Old Bay Shrimp with Garlic Butter Sauce

Juicy Old Bay shrimp cooked in a rich garlic butter sauce for an easy, saucy one-skillet seafood dinner.

Prep Time5

Cook Time15

Total Time20

Course: Dinner, Lunch

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Calories: 356kcal

Author: Davinah

1 lb Shrimp raw, peeled and deveined with the tail on. I use 16-20 or 13-15 uncooked shrimp
½ cup Butter salted
¾ cup Shallots about 1 large shallot
15 cloves Garlic minced, about 2-3 tbsp of the minced garlic you can get in a jar
2 Lemons juiced, or about 1/4 cup lemon juice
1 tsp Chicken Better than Bouillon low sodium
¼ cup Water
¼ tsp Granular Sweetener optional
½ tsp Red Pepper Flakes
1 tbsp Old Bay seasoning
1 tsp Smoked Paprika

Melt the butter: Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat until sizzling.
Sauté the aromatics: Add the shallots and garlic. Cook for 2–3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the shallots are translucent.
Make the sauce: Stir in the lemon juice, chicken bouillon paste, water, sweetener, red pepper flakes, Old Bay seasoning, and smoked paprika until combined.
Cook the shrimp: Add the shrimp in a single layer. Cook for 1–2 minutes per side, or until the shrimp are opaque and tender. Remove the skillet from the heat and spoon the Old Bay butter sauce over the shrimp before serving.

Shrimp size: I use jumbo shrimp that are about 13–15 or 16–20 per pound. Smaller shrimp will cook faster.
Keep them in one layer: This helps the shrimp sauté evenly instead of steaming in a crowded skillet.
Watch the salt: Old Bay, chicken bouillon paste, and salted butter all contain salt, so no additional salt is needed.
Garlic option: Swap the minced garlic for air fryer roasted garlic for a softer, richer garlic flavor.
Starting from frozen: For a tested method that cooks shrimp straight from frozen in garlic butter, use my air fryer Cajun shrimp.