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As a dad juggling a full-time job with my energetic 4-year-old and adventurous 1.5-year-old, I’ve become somewhat of an expert in what I like to call “strategic cooking.”
You know those precious moments between coming home from work and bedtime chaos?
That’s when this garlic butter shrimp recipe truly shines.
Let me tell you why this has become a family favourite: it takes just 25 minutes from start to finish, which is roughly the time it takes my older son to tell me about his day at kindergarten while the little one practices his new favourite word (“No!”).
The best part?
It’s a one-skillet meal that doesn’t leave my kitchen looking like a disaster zone – because the last thing any working parent needs is a sink full of dishes at 8 PM.
The colourful bell peppers make the dish look festive and kid-friendly, while the garlic butter sauce is sophisticated enough to make my wife and me feel like we’re having a proper grown-up dinner.
On nights when the kids are feeling adventurous, they’ll even try the shrimp, though I’ll admit there are plenty of evenings when they stick to just the sweet bell peppers and their side of rice.
The Recipe That Saves Dinner Time
Garlic Butter Shrimp
Ingredients
- 1 lb 450g shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 2 bell peppers thinly sliced
- 1 small onion thinly sliced
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 3 tbsp butter
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- ½ tsp chili flakes optional, add after serving kids’ portions
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Juice of 1 lemon
- Fresh parsley chopped, for garnish
Instructions
- Pat the shrimp dry with a paper towel and season with salt, pepper, and smoked paprika.
- In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the sliced bell peppers and onion, sautéing for 5–7 minutes until softened and slightly charred. Remove the vegetables from the skillet and set aside.
- In the same skillet, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 2 tablespoons of butter. Add the shrimp in a single layer and cook for 2–3 minutes per side until pink and opaque. Remove the shrimp from the skillet and set aside.
- Add the remaining tablespoon of butter to the skillet and stir in the minced garlic and chili flakes (if using). Cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Return the cooked peppers, onion, and shrimp to the skillet, tossing everything in the garlic butter sauce.
- Squeeze fresh lemon juice over the dish and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. Garnish with chopped parsley and serve.
Serving Suggestions
Serve over steamed rice or pasta – or enjoy it as-is for a light, low-carb meal.
For the kids, I often serve the components separately on the plate (because heaven forbid different foods touch each other!).
Parent’s Note
This recipe is incredibly flexible.
Running late? Use pre-peeled shrimp.
Got a picky eater? The vegetables can be swapped for their favourites.
And if you’re really short on time, those pre-cut pepper strips from the grocery store are totally fair game.
No judgment here – we’re all just trying our best to get a decent meal on the table!
Remember, some nights your toddler might declare shrimp their new favourite food, and other nights they might look at it like you’re serving alien tentacles.
That’s just part of the parenting adventure, right?
The important thing is that you’ve got a quick, nutritious meal that makes everyone at the table happy – most of the time, anyway!