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Lemon Garlic Shrimp (15-Minute Recipe)

Lemon Garlic Shrimp (15-Minute Recipe)

Juicy shrimp seared in extra virgin olive oil with sliced garlic, red pepper flakes, and plenty of fresh lemon. One skillet, 15 minutes, and a garlicky pan sauce you will want bread for.

By Olivea Kitchen | Published June 12, 2026

Jump to Recipe
Prep 10 min
Cook 5 min
Total 15 min
Easy

Why We Love This Recipe

This is the weeknight dish that tastes like a tapas bar. Shrimp sear fast in Olivea extra virgin olive oil with golden garlic and a pinch of red pepper flakes, and the pan juices, lemon, and one last raw drizzle of oil become the sauce.

Shrimp bring lean protein, selenium, and vitamin B12 for very few calories, and olive oil is a beautiful fat to cook them in, stable in the skillet and full of monounsaturated fats. The finishing drizzle goes on raw, carrying the oil's peppery bite and its polyphenols, including hydroxytyrosol, straight to the plate.

Garlic and lemon do more than season: they are the classic Mediterranean pairing that makes a five-minute saute taste like you fussed.

View Nutrition Facts

Recipe Success Tips

Dry the shrimp before they hit the pan.

Pat them down with paper towels until the surface is dry. Wet shrimp steam instead of sear, and you lose the golden edges that make this dish. Dry shrimp also will not spit oil at you.

Slice the garlic, do not mince it.

Thin slices toast into sweet golden chips that flavor the oil without burning the way minced garlic does. Pull the pan off the heat the moment they turn pale gold; they keep cooking in the hot oil.

Cook the shrimp in a single layer.

Crowded shrimp release liquid and boil. Give them room, work in two batches if your skillet is small, and flip each one the moment the underside turns pink, about 90 seconds per side.

Pull them at the C shape.

A perfectly cooked shrimp curls into a loose C. A tight O means overcooked and rubbery. They finish cooking in the residual heat of the sauce, so err on the early side.

Finish with raw olive oil.

The final drizzle of Olivea EVOO off the heat is not garnish, it is the sauce. Raw oil brings the fruity, peppery notes that cooking mellows, and it binds the lemon and garlicky pan juices into something glossy.

Ingredients

4
servings
  • 1/4 cup Olivea Extra Virgin Olive Oil, divided
  • 1 1/2 lbs large shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • 5 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
  • 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tsp lemon zest
  • 3 tbsp flat-leaf parsley, chopped
  • 3/4 tsp fine sea salt
  • 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Kitchen Tools You'll Need

Large Skillet
Tongs
Chef's Knife
Cutting Board
Citrus Juicer

How to Cook Lemon Garlic Shrimp (15-Minute Recipe)

PREP

1
Pat the shrimp very dry with paper towels and season with the salt and black pepper. Slice the garlic thin, chop the parsley, and zest and juice the lemon so everything is within reach. This dish moves fast once the pan is hot.

COOK

2
Warm 3 tablespoons of the Olivea extra virgin olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook for about 1 minute, stirring, until the slices are fragrant and just turning gold at the edges.
3
Raise the heat to medium-high and add the shrimp in a single layer. Cook for about 90 seconds per side, flipping when the undersides turn pink, until each one curls into a loose C and the edges pick up color.

FINISH

4
Pull the pan off the heat. Add the lemon juice and zest and scrape up the garlicky bits, then shower with parsley and the last tablespoon of olive oil. Toss once and serve straight from the skillet while everything is glossy and hot.

Recipe Notes

Pile the shrimp over a bowl of lemon pasta, spoon them onto rice, or serve them tapas-style with toothpicks. Either way, put warm sourdough focaccia on the table; the garlicky pan juices are half the point.
Deglaze with a splash of dry white wine before the lemon for a deeper sauce, stir in a spoonful of butter for a richer one, or swap the parsley for cilantro and add a pinch of smoked paprika for a Spanish accent.
Serve the skillet with a bowl of lemon garlic aioli alongside for dipping. The cool, creamy aioli against the hot, spicy shrimp is a combination people remember.
Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Reheat gently in a skillet over low heat just until warmed through, or serve them cold over a salad. Shrimp toughen fast in the microwave, so avoid it.

Nutrition Facts per Serving

Nutrition Facts
Serving size about 6 oz shrimp
Calories 250
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 14g18%
Saturated Fat 2g10%
Trans Fat 0g
Unsaturated Fat 11.5g
Monounsaturated Fat 10g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1.5g
Cholesterol 215mg72%
Sodium 560mg24%
Total Carbohydrate 3g1%
Dietary Fiber 0g0%
Total Sugars 0g
Includes 0g Added Sugars 0%
Protein 27g54%
Vitamin C 9mg10%
Vitamin D 0.3mcg2%
Calcium 95mg7%
Iron 0.6mg3%
Potassium 290mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

The Best No-Cook Way to Get Olive Oil Benefits

This skillet delivers olive oil two ways: as the garlicky cooking fat and as the raw finishing drizzle that ties the sauce together. For a steady daily dose of olive polyphenols beyond dinner, the Olivea Hydroxytyrosol Supplement packs them into a single capsule, no skillet required.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Toast sliced garlic and red pepper flakes in extra virgin olive oil, sear dried, seasoned shrimp about 90 seconds per side, then finish off the heat with lemon juice, zest, parsley, and a final drizzle of raw olive oil. Total time is about 15 minutes.
Only 3 to 4 minutes total over medium-high heat. Flip each shrimp when the underside turns pink, and pull them when they curl into a loose C shape. A tight curl means they are overcooked.
Frozen is often the better buy, since most fresh shrimp at the counter was previously frozen anyway. Thaw overnight in the fridge or under cold running water for 10 minutes, then pat completely dry before cooking.
Absolutely. A quick saute sits comfortably within EVOO's range, and a quality oil like Olivea adds fruity, peppery flavor that neutral oils cannot. Finishing with one more raw drizzle off the heat layers in the oil's full character.
Crusty bread or focaccia for the pan juices, pasta, rice, or a crisp green salad. The shrimp also work as a tapas-style appetizer straight from the skillet, or chilled over greens the next day.
High heat, a dry surface, and a short cook. Pat them dry, do not crowd the pan, and pull them the moment they form a loose C. They finish cooking in the warm sauce off the heat.
It is not ideal, since pre-cooked shrimp turn rubbery when reheated in a hot pan. If it is what you have, make the garlic oil and lemon sauce first, then fold the shrimp in off the heat just long enough to warm them.
Yes. Shrimp are lean protein with selenium and B12, and the dish cooks in heart-healthy extra virgin olive oil with no breading or butter required. One serving has about 250 calories and 27 grams of protein.

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