Easy Garlic Butter Shrimp And Rice

I am relying heavily on easy, one-pot (where possible) recipes lately and this shrimp and rice recipe with garlic butter has been a delicious constant in my kitchen. I love buying good quality frozen shrimp/prawns and having them on stand-by in my freezer for dinner emergencies. They come in super handy with easy recipes like this one paired with rice and another freezer staple, frozen peas. This shrimp and rice recipe has a strong paella influence because it is one of my all-time favorite recipes but this version is a gazillion times easier and doesn’t require as many ingredients. However, if you wanted to, you could totally add chicken, sausage and other seafood to this recipe.

How do you make shrimp and rice?

Any white rice will work well with this recipe. I used jasmine (because that’s what I had) but you can use basmati or arborio as well. Cook an onion and chopped garlic in a splash of olive oil until soft and translucent then add the rice, stock, tomatoes and peas and allow to cook for 15-20 minutes until the rice has absorbed the liquid and is just cooked. While the rice cooks, sear the shrimp/prawns in another pan until golden brown then use that same pan to make the garlic butter sauce. When the rice is cooked, I add the prawns to the rice, switch off the heat and cover with a lid to allow the rice and shrimp to steam for a few minutes. Serve with fresh lemon sliced, parsley and the garlic butter for drizzling.

How do you thaw frozen shrimp?

It’s always best to thaw frozen food overnight in the refrigerator. Place the shrimp in its packaging in a bowl and place in the fridge to thaw. However if you want to speed up the process you can thaw the shrimp in a bowl of cold water for 10-20 minutes until the shrimp is thawed throughout.

How do I cook frozen shrimp?

Make sure your shrimp is completely defrosted/thawed before you cook it. Remove the shrimp from the packaging it thawed in then dry with kitchen towel/paper towel. This will help the shrimp sear and turn golden brown. If you don’t pat the shrimp dry they will most likely simmer in the pan instead of sear.