One Pan Creamy Garlic Shrimp

Last updated on March 19th, 2020

I’ve got a fabulous, one pan wonder for you in the form of one pan creamy garlic shrimp. This dish can be whipped up in under 30 minutes and is wonderful for the whole family. It is gluten free, paleo, low carb and Whole30 compliant, too!

Can I make creamy garlic shrimp in the Instant Pot?

You sure can! If you have access to an Instant Pot and would like to save some time, you can make this recipe in there.

It’s so quick and easy to make it on the stovetop though, I wouldn’t even go in that direction unless you needed the room on your stove.

I prefer to eat creamy garlic shrimp on a big bed of cauliflower rice or broccoli rice- it’s delicious. However, if you are not on a Whole30 and eat white rice or rice noodles, it would be fabulous with them, too!

You could alternatively add extra bone broth to the dish and turn it into more of a soup instead.

You are going to love it regardless of what direction you go in though! 😉

Can I use dairy instead of coconut cream?

You can absolutely use whole milk or half & half instead of the coconut cream in the creamy garlic shrimp. If you aren’t into coconut, can’t have it or don’t want this dish to be dairy free, half & half would be the best substitute.

You can also use grass-fed butter, ghee or coconut oil as the fat in this recipe.

This dish reminds me something I’ve had before in an Italian restaurant but because of the coconut cream, it is almost reminiscent of Thai cuisine as well.

I think that’s why I love it so much. I cannot think of anything better than a marriage between Italian and Thai food!

I have made this creamy garlic shrimp three times in the last two weeks. The first time I made it, it was basically an accident of the best kind.

Tim really enjoyed it and basically split the entire recipe with me… he’s a beast. I also served it to my sister the next time, and she told me how much she loved the recipe.

That’s when I knew I had to tamper with it in a bit, and then I had decided to add in the nutritional yeast.

I wanted to give it a little bit of “cheesy” flavor without the addition of any type of real cheese. I think the flavors from the yeast pair and compliment the creamy and subtle but sweet coconut milk favor so well.

You’ll have to tell me what type of variation you make on this dish (if any at all!) 🙂

How to make creamy garlic shrimp

In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter / oil and sauté garlic for about 1 minute. Make sure you stir frequently so it does not burn. Add shrimp to pan and cook on about 2 minutes each side until just opaque throughout & transfer to a bowl.

Add the diced onion to the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes until soft. Add broth to the pan, scraping the brown bits from the bottom and stirring frequently. Cook until broth has reduced down by at least 50%.

Add 1 tablespoon of oil from the sun-dried tomatoes jar and all of the drained, julienned sun-dried tomatoes. Fry with the onions for 2-3 minutes until fragrant and well combined.

Add coconut milk and nutritional yeast to the pan. Once the coconut milk has reached a boil, turn the heat down to medium-low. Add spinach to the pan and stir until slightly wilted, about 1 minute.

Add shrimp back into the pan and sprinkle with seasoning. Stir frequently for another 5-7 minutes, letting all of the flavors marinade. Season with salt and pepper and serve with cauliflower rice.

Tips & Variations

If you’d like to use chicken instead, be sure to cut it into bite size pieces, season with salt and pepper and cook through. It will take about 5-7 minutes.

If you are going to use half & half, you may want to make an arrowroot slurry to thicken it up a bit at the end of cooking. Simply mix equal parts arrowroot flour with water (about 1 tablespoon of each) and slowly mix into the dish at the end until it has reached out desired thickness.

Instead of using cauliflower rice, you could serve this with broccoli rice, white rice or rice noodles. It would taste absolutely fabulous with all three!

Well, what are you waiting for?

This creamy garlic shrimp needs to be made in your kitchen yesterday. Seriously.

It has already become a staple at my house, and I’m already dealing with Tim asking me to make it multiple times a week.

It will last for 4-5 days in the refrigerator if you’d like to eat it as leftovers later on. I imagine the sauce would freeze well, too if you can’t get enough and want to freeze some for later.

Yum! 🙂

If you like this recipe, some others you’ll love are:

One Pan Shrimp Fajitas

Whole30 Easy Steak Fajitas

Whole30 Greek Salmon

Paleo Kung Pao Chicken

Whole30 Paleo Shepherd’s Pie

One Pan Creamy Garlic Shrimp (Paleo, Whole30, Low Carb)

I've got a fabulous, one pan wonder for you in the form of one pan creamy garlic shrimp. This dish can be whipped up in under 30 minutes and is wonderful for the whole family. It is gluten free, paleo, low carb and Whole30 compliant, too!

4.72 from 21 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Servings: 5 servings

Calories: 520kcal

Author: Monica Stevens Le

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 tablespoons grass-fed butter or ghee
• 8 garlic cloves minced
• 1 1/2 pounds large shrimp deveined, with tails on
• 1 yellow onion diced
• 1/2 cup bone broth
• 8 ounces sun dried tomatoes in olive oil, SEE NOTES
• 15 ounces canned coconut milk
• 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
• 4 cups spinach lightly packed
• 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
• kosher salt to taste
• black pepper to taste

Instructions

• In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter / oil and sauté garlic for about 1 minute. Make sure you stir frequently so it does not burn. Add shrimp to pan and cook on about 2 minutes each side until just opaque throughout & transfer to a bowl.
• Add the diced onion to the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes until soft. Add broth to the pan, scraping the brown bits from the bottom and stirring frequently. Cook until broth has reduced down by at least 50%.
• Add 1 tablespoon of oil from the sun-dried tomatoes jar and all of the drained, julienned sun-dried tomatoes. Fry with the onions for 2-3 minutes until fragrant and well combined.
• Add coconut milk and nutritional yeast to the pan. Once the coconut milk has reached a boil, turn the heat down to medium-low. Add spinach to the pan and stir until slightly wilted, about 1 minute.
• Add shrimp back into the pan and sprinkle with seasoning. Stir frequently for another 5-7 minutes, letting all of the flavors marinade. Season with salt and pepper and serve with cauliflower rice.

Notes

Drain the sun-dried tomatoes from the oil but save 1 tablespoon to cook with the dish.

Nutrition

Calories: 520kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 29g | Fat: 36g | Sugar: 8g

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Monica Stevens Le

Hi! I’m Monica – recipe developer, matcha addict and lover of all things chocolate, kombucha and any & all puns. I am also the blogger, real food lover, & bonafide hustler behind the blog ‘The Movement Menu.’ I’m so excited to welcome you to my happy space, where my appreciation of creative recipes and healthy & mindful eats come together to inspire you to live a healthy, balanced life.