These spicy drunken shrimp are simmered in a most addicting sauce made with vodka, lots of garlic, butter and chili flakes! This 20-minute recipe is most definitely going to kick your dinner game into high gear! Make sure to grab some bread for dipping.
Why you’ll Love this Spicy Shrimp Recipe
This is a great, quick way to serve shrimp. Got someone coming over in 20 minutes? This is your go-to.
There are so many reasons why you’ll love this shrimp recipe, but perhaps the best of all is that it’s just so insanely flavorful. The shrimp sear in a few minutes and after they’re removed from the skillet, it’s time to make the butter vodka sauce. The mixture of shallot, garlic, vodka, lemon juice, chili flakes and butter turns into a bright and flavorful sauce with just the right amount of heat.
Plump shrimp are pretty irresistible on their own, but in this recipe they turn your dinner into something far fancier. You can make it as a main course and pair with a leafy salad and pasta, or serve as a starter with some crusty bread. 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.
How to Cook with Vodka
It’s simple, a sauce cooked with a splash of vodka is delicious. You don’t taste any alcohol at all, but somehow it elevates the dish. So what’s going on there? First of all, vodka is supposed to be flavorless, right? Well, that’s the weird part! We understand wine in food, but vodka? It’s counter-intuitive, but it definitely changes the sauce. It has herbal flavors you just don’t expect. It’s actually not that vodka adds flavor, it’s that vodka unlocks and enhances the flavors already hidden in the dish. Pretty cool, not?
The trick here is to deglaze the skillet with vodka and get rid of the alcohol. Then slowly simmer the sauce. This leaves only a small percentage of the alcohol, perfect for releasing all those herbal flavors.
Spicy Drunken Shrimp Ingredients
- Shrimp: Peeled and deveined. Look for medium or large shrimp. You can cook shrimp with the tail on or off. However, the tail of the shrimp contains flavor which adds to the overall taste of the dish.
- Garlic: Lots of garlic for some huge flavor.
- Shallot: You can swap it for a small brown onion.
- Vodka: If you’re concerned about the taste of vodka…don’t be! You can’t taste it, it’s simply here to enhance the flavors. Is it necessary?…well no, but then it wouldn’t be the base of the sauce. But if you don’t want to cook with alcohol, swap vodka for broth.
- Fish Broth: Can be substituted with chicken or vegetable broth.
- Oil and Butter: For frying the shrimp and to create a smooth sauce.
- Seasoning: Salt, black pepper, sweet paprika, garlic powder and chili flakes.
- Lemon juice: Its bright flavor cuts the butter’s richness.
- Herbs: Fresh parsley.
Helpful Tips
- Serve as a starter or as an appetizer.
- When served as main course, the shrimp would be delicious with polenta, mashed potatoes, pasta or bread.
- As a side, serve the shrimp with a leafy salad or some steamed veggies like broccolini, asparagus or buttery spinach.
- Heat Level: medium. You can really spice this dish up by adding extra chili flakes. For a milder version, add just 1/4 teaspoon of the chili flakes.
Storage
Leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
Try These Next
Spicy Drunken Shrimp
Ingredients
- 1 pound shrimp peeled and deveined
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp sweet paprika
- 2 tsp black pepper divided
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 4 tbsp cold unsalted butter divided
- 1 shallot finely chopped
- 6 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tsp chili flakes
- ½ cup vodka
- ¾ cup fish broth
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice more to taste
- 2 tbsp chopped parsley
Instructions
- Peel and devein the shrimp. In a large bowl, combine shrimp with sweet paprika, garlic powder, ½ teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon black pepper. Toss and set aside while you prepare the other ingredients. If you want to marinate them longer, no problem, transfer the shrimp to the fridge and chill for 30 minutes or up to 8 hours.
- Mince the garlic, finely chop the shallot and chop the parsley.
- In a skillet, heat oil and 1 tbsp butter over medium high. Place shrimp in a single layer and sear, 1 minute per side. Remove from skillet.
- Reduce heat to medium, add garlic and shallot. Cook for 2 minutes until soft and fragrant. Stir frequently. Stir in chili flakes, and the remaining salt and pepper.
- Deglaze with vodka and simmer for 3 minutes while scraping up the brown bits on the bottom of your skillet with a wooden spoon. Pour in fish broth and bring to a boil. Slowly add the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter, one by one. Stir until completely dissolved and smooth.
- Add shrimp and cook for 1 minute until heated through. Finish off with lemon juice, freshly ground black pepper and parsley. Enjoy!
Video
Nutrition
And …IF YOU LOVE THESE RECIPES … please consider supporting my work for just the cost of a cup of coffee.
Sign up for my NEWSLETTER to receive the latest recipes delivered straight to your inbox.
All I can say is WOW!!! Who would think so few ingredients could make such a flavorful sauce. I served this with cheddar grits and some sauteed green beans on the side. I think this sauce would taste delicious with mussels and some crusty bread. Thank you for sharing!
You’re welcome Ness! I’m so happy you loved it!
So good and so easy. My husband said this was a winner. I served it over basmati rice and fresh English peas and mushrooms. So so good Thank you
Yay!! You’re welcome Kenda! It makes me so happy to hear you both enjoyed this recipe!
I just love it! Tonight I prepared it for the 4th time since I discovered this receipie!!! Simply delicious.
Hi Ewelina, thank you so much for your comment. That’s wonderful to hear this recipe is a hit. Have a great weekend!
This might be the best shrimp dish I’ve ever had. I added fresh chopped tomatoes and Parmesan cheese. Will definitely make again.
YAY! So happy to hear that, thanks Keener!
I see the fish broth in the write up but it’s not in the actual recipe. I would love to try this recipe so will you please let me know the measurements for the broth.
So sorry for the confusion, the recipe is fixed. Hope you enjoy!
I see in ingredient list 3/4 cup fish broth(I used chicken stock) was great!
How about served over rice? Anyone tried that?
Hi, these shrimp pair well with steamed rice. You can use basmati, brown or white rice. Enjoy the recipe!
You can also boil the shrimp shells in seasoned water and keep tasting until it tastes flavorful enough to use in place as the “fish stock.” Maybe it was mentioned here but that’s how I made due.
Just finished this for dinner. It was a hit with both my husband and myself.
Fantastic! That’s so nice to hear Kim! Thanks for making!