This Shrimp Piccata recipe—sauced with lemon, garlic, capers, and just a little butter—is a seafood twist on classic chicken piccata. Because shrimp cooks even faster than chicken, it’s ready in only 20 minutes, perfect for weeknight dinners with some bread or pasta and salad.
Growing up, my stepmom would cook chicken piccata at least once a month. The combination of tart lemon, briny capers, and a little butter to harmonize the two together into a velvety sauce was a favorite. And it’s no wonder why: in less than 30 minutes, she could make a dinner that not even the pickiest eater in the family could complain about.
Now that I’m the one cooking (and a lot less picky), I still love a classic chicken piccata, but I also like to branch out. Sweet, succulent shrimp works beautifully with the lemony, briny piccata sauce. Plus, shrimp cooks even faster than chicken.
This easy shrimp piccata is perfect for a quick weeknight meal with minimal prep and minimal shopping. With shrimp in the freezer and a few pantry staples, you’re never far from a luscious meal that no one would guess took less than all afternoon.
Table of Contents
What’s in Shrimp Piccata?
You need little more than a skillet and a handful of ingredients to create this restaurant-worthy meal at home. If you do want to serve the picatta shrimp with pasta, plan on having some angel hair or spaghetti on hand, too. If you’re really feeling adventurous you could even make your pasta from scratch.
- Shrimp: I like large and succulent jumbo or extra jumbo shrimp. You can use frozen shrimp and thaw it overnight in the refrigerator before using. Here’s a helpful guide for buying and preparing shrimp.
- Flour: A light coating of flour helps create a golden crust on the shrimp and thickens the sauce slightly. If you’re gluten-free, you can use cornstarch or one-to-one gluten-free flour.
- Extra virgin olive oil: I prefer to sear the shrimp in olive oil instead of butter, but use a buttery olive oil, such as Italian Nocellara.
- Butter adds a rich creaminess to the sauce, helping to balance the sharpness of the lemon and emulsify the sauce.
- Garlic: I like my piccata sauce extra garlicky for its sweet and savory nuttiness. As in a classic shrimp scampi, shrimp go beautifully with big garlic flavor.
- Lemons: Freshly squeezed lemon juice is bright and wonderfully tangy, and gives piccata sauce its signature flavor.
- White wine: A splash of wine in the sauce adds a fruity depth of flavor. Choose a dry white wine, such as Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay, or Sauvignon Blanc. If you prefer to avoid alcohol, you can substitute the wine with chicken stock or seafood stock.
- Capers: Small but mighty, capers add a punch of briny flavor to the piccata sauce.
- Parsley: A scattering of fresh parsley adds an herbaceous flavor and a pop of bright green.
- Kosher salt and black pepper: Enhance the other flavors in the dish.
How to Make Shrimp Piccata
Shrimp piccata comes together quickly in one pan in under 30 minutes. Make sure to pat the shrimp dry before dredging them so they get a nice golden crust. Here’s how to make it:
- Season the shrimp: Pat 1 pound peeled and deveined jumbo shrimp dry with paper towels and season all over with salt and pepper. Sprinkle 1 1/2 tablespoons flour over the shrimp, then flip and sprinkle on another 1 1/2 tablespoons flour. Toss to coat and shake off the excess flour.
- Sear the shrimp: Work in batches if necessary. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over high heat. When the oil starts to shimmer, add the shrimp in a single layer. Cook the shrimp undisturbed for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes until lightly golden. Flip and cook 1 1/2 to 2 minutes longer. Transfer to a plate.
- Make the sauce: Reduce the heat to medium. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and 2 tablespoons unsalted butter. Once the butter has melted, add 3 thinly sliced garlic cloves and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add 1/2 cup white wine, 1/4 cup lemon juice, and 1/4 cup capers. Bring to a boil, scraping up the browned bits stuck on the pan to dissolve into the sauce. Simmer for 5 minutes, or until the mixture has thickened slightly.
- Finish and serve: Return the shrimp to the pan. Simmer until the shrimp is warmed through. Remove from the heat and garnish with a sprinkling of chopped fresh parsley. Serve with the sauce spooned over the top and extra lemon wedges on the side.
Make it Your Own
You can put your own spin on this shrimp piccata by adding your favorite herbs and spices. Here are some ideas:
- Change up the aromatics: Add a minced shallot and reduce the garlic to one clove to give the sauce an equally delicious and slightly milder onion flavor.
- Add fresh herbs: Chopped fresh thyme, tarragon, or dill would complement piccata shrimp beautifully. Add a couple of teaspoons of fresh thyme leaves, along with the garlic, when making the sauce. Or stir in a tablespoon of chopped fresh tarragon or dill after taking the sauce off the heat. Read more about cooking with fresh herbs here.
- Season the dredging flour. Whisk 1 teaspoon sweet paprika, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1/4 teaspoon cayenne, or all three into the flour used for dredging the shrimp. Alternatively, add this salt-free seafood seasoning.
What to Serve with Shrimp Piccata
Growing up, we always had piccata with spaghetti or angel hair pasta, and there’s no pairing more classic. You’ll want to double the sauce, then toss it with 12 ounces of cooked pasta. Top the pasta with the shrimp, 5 to 8 per serving.
- Instead of pasta, you could serve focaccia or garlic bread on the side to dip into the sauce.
- For a gluten-free option, serve it with boiled potatoes, garlic mashed potatoes, or rice.
- To add a vegetable side, consider making this big easy Italian salad or match the flavors of the piccata sauce with this grilled asparagus with lemon and garlic.
More Easy Shrimp Recipes
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Shrimp Piccata
Ingredients
- 1 pound jumbo shrimp (21 to 30 per pound), peeled and deveined
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup dry white wine chicken stock, or seafood stock
- 1/4 cup lemon juice (from 1 to 2 lemons)
- 1/4 cup capers (3-ounce jar), drained
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
- Lemon wedges, to serve
Instructions
- Season and dredge the shrimp. Pat the shrimp dry with paper towels and season all over with salt and pepper. Sprinkle half of the flour over the shrimp, then flip them and sprinkle the rest of the flour on top. Toss to coat and shake off the excess flour.
- Sear the shrimp. Work in batches if necessary. Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil over high heat. When the oil starts to shimmer, add the shrimp in a single layer. Cook the shrimp undisturbed for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes until lightly golden. Flip and cook 1 1/2 to 2 minutes longer. Transfer to a plate. It’s ok if the shrimp aren’t fully cooked at this point.
- Make the piccata sauce. Reduce the heat to medium. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and the butter. Once the butter has melted, add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the white wine or stock, lemon juice, and capers. Bring to a boil, scraping up the browned bits stuck on the pan to dissolve into the sauce. Simmer for 5 minutes, or until the mixture has thickened slightly.
- Finish and serve. Return the shrimp to the pan. Simmer until the shrimp is warmed through. Remove from the heat and garnish with a sprinkling of parsley. Serve with the sauce spooned over the top and lemon wedges on the side.
Notes
Nutrition
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