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Creamy Garlic Butter Tuscan Shrimp coated in a light and creamy garlic parmesan sauce filled with sun-dried tomatoes and spinach! Guaranteed to impress! LOW CARB AND KETO APPROVED!
Leave people wondering if there is a hidden chef in your kitchen with this Creamy Garlic Butter Tuscan Shrimp. Quick and easy to make, ready on the table in less than 15 minutes, you will even impress yourself!
What Sets These Tuscan Butter Shrimp Apart
Tuscan? I know, I know. This is NOT a traditional recipe from Tuscany… BUT it is a ‘traditional’ recipe (in chicken) from the popular Olive Garden Italian Restaurant.
However, me being me, I added my own twist with garlic butter since we’re dealing with shrimp here, and made it SO MUCH BETTER than the original.
Garlic. Butter. You are going to fry your shrimp (or prawns) in butter FULL of garlic. I could have left this recipe right here….but then I wouldn’t be doing anything different to a lemon butter shrimp. And that’s NO BUENO. SO… Garlic Butter Shrimp SMOTHERED in a beautiful and creamy Tuscan sauce.
Ingredients
- Shrimp: I prefer using fresh, large raw, peeled and deveined shrimp, tails on or off. If you only have frozen shrimp in the freezer, thaw them completely and pat them dry with paper towels before they hit the hot skillet. Wet shrimp will steam in their own liquid instead of searing, which waters down the sauce.
- Parmesan: Always grate your own Parmesan right off the block. Pre-shredded bags are coated in anti-caking powders that keep the cheese from melting smoothly, and you want it to melt straight into a silky garlic Parmesan cream sauce.
- Sun-Dried Tomatoes: Grab a jar of sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil. The strips are much softer and flavorful than the dry-packed ones in bags. Drain the strips before cooking, but save a teaspoon of the oil from the jar to sear the shrimp in. It flavors the whole skillet right from the start, which is the exact same trick I use when making my pan-seared salmon in Tuscan cream sauce.
Note: Please see the recipe card at the bottom for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Additions And Substitutions
You can easily adjust this easy Tuscan shrimp recipe depending on what you already have in your fridge or pantry:
- Protein Swaps: If you don’t have fresh shrimp on hand, you can make this exact same Tuscan cream sauce with boneless, skinless chicken breasts, chicken thighs, or even sea scallops. Just adjust the cooking time in the skillet so your protein cooks through before you start the sauce.
- Veggie Add-Ins: Shrimp with sun-dried tomatoes and spinach is one of my favorite combinations, but sliced cremini mushrooms, halved cherry tomatoes, or drained artichoke hearts are great additions. Fry the mushrooms right after the onions so they brown nicely, or toss cherry tomatoes in with the sun-dried tomatoes so they blister and soften.
- Heavy Cream: If you’re looking for a lighter option, you can substitute half-and-half or a mix of milk and cream. Keep in mind this might slightly alter the flavor of the sauce, but it will still be creamy.
For another seafood dinner with cream sauce, try lobster tails with bacon cream sauce.
How To Make Tuscan Shrimp
- Simmer the Sauce: Reduce the heat to low-medium and add the half-and-half. Bring to a gentle simmer, stirring occasionally. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Add the Spinach and Cheese: Add the spinach leaves and let them wilt in the sauce. Stir in the Parmesan cheese and simmer until melted. For a thicker sauce, add the milk/cornstarch mixture and stir quickly until it thickens.
- Add the Shrimp: Add the shrimp back into the pan. Sprinkle with herbs and parsley, and stir through.
- Serve: Serve over pasta, rice, or steamed vegetables.
Some Tips:
- You can use peeled and deveined shrimp with tails on or off.
- Try to find fresh wild-caught shrimp. Frozen shrimp is good too, but fresh will always have a better flavor.
- If you don’t want to use salted butter, use unsalted and season the shrimp to suit your taste.
- Half-and-half is an American product, made from equal parts light cream and milk. Feel free to use half light cream and half 2% milk (or full-fat if not worried about calories and fat counts) in place of half-and-half. Alternatively, use all light cream or heavy cream if you wish.
- I use sun-dried tomatoes in oil and drain them, reserving about 1 teaspoon for added flavor when cooking.
What Can You Serve With Tuscan Shrimp?
- Over garlic butter pasta that has been mixed through with olive oil, salt, and garlic. Also, a touch of Parmesan never hurt anyone.
- Garlic bread: Soaking up the creamy sauce with a warm piece of bread. It’s heaven.
- Rice: Yes, this is amazing with steamed white rice also. The rice absorbs the delicious sauce, making it one of my favorite ways to serve this shrimp.
Or keep it low-carb and serve it for lunch or as a delicious shrimp appetizer with French bread slices, or on its own!
What Wine Goes Well With This?
I choose a dry white wine to go with this. A light Chardonnay or Pinot Gris pairs really well with garlic butter shrimp. For a sweeter wine, choose a Riesling or a Sparkling Moscato.
This is a creamy Tuscan shrimp recipe is an easy-to-make and filling meal.
Recipe FAQ’s
For this delightful Garlic Butter Tuscan Shrimp, I recommend choosing a white wine. A light Chardonnay or Pinot Gris pairs beautifully, enhancing the creamy garlic flavors. If you prefer a sweeter wine, opt for a Riesling or a Sparkling Moscato. Both will complement the dish’s richness and add a refreshing touch.
It’s best to use sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, as they are more flavorful and tender. If you’re using dry sun-dried tomatoes, rehydrate them in hot water for about 10 minutes before adding them to the dish.
Absolutely! You can substitute the butter with a dairy-free alternative, and use coconut cream or another dairy-free cream substitute in place of the half-and-half. Just keep in mind that this may slightly alter the flavor of the sauce.
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Creamy Garlic Butter Tuscan Shrimp
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons salted butter, divided
- 1 tablespoon cooking oil
- 1 pound shrimp or prawns, tails on or off
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 6 cloves garlic finely diced
- 1/2 cup white wine, optional
- 5 oz sun-dried tomato strips in oil, drained (reserve 1 teaspoon of the jarred oil for cooking)
- 1 3/4 cups half and half or heavy cream, SEE NOTES
- 1 pinch salt, to taste
- 1 pinch pepper, to taste
- 3 cups baby spinach leaves, washed
- 2/3 cup parmesan cheese. freshly grated
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon of water (optional)
- 2 teaspoons dried Italian herbs
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
Instructions
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Melt one tablespoon of butter with the oil. Add in the shrimp and fry for two minutes on each side, until just cooked through and pink. Transfer to a bowl; set aside.
- Fry the onion in the remaining butter until soft. Add in the garlic and saute until fragrant (about one minute). Pour in the white wine (if using) and reduce to half, while scraping any bits off of the bottom of the pan. Add the sun-dried tomatoes and fry for 2 minutes to release their flavors.
- Reduce heat to low-medium, add the half and half or heavy cream, and bring to a gentle simmer while stirring occasionally. Season with salt and pepper to your taste.
- Add in the spinach leaves and allow to wilt in the sauce. Mix in the parmesan cheese. Allow sauce to simmer for a further minute until cheese melts through the sauce. (For a thicker sauce, add the milk/cornstarch mixture to the center of the pan, and continue to simmer while quickly stirring the mixture through until the sauce thickens.)
- Add the shrimp back into the pan; sprinkle with the herbs and parsley, and stir through.
- Serve over pasta, rice or steamed veg.
Video
Notes
- Half and half is an American product, made from equal parts light cream and milk. Feel free to use half light cream and half 2% milk (or full fat if not worried about calories and fat counts), in place of half and half. Alternatively, use all light cream or heavy cream.
- You can use shrimp with tails on or off. Fresh, wild-caught shrimp is best, but frozen works too.
- Unsalted butter can be used instead of salted; just season to taste.
- Half and half (equal parts light cream and milk) can be substituted with half light cream and half 2% milk, or all light/heavy cream.
- Use sun-dried tomatoes in oil, draining and reserving about 1 teaspoon for added flavor.
- If serving with pasta: Mix al dente cooked pasta through the sauce in the pan with 1/4 cup of reserved pasta water. Gently mix through until combined. Serve immediately.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I made this and it is delicious ! My husband and I couldn’t stop eating it ! I want to make this for my son and his girlfriend but he is a big eater, Has anyone doubled this and did they change any thing ?
thanks !
Made this last night for my husband and I and served it over pasta …delicious !!! We ate most of it !!
We want to make it for company next week. Can I double this with out any problems ?? Also how far ahead do you think the sauce can be made and then refrigerated then warmed and and then add the shrimp ?
Thanks !!
This was so good. I did change a couple things. I didn’t use the sun dried tomatoes,or cornstarch and didn’t use as much Italian seasoning maybe 1/2 tsp. Instead I added Cod, mushrooms, onions and also an Italian cheese mix also added pepper. My husband and I loved it, ate it all up. Thank you so much for a very flavorful easy recipe.
This was so good. I did change a couple things. I didn’t use the sun dried tomatoes,or cornstarch and didn’t use as much Italian seasoning maybe 1/2 tsp. Instead I added mushrooms, onions and also an Italian cheese mix also added pepper. My husband and I loved it, ate it all up. Thank you so much for a very flavorful easy recipe.
Hello! I’ve made your Tuscan chicken and it was SO good. I was wondering if you think this sauce would pair well with halibut instead of the salmon?
This was delicious! I added fresh herbs, fennel, Calabrian Chili’s and made some fresh stock with the shells.
Make this recipe often. Substitute the heavy cream for coconut milk and add clams and mussel along with the prawns. Amazing
Make this all the time the only thing I do different is I add prawns,mussels and clams all at the end for a few minutes until cooked in sauce. Amazing every time over pasta
This was so delicious and the best part is it was quick and easy to make. I did add mushrooms and as well. We added mushrooms and ate it over fusilli pasta. Definitely going to be making this again. Thanks for sharing your recipe!
This was delicious. I added green onions instead of onion and added it last. Also added saute mushrooms, some scallops and a can of baby clams. I used cream instead of half and half.