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Spicy Garlic Lemon Butter Shrimp with Parmesan Corn Polenta…a delicious bowl of late summer comfort food. This simple brown butter corn and parmesan polenta is creamy, perfectly buttery, and swirled with sweet corn. The shrimp is cooked in butter with spices and garlic, then finished with lemon…so flavorful and delicious! Especially when spooned over bowls of creamy polenta. A great under 30 minutes dish.
Sometimes recipes are just a little more special. They might be more delicious, simpler to prepare, or just prettier. And while I know this shrimp might not seem oh so special or better than any other shrimp, I promise you it’s delicious.
Extra special as I love to say.
The only reason this recipe came to be is simple. My brother Red and his girlfriend, Hailey, are in town for the week. Whenever I have brothers in town I usually try to make something they love. But Red and Hails are even more fun because they’re down to try pretty much anything, and they love seafood.
I love cooking for others, so I used these two as a good excuse to make something they’d love. Since Hailey is really into shrimp I started with that, then built this quick recipe.
It’s spicy shrimp in a crazy delicious lemon butter sauce with creamy polenta.
Here are the details – start with the polenta
You need lots of corn, butter, and quick cooking polenta.
Start by cooking the butter and corn together until the butter browns and the corn begins to pop. Stir in a little milk and then the polenta.
The key here is to stir the polenta for five minutes until it gets creamy, then cover, and let it sit while you make the shrimp.
Once the polenta has been sitting for a bit, stir in lots and lots of parmesan cheese.
Now make the shrimp
It’s pan seared in butter with cajun seasonings until both sides are browned. I love to make my own homemade cajun spice mix, but if you’re in a pinch, store bought works too.
When the shrimp has crisped, add the garlic and fresh thyme. Then remove the shrimp from the heat and add the lemon juice. It takes maybe five or ten minutes from start to finish – tops.
Simple, but so much flavor from all the spices, garlic, and lemony butter pan sauce.
Finish it up
Spoon the creamy polenta into bowls, then spoon the shrimp and sauce overtop. I top with lots of fresh basil, and serve with crusty bread and a big arugula salad from the garden.
So quick and simple – so delicious.
The shrimp is definitely the star here, but it really can’t be the star without it’s supporting actor, the polenta. So be sure to make them both. Trust me, you’re going to love it!
Looking for other shrimp recipes? Here are a few ideas:
Honey Garlic Shrimp, Corn, and Avocado Bacon Salad
Spicy Southern Style Shrimp with Lemon Basil Orzo
Sheet Pan Jalapeño Pineapple Shrimp Tacos with Cilantro Garlic Sauce
Lastly, if you make this Spicy Garlic Lemon Butter Shrimp with Parmesan Corn Polenta, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Spicy Garlic Lemon Butter Shrimp with Parmesan Corn Polenta
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 434 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Watch the How-To Reel
Ingredients
Parmesan Corn Polenta
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- 3 ears corn – kernels removed from the cob
- 2 cups milk
- 1 cup dry polenta
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
- kosher salt and black pepper
Shrimp
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 4 tablespoons salted butter
- 1 1/2 pounds raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1 tablespoon cajun seasoning
- 3 cloves garlic chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
- juice from 1 lemon
- 1/2 cup fresh basil, roughly chopped
Instructions
- 1. To make the polenta. In a medium pot, melt together the butter and corn. Cook 5-8 minutes, until the butter browns around the corn. Add 2 cups water and the milk. Bring to a low boil, then whisk in the polenta, stirring until the polenta is soft and thick, about 3-5 minutes. Stir in the parmesan and season with salt and pepper. Turn the heat off, cover the pot, and let the polenta sit 5 minutes.2. Meanwhile, make the shrimp. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the butter, shrimp, cajun seasonings, and a big pinch of pepper. Cook on both sides until seared, about 2-3 minutes per side. Stir in the garlic and thyme and continue to cook until the garlic is fragrant. Remove from the heat, stir in the lemon juice and basil. 3. Spoon the polenta into bowls, then spoon the shrimp and sauce over the polenta. Eat and enjoy!
Notes
Homemade Cajun Seasoning: mix 2 1/2 tablespoons smoked paprika, 2 tablespoons garlic powder, 1 tablespoon onion powder, 1 tablespoon dried oregano, 1 tablespoon dried thyme, 1 tablespoon chili powder, 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper, 1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt, and 1 tablespoon black pepper. Makes 3/4 cup.
This post was originally published on August 11, 2021
Made this tonight. It was a hit. I make up your Cajun Seasoning and have it in my spice cabinet and use it a lot. This was great with local summer corn and basil from our garden. Thanks for another easy winner!
Thank you SO much Kathy! I am so glad you enjoyed this shrimp! Thank you for giving it a try! xT
My husband and I loved this dish! Definitely a keeper!
Hey Linda! Thank you so much for trying out this garlic shrimp! Makes me so happy to hear it was enjoyed! 🙂 xT
Made this as written — it was DELICIOUS! Such a lot of good flavor.
Thanks sooo much Deborah! Super happy to hear you loved this fun and bright shrimp recipe! 🙂 xT
Made this tonight…AMAZING!
Thank you SO much Chellie! I am so glad you loved this spicy shrimp recipe, it’s definitely a winner for summer! 🙂 xT
Simple and delicious, definitely will be in our rotation.
Hey Kathryn! Thank you so so much! So happy to hear you loved this shrimp! Hope you enjoyed, and have an amazing week ahead of you! xT
Made this last night and WOWZA. So so yummy for summer. I love the addition of the basil for some freshness. I also added a little bit of honey to the shrimp and it was fire. Love your recipes, Tieghan!
Thank you so much Breanne! So glad you’re enjoying the recipe! xT
Do you need to boil/cook the corn first or do you remove the kernels on three ears of raw corn? Thanks!
Hi Allison,
No need to cook or boil the corn first, just cut it raw off the cob:) I hope you love this dish, please let me know if you give it a try! xx
We really enjoyed this recipe
Hey Barbara,
Happy Sunday!! I appreciate you trying this recipe and your comment, love to hear it was a winner!!
Hi Tieghan,
All I can say is, absolutely stunning. My whole family and I LOVED it. Super tasty and easy to make.
Hey David,
Fantastic!! I am so glad to hear this recipe was a winner, thanks for making it and your comment! x
There is no water listed as the ingredients but in the directions it says ‘Add 2 cups water’. So do you use water, milk or both? I’m confused.
Hi Stephanie,
Sorry for any confusion, you are going to use both, I never include water in the ingredients list:) I hope you love this dish! xx
One of our all-time favorite recipes. We add a blended can of cannellini beans to the polenta for a little extra protein, and sub out about 1/4 cup of the milk for heavy cream. Always a crowd favorite and a great way to make comfort food feel elevated and decadent. Friends and family always beg us to make it again.
Hey Jess,
Happy Sunday! So glad to hear this recipe turned out well for you, thanks a lot for giving it a try! xx
Didn’t have fresh corn, but followed everything else scaled down for just my husband and me. LOVED IT!! I can always find a recipe on this site – even at the last minute.
Hey Amy,
Amazing! Thanks a bunch for trying this dish and your comment, so glad it turned out well for you! xT
Another easy, quick and delicious recipe! We will definitely make this again.
Hey Melissa,
So glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for making it and your comment! Happy Sunday! xT
This is delicious despite my goofing up the recipe the 1st time. I forgot to thaw out the frozen sheimp and realized it should be after adding half in already! ! The shrimp was still tender, not dried out or tough. I didn’t have any polenta or grits or quinoa (I looked up possible substitutes) and all i had was cornmeal. I had to wing the amount but it was still the perfect compliment to put the shrimp on! I thought I had made enough for leftovers but it was too good to not go back for 2nds!
I will definitely make this again with some proper planning and it will be even more amazing!
Hey there,
Happy Sunday! So glad to hear that this dish turned out nicely for you, thanks for making it! xT
Neither my husband nor I like polenta so I made a cauliflower mash and added the parm. The shrimp were delicious! Thanks for the recipe!
Hey Brenda,
Wonderful! I appreciate you trying this recipe and your comment! So glad to hear it turned out well! x