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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 dinner.
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.
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.
New household favorite. Followed the recipe as written and everyone loved it!
Hey Diego,
Happy Friday! Thanks a lot for making this recipe and your comment, so glad it turned out well! xT
Delicious. Can be made while watching basketball – don’t stress over polenta, cook until just bubbling, add Parmesan, watch a couple minutes of basketball then do shrimp. Halved polenta recipe, non-fat milk is fine. Thanks again, Tieghan!
Hey Cass,
Thank you so much for making this recipe and your feedback, love to hear it was enjoyed! Happy Memorial Day! xT
Please specify in your directions as to heating things on the stove, like… when melting butter & corn kernels, should the heat be on low or medium? Or maybe it doesn’t matter (?) I’ve never made polenta before, so I want to get it right when I do make it. Thanks
Hi Kathy,
You will start with it on medium and then whatever temp your stove needs in order to bring it to a low boil. I hope this helps! Let me know if you give this recipe a try! xx
I wan to make this in a bad way. I am confused about the ingredients and the instructions on the polenta. Do you add 2 cups of water (not in ingredients) and 2 cups milk? Please let me know…..
Hi Martha,
You are going to add both the 2 cups of water and 2 cups of milk to the polenta. Please let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xT
Tieghan, thanks for clarifying. Would you consider revising the recipe ingredients to include the water? It would be greatly appreciated!
I agree. But, it’s been almost 2 weeks since your comment, & the water has not been added to the ingredient list yet 🙁
This is so delicious and easy to make! It’ll definitely be in my biweekly rotation. How do you get your shrimp so crispy? Thank you so much!
Hi Britnee! Thank you so much for trying out the recipe! Hope you’re having an awesome weekend! 🙂 xT
I’m obsessed with this recipe. I make it as is, and serve it with honey glazed carrots on the side. It is *chefs kiss* perfection.
Hi Ave,
Fantastic! I appreciate you making this recipe and your comment! So glad it turned out well for you:)
Made this back in October and it was so delicious! Everyone loved it! Am planning on making it for our Christmas Eve dinner. Can I make the polenta ahead of time? How would I reheat it? How would you recommend prepping things ahead of time so it will be easy to prepare when family arrives?
Hi Debra! I think you should be fine to make the polenta ahead of time, I would maybe just reheat on the stove and add a splash of liquid to ensure the polenta stays smooth! 🙂 xT
I sautéed some red pepper in the pan before adding the shrimp and it was a great touch!
Thanks so much for trying out the recipe!! Have a great week! xT
Will make this week, love your quick weeknite elegant recipes.
I don’t see water in the the ingredients section, do you a mix of water & milk? Thanks, Monica
I’ve tried several shrimp and grits recipes and was disappointed by each. This was fabulous after I added some cayenne pepper, red pepper flakes and white pepper to satisfy my spicy/heat craving. Adding corn to polenta was your stroke of genius! I used canned corn and substituted 1/4 cup juice from the can for some of the water. Delicious!
Thank you so so much for giving this recipe a try! And thanks for taking the time to leave a comment! Have a great day! xT
This was so good…my husband called it a 10 star meal. Thank you!
Thank you so so much Mary! xT
“So good”, but you only gave it 3 stars. ???
This was soooo good!! My family raved about this meal. Followed the recipe except I forgot to buy the thyme. I will definitely be making this again and again!!
Thank you so much! So glad this recipe was a success for you! xT
Made this twice now – so delicious! Great for when you have company over!
Thank you so much! So glad this recipe was a success for you! xT
Absolutely love this recipe! I always add sausage and chicken with the shrimp to escalate it just a bit. Highly recommend. Plus it’s easy!
Thanks so so much Emily!