Juicy Shrimp with Garlic and Jalapeno Butter

If you ask me, crispy shrimp with a spicy, garlicky butter sauce is one of the best ways to enjoy seafood at home.

This restaurant-style dish brings together tender shrimp with a coating that gets seriously crispy when fried. The real magic happens when you toss them in a butter sauce loaded with garlic, fresh jalapeños, and a hint of lime.

The potato starch creates that satisfying crunch on the outside while keeping the shrimp juicy inside. Fish sauce and a touch of sugar add depth to the butter sauce, while scallions and cilantro freshen everything up.

It’s a dish that looks fancy but comes together in less time than ordering takeout, perfect for a weeknight dinner or when you want to impress guests.

What Kind of Shrimp Should I Use?

For this recipe, you’ll want to grab jumbo shrimp in the 16 to 20 per pound range, which gives you nice meaty pieces that hold up well to frying. Fresh shrimp is great if you can find it, but frozen shrimp actually works just as well since most “fresh” shrimp at the grocery store has been previously frozen anyway. Just make sure to thaw frozen shrimp in the fridge overnight or under cold running water, and look for shrimp that’s already peeled and deveined to save yourself some prep time. If you can only find shrimp with the tails on, no worries – just remove them yourself before cooking.

Options for Substitutions

This recipe has some room for swaps, though a few ingredients are best left as-is:

• Jumbo shrimp: You can use large shrimp instead of jumbo, but adjust your cooking time down by a minute or two since they’ll cook faster. Avoid going smaller than large, as they can overcook easily.
• Fish sauce: If you don’t have fish sauce, try soy sauce mixed with a tiny bit of anchovy paste, or just use soy sauce on its own. The flavor will be slightly different but still tasty.
• Potato starch: Cornstarch works as a substitute here and will give you a similar crispy coating. Use the same amount and follow the recipe as written.
• Peanut or vegetable oil: Canola oil or any neutral oil with a high smoke point will work fine for frying. Just make sure it can handle high heat.
• Jalapeños: Want less heat? Use just one jalapeño or swap for a milder pepper like poblano. For more kick, leave some seeds in or use serrano peppers instead.
• Lime juice: Lemon juice can step in if you’re out of limes, though lime gives a more authentic flavor profile for this dish.

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Cooking

The biggest mistake when making this dish is skipping the brine or cutting the brining time short – those 20 minutes are what make the shrimp plump and tender, so don’t rush it.

Overheating your oil past 400°F will burn the potato starch coating before the shrimp cook through, so use a thermometer and adjust your heat as needed to maintain the right temperature.

Another common error is overcrowding the pan when frying, which drops the oil temperature and leads to greasy, soggy shrimp instead of crispy ones – work in batches of 6-8 shrimp at a time for the best results.

Finally, make sure to have your sauce ready to go before you start frying since shrimp lose their crispiness quickly, and toss them in the garlic-jalapeño butter immediately after they come out of the oil.

What to Serve With Shrimp with Garlic and Jalapeño Butter?

These crispy, buttery shrimp are perfect served over a big bowl of steamed white rice or fried rice to soak up all that garlicky, spicy butter sauce. I love pairing them with a simple cucumber salad dressed with rice vinegar and a pinch of sugar to balance out the heat from the jalapeños. If you want to make it more of a meal, serve the shrimp alongside some stir-fried vegetables like bok choy or snap peas, or even tuck them into warm flour tortillas with shredded cabbage for easy tacos. A cold beer or a lime margarita on the side doesn’t hurt either!

Storage Instructions

Store: These shrimp are best enjoyed right away while they’re still crispy, but you can keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Just know that the coating will soften up a bit as it sits.

Reheat: To bring back some of that crispiness, spread the shrimp on a baking sheet and pop them in a 400°F oven for about 5-7 minutes. You can also use an air fryer at 375°F for 3-4 minutes if you have one. The microwave will make them soggy, so I’d skip that option.

Estimated Nutrition

Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):

• Calories: 1800-2200
• Protein: 140-170 g
• Fat: 90-120 g
• Carbohydrates: 80-100 g

Ingredients

For the shrimp:

• 2 lb shrimp (extra-large, peeled and deveined)
• 1/4 cup kosher salt
• 1 1/4 tablespoons baking soda
• 3/4 cup potato starch
• 1 quart peanut oil

For the sauce:

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 4 tablespoons minced garlic
• 2 large jalapeños, thinly sliced
• 4 scallions, whites and greens separated
• 1 1/2 tablespoons fish sauce
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Step 1: Prepare the Shrimp with Baking Soda Brine

• 2 lb shrimp
• 1/4 cup kosher salt
• 1 1/4 tablespoons baking soda

In a bowl, combine water, kosher salt, and baking soda—this alkaline solution will tenderize the shrimp and give them a crispy exterior when fried.

Submerge the peeled and deveined shrimp in this brine and let them soak for 20 minutes.

After soaking, rinse the shrimp thoroughly under cold water and pat them completely dry with paper towels, as any moisture will prevent proper crisping during frying.

Step 2: Prepare the Flavor Components

• 1 1/2 tablespoons fish sauce
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper
• 2 large jalapeños, thinly sliced
• 4 scallions, whites and greens separated
• 4 tablespoons minced garlic
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

While the shrimp is soaking, prepare your flavor base: in a small bowl, whisk together the fish sauce, lime juice, sugar, and black pepper.

Separately, slice the jalapeños thinly, separate the scallion whites from the greens, and mince the garlic.

Having everything prepped and ready will let you work quickly once the shrimp hits the oil.

Step 3: Coat and Deep-Fry the Shrimp

• dried shrimp from Step 1
• 3/4 cup potato starch
• 1 quart peanut oil

Coat the dried shrimp evenly with potato starch, shaking off any excess powder to prevent clumping.

Heat the peanut oil in a deep skillet or pot to 400°F—I recommend using a thermometer here since maintaining this exact temperature gives you the best crispy texture.

Working in batches if needed to avoid crowding, fry the shrimp for 60 to 90 seconds per side until they turn golden and crispy, then transfer them to a bowl lined with paper towels to drain.

Step 4: Build the Garlic and Jalapeño Butter Sauce

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 4 tablespoons minced garlic
• scallion whites from Step 2
• fish sauce mixture from Step 2
• 2 large jalapeños from Step 2
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

In the same skillet (no need to clean it—those browned bits add flavor), melt the butter over medium heat.

Add the scallion whites and minced garlic, cooking for about 1 minute until fragrant and softened.

Pour in the fish sauce mixture from Step 2 along with the sliced jalapeños and red pepper flakes, then bring everything to a gentle boil for 30 seconds to meld the flavors together.

Step 5: Finish and Serve

• fried shrimp from Step 3
• garlic-jalapeño butter sauce from Step 4
• scallion greens from Step 2
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Remove the paper towels from the bowl of fried shrimp and pour the hot garlic-jalapeño butter sauce over them.

Add the reserved scallion greens and fresh cilantro, then toss everything together until the shrimp are evenly coated.

I like to serve this immediately while the shrimp are still warm and crispy—the contrast between the crunchy exterior and the silky sauce is what makes this dish shine.

Juicy Shrimp with Garlic and Jalapeno Butter

Delicious Juicy Shrimp with Garlic and Jalapeno Butter recipe with step-by-step instructions.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 35 minutes mins

Total Time 50 minutes mins

Servings: 4 servings

Calories: 2000

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

  

For the shrimp

• 2 lb shrimp (extra-large, peeled and deveined)
• 1/4 cup kosher salt
• 1 1/4 tablespoons baking soda
• 3/4 cup potato starch
• 1 quart peanut oil

For the sauce

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 4 tablespoons minced garlic
• 2 large jalapeños, thinly sliced
• 4 scallions, whites and greens separated
• 1 1/2 tablespoons fish sauce
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Method

 

1. In a bowl, combine water, kosher salt, and baking soda—this alkaline solution will tenderize the shrimp and give them a crispy exterior when fried. Submerge the peeled and deveined shrimp in this brine and let them soak for 20 minutes. After soaking, rinse the shrimp thoroughly under cold water and pat them completely dry with paper towels, as any moisture will prevent proper crisping during frying.
2. While the shrimp is soaking, prepare your flavor base: in a small bowl, whisk together the fish sauce, lime juice, sugar, and black pepper. Separately, slice the jalapeños thinly, separate the scallion whites from the greens, and mince the garlic. Having everything prepped and ready will let you work quickly once the shrimp hits the oil.
3. Coat the dried shrimp evenly with potato starch, shaking off any excess powder to prevent clumping. Heat the peanut oil in a deep skillet or pot to 400°F—I recommend using a thermometer here since maintaining this exact temperature gives you the best crispy texture. Working in batches if needed to avoid crowding, fry the shrimp for 60 to 90 seconds per side until they turn golden and crispy, then transfer them to a bowl lined with paper towels to drain.
4. In the same skillet (no need to clean it—those browned bits add flavor), melt the butter over medium heat. Add the scallion whites and minced garlic, cooking for about 1 minute until fragrant and softened. Pour in the fish sauce mixture from Step 2 along with the sliced jalapeños and red pepper flakes, then bring everything to a gentle boil for 30 seconds to meld the flavors together.
5. Remove the paper towels from the bowl of fried shrimp and pour the hot garlic-jalapeño butter sauce over them. Add the reserved scallion greens and fresh cilantro, then toss everything together until the shrimp are evenly coated. I like to serve this immediately while the shrimp are still warm and crispy—the contrast between the crunchy exterior and the silky sauce is what makes this dish shine.