Garlic Shrimp Tacos
Garlicky sautéed shrimp in warm tortillas with crunchy cabbage and a creamy sauce.
The shrimp cook in about four minutes, so most of the work is slicing the toppings.
Warm the tortillas in a dry skillet for 30 seconds per side so they bend instead of cracking.
Lime wedges and sliced avocado on the side round it out.
6. Garlic Shrimp and Broccoli
Cut the broccoli into small florets so it cooks in the same few minutes as the shrimp.
Shrimp and broccoli in a garlicky pan sauce make a lighter version of a takeout favorite.
A splash of water and a lid steam the broccoli through before the shrimp go in.
Spoon it over rice, or eat it as is for a low-carb dinner.
7. Shrimp and Grits
Creamy cheddar grits topped with shrimp cooked in garlic, butter, and a little spice.
Quick-cooking grits keep this to 30 minutes, since stone-ground grits take closer to an hour.
Cook the shrimp while the grits simmer so both finish at the same time.
Crumbled bacon or sliced green onion on top is the classic finish.
8. Garlic Butter Shrimp Rice Bowls
Garlic butter shrimp spooned over rice with cucumber, avocado, or whatever vegetables you have.
Use leftover rice or a microwave rice pouch to keep it to 30 minutes or less.
The garlic butter left in the pan doubles as the sauce for the rice.
Make an extra bowl and it packs well for lunch.
Notes on Garlic Shrimp Dinners
Buy shrimp already peeled and deveined, since doing a pound by hand adds about 15 minutes.
Thaw frozen shrimp in a bowl of cold water for about 15 minutes, then pat them very dry so they sear instead of steam.
Large shrimp, labeled 21/25 or 16/20, are more forgiving than small ones because they take longer to overcook.
Shrimp are done as soon as they turn pink and curl into a loose C shape, and a tight O means they’ve gone too far.
Add the garlic after the shrimp have seared, since it burns in the time it takes the shrimp to color.
Half a pound of shrimp is a good amount for two, or 12 oz if you’re skipping the rice, pasta, or tortillas.