Buttery Shrimp with Dill (Garides Me Ánitho)
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This Greek shrimp recipe comes together in one skillet with a silky lemon-butter sauce that’s perfect for spooning over rice or sopping up with crusty bread.
Buttery shrimp with dill (garides me ánitho) is a classic Greek shrimp dish with bright lemon, fresh dill, and a rich buttery sauce. It’s often served in coastal tavernas in Greece alongside a glass of ouzo. This version is adapted from Zaytinya: Delicious Mediterranean Dishes from Greece, Turkey, and Lebanon by José Andrés and is served at his DC restaurant, Zaytinya. It’s one of those dishes that feels a little special but is surprisingly easy to make at home. Serve it over rice or with lots of crusty bread for soaking up every last drop of the sauce.
What You’ll Need To Make Buttery Shrimp with Dill
To make garides me ánitho, you’ll need: olive oil, unsalted butter, shallots, garlic, shrimp, salt, pepper, lemon zest and juice, whole grain mustard, and dill.
Step-By-Step Instructions
Step 1: Sauté the aromatics. Heat the olive oil and 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook, stirring frequently, until softened but not browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic and stir constantly for 1 minute more; don’t let it brown.
Step 2: Cook the shrimp. Add the shrimp, salt, and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the shrimp are turning pink and just beginning to cook through, 2 to 3 minutes.
Step 3: Build the sauce. Add the lemon zest, lemon juice, and mustard, then reduce the heat to low. Add the remaining 6 tablespoons of butter 2 tablespoons at a time, stirring or swirling the pan until melted and creamy. Once all the butter is incorporated, the shrimp should be just cooked through—if needed, let them sit in the warm sauce for a minute longer. Off the heat, stir in the dill and taste; adjust with more lemon juice, salt, and pepper, if needed.
Pro tip: Low heat is essential here — too much heat and the butter will break and turn greasy instead of giving you a silky, cohesive sauce.
Step 4: Finish and serve. Serve warm with crusty bread or over rice to soak up the sauce.
More Greek Dishes You’ll Love
Buttery Shrimp with Dill (Garides Me Ánitho)
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces, divided
- ⅔ cup finely minced shallots, from 2 medium shallots
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 lb shrimp (21/25), peeled and deveined, thawed if frozen
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon lemon zest, from 1 lemon
- 4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, from 2 lemons, plus more to taste
- 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon whole grain mustard
- 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh dill
- Lemon wedges, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil and 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook, stirring frequently, until softened but not browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute more; do not let it brown.
- Add the shrimp, salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the shrimp are turning pink and just beginning to cook through, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add the lemon zest, lemon juice, and mustard, then reduce the heat to low. Add the remaining 6 tablespoons of butter, 2 tablespoons at a time, stirring or swirling the pan until melted to create a creamy, emulsified sauce. This should take 2 to 3 minutes. Once all the butter is added, the shrimp should be just cooked through; if needed, let them sit in the warm sauce for a minute longer to finish cooking.
- Off the heat, stir in the dill and taste; add more lemon juice and season with salt and pepper, if needed. Serve warm with crusty bread or over rice to soak up the sauce.
Pair with
Nutrition Information
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Gluten-Free Adaptable Note
To the best of my knowledge, all of the ingredients used in this recipe are gluten-free or widely available in gluten-free versions. There is hidden gluten in many foods; if you're following a gluten-free diet or cooking for someone with gluten allergies, always read the labels of your ingredients to verify that they are gluten-free.
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Just made this for my husband for a little Father’s Day treat. I was amazed at the way the butter sauce came together with the mustard and lemon.
Absolutely wonderful-paired it with Carolina Gold rice prepared risotto style and fresh green beans. Love the fresh dill and lemon!
Another winner, Jenn!
This was delicious…….made just as written. Served with green salad and crusty bread. Will make this often…………Jen’s recipes never disappoint!
Easy. Delicious.
This dish was delicious! Everyone requested that it stays on the menu rotation. The flavor was out of this world. I served it with basmati rice, fresh green beans, and crusty bread, which is a must for the sauce. Soooo good!
Excellent! Served it with a crusty loaf of bleu cheese bread from our favorite bakery and it was delicious!
Love love loved this dish😍😍😍😍
Delicious. So easy to make. Paired it with an avocado, watermelon and feta cheese salad.
Hi,
This shrimp recipe looks delicious. However, my wife is allergic to citrus. Do have any suggestions for substitutions for the lemon zest and lemon juice?
Thank you for your help.
Tom
Hi Tom. This recipe relies a lot on the citrus for flavor. You may want to give this garlic butter shrimp recipe a try instead. It’s also delicious.
Thank you for your suggestion of the garlic butter shrimp. I will give it a try this weekend.
I wish I had seen this recipe before I went to the grocery store today! I will definitely be making it this weekend, looks amazing!!
Even better than expected! Thanks, Jenn!
Do you think this would be to hard to make for 25 people? It looks delicious.
This isn’t an ideal one to make multiple batches of at once. If you need any recipe suggestions to feed a crowd, LMK!
I would like some recipe suggestions to feed a crowd, say 30-40 people, preferably inexpensive.
Hi Ruby, I have a variety of recipes that will feed a crowd, but you’ll need to multiply the ingredients to feed that many people. If you’re referring to dinner ideas, here are some suggestions. You can also use the search feature on the blog and type in the word “crowd” to see more options. Hope that helps!
Another 5+ star winner from Once Upon a Chef. This is simple recipe with high quality restaurant results. We have made over 50 recipes from Once Upon a Chef. Thank you for another winner Chef Jen.