dinner recipes

Lemon Pepper Shrimp Recipe

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This juicy lemon pepper shrimp recipe is sure to become a weeknight dinner fave and there’s a lot to love. It’s full of butter-y, lemon-y, pepper-y flavor (YUM!); it’s ready in about 10 minutes; and it’s made with a handful of ingredients. The bright and delicious lemon flavors enhance the shrimp in this delicious recipe. Serve over rice with a simple veggie like haricot verts or air fryer broccoli and you’ve got a nutritious and delicious meal perfect for busy weeknights.

If you love shrimp, be sure to try my shrimp linguine, garlic butter shrimp with couscous, Old Bay shrimp boil, or crispy buffalo shrimp next time.

Bowl with lemon pepper shrimp over rice and green beans
Photo Credit: Loren Runion for My Everyday Table.

Estimated reading time: 9 minutes

What You’ll Love About Lemon Pepper Shrimp

  • Big and bright flavors
  • Delicious and nutritious
  • Quick and easy lemon pepper sauce
  • Made with just 6 basic ingredients (lots of pantry staples)
  • Easy to customize and change up how you serve it
  • Just 5 minutes prep time
  • Just 5 minutes cooking time

Ingredients

  • Lemon – You’ll need a fresh lemon as we’re using the zest from the lemon. This gives maximum flavor and is so bright and delicious.
  • Pepper – I prefer freshly cracked black pepper as it’s an important ingredient – just like in bucatini cacio e pepe!
  • Salt – I prefer a wider salt, like kosher salt, or another salt that has a coarser grain. If you use regular salt, you should use less salt to start.
  • Oil – I’ve used olive oil, but you could also use a vegetable oil like canola or avocado.
  • Shrimp – Use raw large shrimp shrimp in the biggest size you can find it. I find that that the tail-on shrimp has the best flavor, but you can also use tail-off for an easier bite. Be sure to peel shrimp and devein shrimp before cooking if necessary. Buy the best shrimp you can and depending on what you have access to, either fresh shrimp or frozen shrimp will work fine.
  • Garlic – Use fresh garlic for best flavor or frozen garlic for a shortcut. And if you like jarred garlic or garlic powder, feel free to use that!
  • Butter – Use high quality butter for best flavor.
  • Sides – I like to serve this shrimp with rice and a veggie for a fast, easy, and nutritious meal (side ideas below!)
Ingredients to make lemon pepper shrimp recipe

How to Make Lemon Pepper Shrimp

This is an overview on how to make lemon butter shrimp, the detailed instructions and full recipe can be found below in the recipe card.

Prep sides. Make rice or pasta and a veggie if you’re making one as this garlicky lemon shrimp cooks in a couple of minutes!
Make lemon pepper seasoning. In a small bowl, mix together lemon zest, freshly cracked pepper, and kosher salt.
Homemade lemon pepper seasoning in dish
Cook shrimp. Clean shrimp and pat dry with a paper towel. Heat oil in a nonstick large skillet over medium-high heat. Add shrimp in a single layer and garlic to pan and cook until almost cooked through and shrimp turn pink. (Cooking time will vary depending on what size shrimp you use.)
Season shrimp. Add butter to pan and sprinkle shrimp with lemon pepper seasoning. Toss to coat and cook until fragrant.
Lemon pepper shrimp with seasoning in skillet
Serve. Serve shrimp (and sauce!) over rice with a veggie on the side. Garnish with red pepper flakes and fresh parsley if desired.
Closeup of lemon pepper shrimp

FAQs

Is lemon pepper good on shrimp?

Yes, lemon pepper is a perfect seasoning for fish and shrimp as it just enhances the flavor of the seafood. I think it’s such a great combination that it’s why I wanted to create this stir-fry -esque dish. The bright and flavorful flavors enhance the flavor of the shrimp.

Can I use lemon pepper seasoning?

Of course! Because this recipe cooks up so quickly, I went ahead and made it from scratch (also fresh lemon zest and pepper are more flavorful!) but if you want a shortcut, absolutely use lemon pepper seasoning. I would start with about one tablespoon (for two pounds of shrimp) and taste to make sure you don’t add too much and it gets too salty.

What temperature should you cook shrimp to?

Shrimp, like most seafood, should be cooked to 145 degrees F. Use an instant read meat thermometer to cook perfectly and ensure that you don’t overcook it.

Storage Instructions

Store leftover garlic lemon shrimp in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.

How to reheat

Reheat gently in a hot skillet, being sure to not overcook of the shrimp will be tough and rubbery.

Can you freeze lemon pepper shrimp?

You can freeze it in an airtight container for 2-3 months but it will definitely be best eaten fresh. You can also cut the recipe in half, just adjust the servings in the recipe card and the amounts will be updated.

Lemon pepper shrimp over rice with green beans
Photo Credit: Loren Runion for My Everyday Table.

What to Serve with Lemon Garlic Shrimp

I love serving this shrimp with lemon pepper seasoning with rice and a veggie, but you have many, many options. Here are a few ideas to get you started:

How to Feed Lemon and Pepper Shrimp to the Whole Family

I get it, feeding kids can be tough! But following the Division of Responsibility and knowing your job and your child’s job makes it SO much more enjoyable. You’ll be able to feed your kids any meal, which will help ensure that they are eating a variety of nutritious foods – with plenty of play food sprinkled in.

I would recommend serving a small piece of shrimp in a pinch bowl (taster bowl) if it’s a new or learning-to-like it food. Serve the meal with a few items you know your kids will eat, like fruit, milk, and/or bread and butter.

Want More?

Follow Emily on Instagram or TikTok for family dinner recipe videos and tips for feeding kids.

Bowl of rice with lemon pepper shrimp
Photo Credit: Loren Runion for My Everyday Table.

More Shrimp Recipes

If you like this lemon pepper shrimp recipe, you might also like some of these other easy seafood recipes:

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Bowl with lemon pepper shrimp over rice and green beans

Lemon Pepper Shrimp Recipe

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Description

This lemon pepper shrimp recipe is sure to become a weeknight dinner fave. It’s full of delicious flavor, ready in 10 min, and made with simple ingredients.


Ingredients

Units Scale
  • rice for serving
  • vegetable for serving (I love haricot verts)
  • 1 large lemon zested (about 2 tablespoons)
  • 1 1/2 tsp. freshly cracked pepper
  • 1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
  • 1 Tbsp. olive oil
  • 2 lbs. raw shrimp
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 2 Tbsp. butter

Instructions

  1. Prepare rice and vegetable.
  2. Make lemon pepper seasoning. Zest lemon and place in a small bowl. Stir in freshly cracked pepper, and kosher salt. Set aside.
  3. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add shrimp and garlic to skillet and cook for 2-4 minutes, until almost cooked through. Add butter to shrimp and sprinkle lemon pepper seasoning over shrimp. Toss to coat. Cook another 30-60 seconds until fragrant and shrimp are opaque.
  4. Serve over rice with a veggie on the side. 


Food styling and photography by Loren Runion.

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