Lemon Garlic Shrimp Rice (Printable)

Succulent shrimp in zesty lemon-garlic sauce over fluffy white rice for a quick, flavorful meal.

# What You'll Need:

→ Rice

01 - 1 cup long-grain white rice
02 - 2 cups water
03 - 1/2 teaspoon salt

→ Shrimp and Sauce

04 - 1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
05 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
06 - 4 cloves garlic, finely minced
07 - 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
08 - Zest of 1 lemon
09 - 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
10 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
11 - 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
12 - Salt and black pepper to taste

# Steps:

01 - Rinse rice under cold water until clear. Combine rice, water, and salt in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes until water is absorbed. Remove from heat, keep covered, and let stand for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork.
02 - While rice cooks, pat shrimp dry and season lightly with salt and black pepper.
03 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Arrange shrimp in a single layer and cook for 1–2 minutes per side until pink and opaque. Remove shrimp to a plate.
04 - Reduce heat to medium. Add minced garlic and red pepper flakes to the skillet, sautéing for 30 seconds until fragrant.
05 - Stir in lemon zest and lemon juice. Add butter and stir until melted and sauce thickens slightly.
06 - Return shrimp to skillet, tossing to coat in sauce. Cook for an additional minute.
07 - Remove from heat, stir in chopped parsley.
08 - Plate shrimp and sauce over the prepared rice and serve immediately.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It's ready faster than delivery, with that restaurant-quality brightness that feels special without pretending to be complicated.
  • The lemon-garlic sauce is addictive enough that you'll find yourself spooning extra onto your rice.
  • It works as a weeknight lifesaver or something you'd proudly serve to guests.
02 -
  • Overcooking shrimp by even one minute turns them from tender to bouncy rubber; pull them off heat the second they're pink all the way through.
  • Letting the rice sit covered for those final 5 minutes is where the magic happens; it lets the steam finish the job and makes them fluffier than if you dive in right away.
03 -
  • Buy shrimp the day you're cooking or freeze them immediately; the difference between fresh and what's been sitting around is noticeable in how they taste and texture.
  • Mise en place is genuinely your friend here; have your garlic minced and lemon squeezed before you turn on the heat, because everything happens fast once that skillet gets hot.

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