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Garlic Butter Shrimp & Zoodles

Garlic butter shrimp & zoodles with a quick golden sear and glossy garlic-butter lemon sauce. Spiralized zucchini stays just tender while shrimp turn pink and opaque for a fast, weeknight-ready dinner.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American
Calories: 360
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Shrimp
  • 1 lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • 0.5 tsp salt for seasoning shrimp
  • 0.25 tsp black pepper for seasoning shrimp
Zoodles
  • 3 medium zucchini, spiralized into noodles
  • 2 tbsp olive oil split: 1 tbsp for searing + 1 tbsp for garlic
Garlic butter sauce
  • 4 tbsp unsalted butter split: 2 tbsp for garlic + 2 tbsp for finishing
  • 5 cloves garlic, minced
  • 0.25 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 1 tbsp juice of 1/2 lemon (about 1 tbsp)
  • 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
  • 0.25 cup grated Parmesan (optional)

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Season and sear the shrimp
  1. Pat the shrimp dry with paper towels, then season with salt and black pepper so they sear instead of steam.
  2. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering, then add shrimp in a single layer and cook 1–2 minutes per side until pink and opaque; remove to a plate.
Make the garlic butter sauce and cook the zoodles
  1. Reduce heat to medium, add the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil and 2 tbsp butter to the same skillet, then add minced garlic and red pepper flakes and sauté 60 seconds until fragrant.
  2. Add zucchini noodles and toss with tongs for 2–3 minutes until just tender but not mushy.
Finish and serve
  1. Return shrimp to the pan, add the remaining 2 tbsp butter and lemon juice, and toss everything together for 1 minute until coated in a glossy garlic butter sauce.
  2. Remove from heat and top with fresh parsley and Parmesan (if using), then serve immediately for best texture.

Notes

Pro tip: keep the zoodles moving and stop cooking as soon as they look glossy and just tender—overcooking releases water and turns them mushy. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 2 days; reheat gently in a skillet over low heat just to warm (zoodles soften more). Freezing is not recommended because spiralized zucchini loses texture. For a dairy-light swap, use an equal amount of olive-oil-garlic finishing instead of butter and top with extra lemon and parsley.