Spicy Shrimp Toasts with Lemon Garlic Butter

Spicy Shrimp Toasts with Lemon Garlic Butter – Is it an Appetizer or an Entree…You decide!

Succulent, quick sauteed Shrimp with a light Cajun Spice served on toasted French Bread with a luxurious drizzle of Lemon Garlic Butter are seriously delicious.

Spicy Shrimp Toasts with Lemon Garlic Butter came about from an undeniable craving to have shrimp for dinner.

A typical weeknight with three kiddos, homework, and a hubby who was working late didn’t leave a lot of time for a complex meal.  This was one of those days with a late afternoon grocery store run to buy something for dinner with absolutely no idea what I wanted to make other then it had to have shrimp, and a lot of them!

The remainder of my inspiration came from a snippet of a cooking show I caught earlier in the day where they toasted french bread directly over the gas stovetop burner, and that kind of stuck with me.  Since I’m in love with the fresh French bread that comes from the Italian district in St. Louis, I will gladly find any excuse to buy some.

That’s the story with my Spicy Shrimp Toasts with Lemon Garlic Butter, and I couldn’t be happier with how it turned out!  Even the picky 5 year old had no issues with this meal.

While this is probably categorized as more an appetizer, this was perfect for a simple, quick dinner.  I served these with Oven Roasted Asparagus to complete the meal.  A simple salad would also work well.

Preparation is a breeze.

In a small sauce pan, saute shallot and garlic in a little olive oil with a pinch of salt.  Add the butter, and when it’s melted, take it off heat and stir in fresh ground pepper, fresh squeezed lemon juice, and fresh parsley.

Place peeled and deveined raw shrimp in a bowl and stir with chili powder, paprika, onion powder, salt, and pepper.  Saute them in a hot pan in a combination of olive oil and butter.

Special Note: Shrimp are hard to undercook and very easy to overcook!  Overcooked shrimp turn tough and rubbery.  Use a very hot pan to get a great sear and flip those babies after about 1 minute. As soon as they are no longer translucent they are done!  Make sure to remove them from both from the heat and the pan.

What sized shrimp should I use?   Don’t pay attention to the name of the size ie jumbo, extra large, etc.  Those names change depending on the store and/or packaging.  Instead pay attention to the number of shrimp per pound.  The shrimp pictured are 26/30.  I would not recommend anything smaller.  Larger shrimp, however, like 21-25 or 16-20 would give an even better presentation if you are using this as an appetizer or serving to company.

Can I use frozen shrimp?  Yes.  Fresh are always my favorite, but I’m in the Midwest and they are not always available.  Make sure they are all the way defrosted and blot dry with a paper towel before sauteing to get the best sear.

Can I use pre-cooked shrimp?  No, I would not recommend it.  Searing the shrimp is important in the taste of this recipe and that isn’t possible with pre-cooked.

Toast the bread either on a gas stovetop burner or under the broiler.  Peal a large clove of garlic and cut it in half.  Rub the clove over the top of the toasted bread.

Slice the bread however you desire and top with the shrimp.  Drizzle lavishly with the Lemon Garlic Butter and enjoy!

If you are a shrimp lover like me, make sure you check out my Roasted Red Pepper Pasta with Cajun Shrimp, Shrimp Dumplings, Shrimp Cakes with Red Pepper Sauce, and Asian Shrimp Cakes with Mango Chutney.

Leave me a comment below.  I’d Love to hear from you.  Also, don’t forget to Pin this for later!

5 from 5 votes

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Spicy Shrimp Toasts with Lemon Garlic Butter

Succulent, quick sauteed Shrimp with a light Cajun Spice served on toasted French Bread with a luxurious drizzle of Lemon Garlic Butter.

Course Appetizer, Main Course

Cuisine American, Italian

Keyword Spicy Shrimp Toasts with Lemon Garlic Butter

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 20 minutes

Servings 6

Author Jennifer Grissom

Ingredients

Lemon Garlic Butter

• 1/4 cup finely minced shallot red or sweet onion may be substituted.
• 2 cloves finely minced garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 cup butter 1 stick
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
• 2 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat leaf parsley

Shrimp and Seasoning

• 24 ounces peeled and deveined raw shrimp size 26-30 or larger
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder preferably ancho or chipotle
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika preferably smoked paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 1 teaspooon kosher or sea salt
• 1 loaf French crusty bread

Instructions

Lemon Garlic Butter

1. Saute shallot, garlic, and salt in olive oil at a medium heat in a small sauce pan for 2-3 minutes until softened and fragrant.
   

2. Add butter to sauce pan and cook until butter melts and starts to simmer.
   

3. Turn off heat and stir in pepper, lemon juice, and parsley.
   

Shrimp and Seasonin

1. Pat shrimp dry and place in a bowl.  Sprinkle with seasonings and stir to combine.
   

2. Preheat large skillet or saute pan to a medium high heat.  Add olive oil and butter.  When butter foams, add shrimp in a single layer.  Cook for 1 minute and then flip shrimp.
   

3. Cook just until shrimp are no longer translucent and remove immediately from pan and heat.
   

4. Bread may be toasted over a gas stove top burner or under the broiler and kept warn at a low heat while shrimp is sauteed. 
   

5. Rub top of the toasted bread with a garlic clove if desired.

6. Please sauteed shrimp on the toasted bread and drizzle lavishly with Lemon Garlic Butter.  Garnish with fresh parsley and lemon if desired.