Shrimp in a bourbon butter sauce is an easy and impressive dish that you can serve with just about anything. It’s garlicky, buttery and utterly delicious.
Why you’ll love this shrimp recipe
Plump shrimp are pretty irresistible all on their own, but add some bourbon and butter, and your weeknight meal will turn into something far fancier. This quick-cooking sauce, made with smoky bourbon, hearty broth, aromatic garlic and a splash of lemon juice, is a luxe combo that takes a basic pan sauce to the next level.
Super impressive to serve at a dinner party, yet quick and easy to pull together any night of the week.
How to make bourbon butter sauce
I’ve got to say, bourbon makes great gravy! With a pour of bourbon to deglaze the skillet, this sauce begins just like any other, stirring the brown bits on the bottom of the pan from the seared shrimp, as the foundation of its flavor. As it reduces, the sharpness of the bourbon softens and its smoky aroma blends with the broth, bubbling into a lightly thickened sauce.
Try this fast-and-fancy dinner and your meal plan will never be the same again.
Let me guide you through the recipe with this step-by-step VIDEO or follow along on YouTube!
What to serve with shrimp in bourbon sauce?
- crispy garlic butter potatoes
- crispy baked potato wedges
- mashed potatoes
- french fries
- steamed rice
- pasta like spaghetti or linguine
- plenty of bread, for the gorgeous gravy
- a big side salad drizzled with yogurt dressing
Recipe tips
- You don’t need to use the finest bourbon for this recipe. Brandy or whiskey is also a fine substitute.
- For non-alcohol version, swap bourbon for fish or chicken broth, and add 1 teaspoon smoked paprika and 1 teaspoon maple syrup.
- Any other meat like beef (steak), pork tenderloin, chicken or turkey will go with this sauce.
- Serve as dinner, as a starter (3 shrimp per person) or as an appetizer (1 shrimp per person).
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Shrimp in Bourbon Butter Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 pound shrimp
- 1 tsp salt - more to taste
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp sweet paprika
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter
- 6 garlic cloves - minced
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tbsp all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup bourbon
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 2 tbsp chopped parsley
- chili flakes - for serving
- freshly ground black pepper - for serving
Instructions
- Peel and devein the shrimp, add to a bowl and combine with salt, paprika, garlic powder and ½ tsp black pepper. Set aside to marinate.
- In the meantime, mince the garlic cloves and chop the parsley.
- In a nonstick skillet, heat oil and 1 tablespoon butter over medium high. Place shrimp in a single layer, sear 1 minute per side. Remove from skillet.
- Reduce heat to medium. Add garlic, cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the remaining black pepper, oregano and flour. Stir until combined, about 1 minute. Deglaze with bourbon, simmer for 2 minutes or until the bourbon is reduced by about ¾. Stir with a wooden spoon while scraping any brown bits from the bottom of the skillet.
- Pour in broth and bring to a boil. Stir in lemon juice and parsley, simmer for 2 minutes. Stir in remaining butter, simmer over low until the sauce starts to thicken. Taste and adjust salt.
- Add shrimp, toss to combine with the sauce. Simmer for 1 minute. Finish off with freshly ground black pepper, parsley and chili flakes. Serve immediately!
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