Listen, if you love garlic, butter, and seafood, you need to come sit down for this one. These Spicy Garlic Pepper Shrimp are BIG on flavor, and coated in the most ridiculously glossy garlic-pepper butter glaze. We’ve got sweet bell peppers, shallots, red chiles, a little green chile, lemon, seafood stock, and not one but TWO rounds of garlic because around here, we are not playing about the garlic. The first round builds that deep, savory flavor, while the second gives you that fresh garlic punch that makes you want to drag every last drop of that sauce across your rice. And when I tell you that skillet is going to smell disrespectfully good… I mean it.
And yes, before anybody gets in my comments about the name, I know that shrimp and prawns are technically different crustaceans. For this recipe, I used jumbo shrimp, but you can absolutely use prawns instead. Both work beautifully here, so use whichever one you have available or prefer. Whether yours are technically shrimp or prawns, the goal is the same: golden seafood coated in a ridiculously flavorful garlic-pepper butter glaze.
Spicy Garlic Pepper Shrimp
Jumbo shrimp seared until golden and tossed in a glossy garlic-pepper butter glaze with sweet bell peppers, red chiles, shallots, lemon, and seafood stock.
Equipment
- Large skillet
- Mixing bowls
- Cutting board
- Chef’s knife
- Measuring spoons
- Fine grater
- Tongs
- Citrus zester
Ingredients
Seasoned Jumbo Shrimp
- 2 pounds jumbo shrimp, peeled, deveined, tails on OR Prawns
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon white pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
Garlic & Aromatics
- 12 to 15 cloves garlic, divided
- 3 large shallots thinly sliced (about 150 g)
- 1/2, red bell pepper thinly sliced (about 75 g)
- 1/2, yellow bell pepper thinly sliced (about 75 g)
- 1/2, orange bell pepper thinly sliced (about 75 g)
- 1 to 2, fresh red chiles thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons canned diced green chiles, well drained
- 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
Pepper Seasoning
- 1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon white pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Garlic Pepper Butter Glaze
- 3 tablespoons seafood stock
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest, freshly grated
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 to 2 tablespoons avocado oil or another neutral high-heat oil
- Flaky salt as needed for finishing
Instructions
Season the Shrimp or Prawns: Get Those Jumbo Beauties Ready
- Toss the peeled and deveined shrimp or prawns with the kosher salt, smoked paprika, black pepper, white pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, cayenne, and cornstarch. Make sure every shrimp gets a light, even coating. If they’re already seasoned, friend, leave them right there. No need to reinvent the wheel.
Prep Like a Pro: Get Everything in Place
- Thinly slice the shallots, red, yellow, and orange bell peppers, and fresh red chiles. Drain the canned green chiles, chop the cilantro, zest and juice the lemon, and divide the garlic into two portions. Finely mince 8 cloves for the first garlic layer and very finely mince or grate 4 to 5 cloves for the second. Keep 1 to 2 extra cloves nearby for the emergency garlic hotline. Trust me, it exists.
Sear Those Prawns: Golden Edges, Juicy Centers
- Heat your largest skillet over medium-high to high heat. Add 1 tablespoon avocado oil and let it shimmer. Sear the shrimp in two batches so they have room to actually brown instead of steaming in a crowded skillet. Cook the first side for about 1 1/2 to 2 minutes, flip, and cook another 1 to 1 1/2 minutes. Remove them to a clean plate. They don’t need to be completely cooked yet because we’re bringing them back for their grand finale.
Build the Aromatic Base: Let the Party Start
- Reduce the heat to medium. If the skillet looks dry, add the remaining 1 tablespoon avocado oil, then add 2 tablespoons butter, the sliced shallots, red bell pepper, yellow bell pepper, orange bell pepper, and fresh red chiles. Sauté for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the shallots are soft and beginning to turn golden and the peppers are tender but still have a little personality.
Add the Green Chiles: One More Layer of Flavor
- Stir in the 2 tablespoons drained canned green chiles and cook for about 1 minute. We’re layering flavor, not trying to set the skillet on fire. 😂
Garlic Round One: Bring on the Good Stuff
- Add 8 cloves of finely minced garlic and stir constantly for 60 to 90 seconds. Cook until intensely fragrant and just barely golden. Don’t let it get dark brown because burnt garlic has a completely different agenda, and she is not invited to this dinner.
Bloom the Pepper: Wake Everything Up
- Add the freshly cracked black pepper, white pepper, and red pepper flakes. Stir for 20 to 30 seconds, letting the pepper bloom in the butter and oil. Your kitchen should already smell borderline disrespectful.
Build the Glaze: This Is Where It Gets Good
- Pour in the seafood stock and scrape up all those beautiful browned bits from the bottom of the skillet. Add the Worcestershire sauce and honey, then simmer for 1 to 2 minutes until the liquid reduces significantly. We’re looking for concentrated, glossy flavor, not a watery sauce.
Make It Glossy: Butter and Lemon
- Reduce the heat to medium-low. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons butter and swirl until it melts into the reduced stock and aromatics. Add the lemon zest and lemon juice and stir until everything looks glossy, silky, and ridiculously fragrant.
Garlic Round Two: Give Us That Fresh Garlic Punch
- Add the remaining 4 to 5 cloves of very finely minced or grated garlic. Cook for only 20 to 30 seconds. This is the secret to making the garlic taste BIG. The first batch gives us deep, savory garlic flavor while this late addition keeps that fresh, punchy garlic character alive.
Bring Back the Prawns: Let Them Meet Their Destiny
- Return the seared shrimp and all their accumulated juices to the skillet. Gently toss everything together, making sure the garlic-pepper butter, shallots, peppers, and glaze cling to every shrimp. Cook for about 60 to 90 seconds, just until the shrimp are fully cooked through. Don’t overcook them. We’re going for juicy and tender, not rubber bands.
Check the Glaze: Trust Your Taste Buds
- The glaze should be glossy and concentrated enough to coat the shrimp rather than pool heavily in the bottom of the skillet. If it’s too loose, let it bubble uncovered for another 30 seconds. If it’s too dry, add 1 tablespoon seafood stock and toss. If the flavor needs a little lift, add a tiny squeeze of lemon. If it needs more pepper, crack some more black pepper right over the top.
Finish With Freshness: Don’t Skip the Final Flourish
- Turn off the heat and add the chopped cilantro. Toss gently so the cilantro warms through without losing all of its fresh, bright flavor. Taste before adding salt because the shrimp seasoning, seafood stock, and Worcestershire already bring plenty of seasoning to the party. Add flaky salt only if genuinely needed.
Serve Like You Mean It: Get That Glaze on the Plate
- Spoon the prawns over fluffy jasmine rice and generously spoon the garlic, shallots, colorful peppers, and glossy butter glaze over everything. And please don’t leave those beautiful pan aromatics behind. That’s where the treasure is.
Notes
- Cilantro is absolutely welcome: Since you love cilantro, it replaces the parsley beautifully. It gives the dish a brighter, slightly citrusy finish while still letting the garlic and black pepper lead.
- Keep the pepper lineup balanced: The combination of red chile, canned green chile, and three colors of bell pepper gives you layered chile flavor, sweetness, color, and moderate heat without turning dinner into a dare.
- Control the heat: Use 1 fresh red chile for a gentler kick and 2 for more noticeable heat. The red pepper flakes are intentionally kept low.
- Best served immediately: These prawns are at their juiciest right out of the skillet.
- Storage: Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat gently over medium-low heat to avoid turning the shrimp tough.
- Serving idea: Jasmine rice is the perfect match because it gives that gorgeous garlic-pepper butter glaze somewhere to go. A simple roasted broccolini, sautéed greens, or grilled corn would make an excellent single side.
- Garlic lovers’ bonus: If you taste the finished dish and think, “Ma’am, I need MORE garlic,” grate one small fresh garlic clove into the skillet after turning off the heat and toss immediately. The residual heat will take the edge off while keeping that fresh garlic punch.