This bold zesty Yucatán Garlic Butter Shrimp is a low carb dish you can make in minutes with spicy Mexican appeal!

Skillet Yucatán Garlic Butter Shrimp Recipe
Pin it on Pinterest!

Garlic. Butter. Shrimp.

Even without the added herbs and spices that make this dish so dazzling, those are three words that belong together. Don’t you agree?

Best Yucatán Garlic Butter Shrimp

Over the holidays we escaped the cold weather by sneaking off to southern Florida for a week. Our time in the sun was much needed, and we came home well rested and warmed from the inside-out.

One of the enticements of Florida, is not just the warmer climate, but the incredible seafood you can find year round.

Prep - Yucatán Garlic Butter Shrimp

Every day we would lay in the sun, splash in the waves, hunt for shells, then head off on our bicycles to find a seafood joint for lunch.

One of these days, we visited the restaurant Doc Ford’s with a signature dish called Yucatán Shrimp. The dish consisted of huge steamed shrimp covered in a spicy clarified butter sauce.

It was such a hit with my family, I thought Yucatán Shrimp was a dish we would have to recreate at home!

Making Yucatán Garlic Butter Shrimp

Yucatán Garlic Butter Shrimp, my copycat home-cook version of Doc Ford’s shrimp special, is simplified a bit for easy preparation, but it has just as much to offer!

First of all, I felt is was unnecessary to cook the shrimp separate from the sauce. The only reason for this, is that they probably steam huge amounts of shrimp in the restaurant for various dishes, so it is ready to serve on-demand.

It also keeps the butter sauce a little “cleaner” looking, without the shrimp juices. However, after playing with this recipe, I found the shrimp juice adds a lot of flavor to the sauce.

How To Make Yucatán Garlic Butter Shrimp

So I sautéd the butter and garlic together with habanero peppers and some crushed red pepper, for a full-bodied spicy note.

Then tossed in the shrimp until cooked to pearly pink perfection.

Bold Yucatán Garlic Butter Shrimp Recipe

The trick with cooking juicy shrimp is to not overcook them. Shrimp are perfectly cooked in just a couple minutes, so don’t take your eyes off them.

When they are ready, they should be pink on both sides and in the shape of C’s. If they shrink up into O’s, you end up with dry rubbery shrimp.

C’s are good. O’s are bad.

Spicy Yucatán Garlic Butter Shrimp Recipe

Therefore, once you toss the shrimp into the skillet, be prepared to take them off the heat in just a few minutes.

Finally stir in some fresh key lime juice and some chopped cilantro to finish off the Yucatán Garlic Butter Shrimp dish.

Yucatán Garlic Butter Shrimp Recipe

Our version of Yucatán Garlic Butter Shrimp is simple to make, utterly addictive, and extremely versatile.

Serve it as an appetizer, with bread to dip in the butter, or serve it over pasta. You can also serve it as a low carb meal with a side of veggies!

More Shrimp Recipes

Easy Instant Pot Shrimp Pasta

Southern Shrimp and Grits

Greek Shrimp Pasta

Yucatán Garlic Butter Shrimp Recipe
Print Recipe
4 stars (2 reviews)
Leave a Review »

Yucatán Garlic Butter Shrimp

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 8 minutes
Total Time: 13 minutes
Yucatán Garlic Butter Shrimp Recipe - A quick and easy skillet recipe with fresh jumbo shrimp, lime, garlic, and habanero peppers in a rich butter sauce.
Servings: 6

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Place a large deep skillet over medium heat. Add the butter. Once melted, add the minced garlic, habanero pepper halves, and the crushed red pepper. Sauté for 2-3 minutes, but do not overcook (brown) the garlic.
  • Add the shrimp to the skillet. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt, stir, and sauté for 3-5 minutes, until the shrimp turn pink and form C's. (If they shrink into O's, you've overcooked them.)
  • Turn the heat off and stir in the lime juice and cilantro. Taste, then season with salt as needed. Discard the habanero peppers, unless you can handle intense heat. Serve warm.

Video

Notes

If you love spicy heat, do not seed the habanero!

Nutrition

Serving: 4ounces, Calories: 254kcal, Carbohydrates: 1g, Protein: 23g, Fat: 16g, Saturated Fat: 9g, Cholesterol: 326mg, Sodium: 1016mg, Potassium: 107mg, Fiber: 0g, Sugar: 0g, Vitamin A: 500IU, Vitamin C: 9.9mg, Calcium: 173mg, Iron: 2.4mg
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Central American
Author: Sommer Collier
Making this recipe?Follow us on Instagram and tag @ASpicyPerspective so we can share what you’re cooking!

Share This Recipe With Friends!