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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.
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.
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.
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!
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Made the recipe exactly as written and it was fantastic- so flavorful – definitely a keeper!
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try! So happy to hear it was enjoyed! Have an awesome week! xT
Wow!! Another delicious and amazing recipe!! My husband who’s not a fan of polenta absolutely loved this dish!!! This recipe is a keeper for sure!!! A++++
Thank you so so much for giving this recipe a try! I’m so glad you loved it! xT
Can I use heavy cream instead of milk?
Yeah, definitely! xT
Easy and delicious! My first time trying polenta and I’m a fan 🙂
So glad to hear this recipe was enjoyed! Have a great day! xT
A M A Z I N G!!!!!!! I want to say this is my favorite recipe by you but I say that about all over them!! So freaking good. You make me feel like a chef and I used to not know how to cook at all. My husband also says thanks for teaching me how to cook hahah
Thanks for trying out the recipe! So glad you loved it! xT
Yum! The buttery lemon sauce on the shrimp is SO tasty when served over the polenta. I used Old Bay seasoning instead of mixing my own Cajun seasoning, timesaver and it turned out great 👍
Hi Kelly! Thank you so much for trying out the recipe! I hope you loved it! xT
Can I use regular dry cornmeal instead of polenta?
Hi! I think as long as the cornmeal isn’t ground too fine, that should work great! xT
How about the precooked polenta log? Unfortunately my local store only sells this— no dry polenta
Hey Liz! I think that should work fine, you just won’t have to cook as long! xT
Absolutely delicious. Tons of flavor. This dish is fine restaurant quality. Will make this over and over!
Hey there! Sooo glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thanks for trying it out! xT
Made this tonight for my parents’ anniversary, it came out so good! Perfect and easy instructions. Your recipes are great, thank you!
Hi Lacey,
Happy Monday!! I am so glad to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks so much for making it and your review:)
This came out sooo good! Thank you!
Hi Susan,
Happy Monday!! I am so glad to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks so much for making it and your review:)
Turned out super yummy! Used frozen corn and still turned out great.
Thanks so much Laura!! Love to hear that this dish turned out well for you and I appreciate you making it:) xT
Oh my!! This tasted I incredible and was really simple to fix! My husband said he felt like he had just eaten at a gourmet restaurant and loved every bite of it. Thank you for your amazing recipes the great videos and photography. Thank you for sharing your great talents.
Hi Birgit,
Happy Sunday!! Thank you so much for trying this recipe and your comment, I love to hear that it was a winner! Thanks so much for your kind message:) xx
So so amazing!! My only trouble was getting a sear or crust on the shrimp ?? Maybe my pan wasn’t hot enough or should I have used a cast iron frying pan instead of nonstick? But seriously the polenta with the spicy shrimp was so special!! Everyone loved it!!
Hi Tresa,
Happy Sunday!! Thank you so much for trying this recipe and your comment, I love to hear that it was a winner! I like to use a cast iron to get a nice sear on my shrimp! xx
This looks delicious but I have a few questions:
How many cups of kernels would you estimate 3 cobs to create? I would prob used frozen!
Is it 2 cups or milk ANd 2 cups of water?
Thanks!!!🤤
Hi Laura,
I would say it’s going to be about 3 cups of corn. Yes, it is both milk and water, be sure you are using dry polenta, not instant polenta:) I hope you love this dish! xx
So you use 2 cups water AND 2 cups milk?
Hi Vicki,
Yes, that is correct! Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love this recipe! xx
This was one of our favorite HBH recipes, and we have made a bunch of them! So easy and delicious, with fresh corn currently plentiful here in South Carolina. Thank you for sharing this with us!
Hey Kerry,
So glad to hear that this dish turned out well for you, thanks for making it! Have a great Saturday! xT