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Weeknight • Seafood

Garlic Butter Shrimp with Polenta

Succulent garlic butter shrimp served over creamy, cheesy polenta for a restaurant-worthy meal at home.

Prep
15 min
Cook
20 min
Servings
4
Level
Weeknight
Garlic Butter Shrimp with Polenta

Elevate your dinner routine with this show-stopping Garlic Butter Shrimp with Polenta! This dish might look fancy, but it's remarkably simple and quick to prepare. The tender shrimp drenched in a garlicky, buttery sauce pairs perfectly with the rich, creamy polenta. Get ready to impress your taste buds!

Ingredients

Yield: 4 servings

Creamy Polenta

  • 4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
  • 1 cup instant or quick-cooking polenta
  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • Salt and black pepper to taste

Garlic Butter Shrimp

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 lb raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter
  • 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
  • 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
  • Salt and black pepper to taste

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    For the polenta: Bring broth to a boil in a medium saucepan. Slowly whisk in the polenta, reducing heat to medium-low. Cook, stirring frequently, for 5-7 minutes (or according to package directions for instant polenta), until thick and creamy. Stir in butter and Parmesan cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Keep warm, covered.

  2. Step 2

    While polenta cooks, prepare the shrimp: Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add shrimp to the skillet in a single layer and cook for 1-2 minutes per side, until pink and opaque. Remove shrimp from skillet and set aside.

  3. Step 3

    Reduce heat to medium. Add butter to the same skillet. Once melted, add minced garlic and red pepper flakes (if using). Cook for 30-60 seconds until fragrant, being careful not to burn the garlic.

  4. Step 4

    Return the cooked shrimp to the skillet. Stir in lemon juice and chopped parsley. Toss to coat the shrimp evenly in the garlic butter sauce. Season with salt and pepper.

  5. Step 5

    Serve the garlic butter shrimp immediately over spoonfuls of creamy polenta. Garnish with extra parsley if desired.

Tips

  • For best results with shrimp, don't overcrowd the pan; cook in batches if necessary.
  • If you don't have instant polenta, regular polenta works but will require longer cooking time and more stirring.
  • A splash of white wine can be added to the garlic butter sauce before the lemon juice for extra depth.

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