Who doesn’t love Garlic Shrimp?
Juicy, Garlicky, and savory Garlic Shrimp is super addicting and finger-licking good.
Garlic Shrimp is an easy recipe that takes less than 20 minutes to make at home. PLUS, this Garlic Shrimp recipe is also GLUTEN-FREE!
Make extra rice, and thank me later because the garlic sauce will get you devouring bowls and bowls of rice!
Garlic Shrimp is a MUST order when visiting Hawaii.
The shrimps are always super fresh and juicy. And the garlic, olive oil, and lemon butter sauce are super addicting and savory.
My favorite place whenever I visit Honolulu is Giovanni’s Shrimp Truck. I was craving Garlic Shrimp so much that I knew I had to re-create it at home.
It is super important to use Prawns or Shrimp with the shell on when making Garlic Shrimp.
The shell helps add the umami flavor to the dish while protecting the meat to ensure the shrimp stays nice and juicy.
You can get Shrimp that are deveined with the shell on at most grocery stores, but if not, make sure to clean the shrimp.
First, scrub the shrimp with potato starch and rinse them under cold water to clean the shrimp.
Next, pull the head off if it is still attached and, using a scissor, cut open the back of the shrimp and then use a skewer sideway to devein the shrimp.
The star of Garlic Shrimp is the garlic lemon butter that is super addicting and savory.
You need lemon juice, freshly chopped garlic, white wine, and butter.
If you don’t consume alcohol, you can skip the white wine, and if you are lactose-free, you can also use olive oil instead.
Make sure to use FRESHLY CHOPPED Garlic, not pre-minced garlic.

Do you want more EASY recipes that take less than 20 minutes to make? Here are some of my go-to recipes!
- Spicy Garlic Bok Choy (10 Minutes ONLY!)
- Soy Glazed Chicken (20 Minutes ONLY!)
- Shrimp Pancake (20 minutes only!)
- Chinese Steamed Eggs – 20 Minutes ONLY!
Ingredients
- 20 Prawns or Shrimp (with the shell on)
- 10 cloves Garlic
- 2 cups Corn Starch
- 1 tbsp Garlic Powder
- 0.5 tbsp Paprika
- 0.5 tbsp Red Chili Powder (optional)
- Salt & Pepper
- 2 tbsp Butter
- ¼ cup White Wine (optional)
- 1 Lemon
- Add corn starch, garlic powder, paprika, red chili powder, and season with salt and pepper in a large bowl.
- Coat the clean and devein prawns in the corn starch mixture and dust off any excess corn starch.
- Next, add around 1 inch of oil to a pan, and turn the heat to medium-high. Once the oil is hot, pan-fry the prawns for 1-2 minutes on each side.
- In a separate pan, add butter and garlic. Turn the heat to medium and saute for 2-3 minutes or until fragrant. Optional – season with salt if your butter is not salted.
- Squeeze in lemon juice and white wine, and add back in the prawns.
- Saute on high heat for 1 minute.
Garlic Shrimp
Materials
- 20 Prawns or Shrimp with the shell on
- 10 cloves Garlic
- 2 cups Corn Starch
- 1 tbsp Garlic Powder
- 0.5 tbsp Paprika
- 0.5 tbsp Red Chili Powder optional
- Salt & Pepper
- 2 tbsp Butter
- ¼ cup White Wine optional
- 1 Lemon
Instructions
- Add corn starch, garlic powder, paprika, red chili powder, and season with salt and pepper in a large bowl.
- Coat the clean and devein prawns in the corn starch mixture and dust off any excess corn starch.
- Next, add around 1 inch of oil to a pan, and turn the heat to medium-high. Once the oil is hot, pan-fry the prawns for 1-2 minutes on each side.
- In a separate pan, add butter and garlic. Turn the heat to medium and saute for 2-3 minutes or until fragrant. Optional – season with salt if your butter is not salted.
- Squeeze in lemon juice and white wine, and add back in the prawns.
- Saute on high heat for 1 minute.