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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:Â 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.Â
This looks delicious! I want to use up what I already have, and I have a good amount of regular polenta (not dry) that I want to use up. Would that change how I go about cooking it at all? Thanks so much!
Hey Matt,
Yes, you would need to follow the cooking instructions for the polenta that you have. Please let me know if you give the recipe a try! xTieghan
We made this tonight! The shrimp were delicious but the polenta wasn’t what we expected. I used cornmeal as my dry polenta.. is that why it turned out like it did? It didn’t have much flavor to it and the corn was very prominent. Please let me know how I can improve it for next time 🙂
Quick and easy to throw together! And delicious! We served fresh green beans on the side- great meal.
Hey Amanda,
Awesome! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed and appreciate you giving it a go! Have a wonderful week:) xTieghan
WOW!!! I made this last week and it was such a hit! The creamy polenta with the spicy Cajun garlicy shrimp was FIRE! Can’t wait to make this again 100%
Hey Vanessa,
Awesome! Thanks a lot for making this recipe and sharing your feedback. I’m glad it was enjoyed! xTieghan
Delicious! My family really liked this dish
Hey Shannon,
Awesome! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed and appreciate you giving it a go! Have a wonderful week:) xTieghan
OMG, Teigan! How do you come up with these flavour profiles? The corn polenta with the shrimp cajun seasoning sauce cannot be beat! This is the all time BEST meal I have made, ever! So delicious! Thank you! You are amazing!
Hey Kate,
Awesome! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed and appreciate you giving it a go! Have a wonderful week:) xTieghan
Just to clarify . Are we adding 2 cups of water and 2 cups of milk ?
Hey Paul,
Yes, that is correct. I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
I made this the other night and man, oh man, it was delicious!! So easy and it’s the first time ever eating polenta. Loved it!! Thanks Tieghan!
Hey Rona,
I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for giving it a go! xTieghan
Do you think I could use oat milk instead of regular milk for this? It looks delicious!
Hey Michelle,
Yes, oat milk would work just fine here! I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
This was delicious! My entire family went back for seconds.
Hey Liz,
Fantastic! I am delighted to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for giving it a try! Have the best week:) xTieghan
For starters, thank you, Tieghan, for your recipes. Friends think I’m a much better cook than I really am! Your recipes NEVER disappoint. They are reasonable for an average good, they present beautifully, and the taste…..oh, the flavors! I always point friends to your website.
This recipe looks amazing! Can’t wait to make it. Any suggestion for a wine pairing?
Hey Kathy,
Thank you so very much for your kind message, I am so glad you have been enjoying the recipes! I would serve with a dry white wine like Chardonnay. I hope you love the dish, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
This was delicious. I did double the Parmesan cheese and garlic. I will make this again.
Hey Carole,
Happy Friday! I am so glad this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for making it! xTieghan
Love, love love these simple summer flavors! I did get a little confused by the instructions for the polenta, I almost missed that it needed water – not sure if I did it properly but it still turned out delicious ? I’m already looking forward to eating this again!
Hey Kelsey,
Happy Friday! I am so glad this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for making it! xTieghan
This was a wonderful recipe. Next time I will add more seasoning to the shrimp, as my husband and I like spice. However, it takes a lot longer to make make than you indicated, and I am an experienced cook!
Hey Kathy,
Happy Friday! I am so glad this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for making it! xTieghan
It turned out AMAZING!
Hey Kristin,
Fantastic, I am so glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! xTieghan
Absolutely delicious! Will definitely make again! I did not have fresh thyme so I used dry, used more Cajun seasoning, and pulled the shrimp out of the pan after cooking it. Then added the shrimp back in after adding the lemon juice.
Hey Hannah,
Fantastic, I am so glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! xTieghan
Absolutely delicious!!!
Hey Stephanie,
Fantastic, I am so glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! xTieghan