Creamy Tuscan Shrimp

By Rena Awada | Updated On March 24, 2024

This Creamy Tuscan Butter Shrimp recipe is spicy and made with a light creamy sauce, garlic, and sun-dried tomatoes. A restaurant-quality recipe that’s easy to make, low in carbs, and the whole family will enjoy. Ready in just 20 minutes and it’s so good!

top view of black skillet with creamy shrimp with metal spoon in skillet


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This Creamy Tuscan Shrimp recipe is perfect for those who are on a high-fat, and high-calorie diet and may not work for everyone.

Tuscan butter shrimp recipe is made with fresh garlic cloves, heavy cream, sun-dried tomatoes, fresh basil, chili, cayenne pepper, Italian seasoning, and a few other simple ingredients. It is so easy to make and all it takes is just 20 minutes to put this together. We love shrimp because they are high in protein and low in fat but you may swap it with any other protein of your choice.

You will also love my Shrimp Risotto Recipe if you prefer a one-pot shrimp meal.

Recipe Summary

  • Quick and easy: If all you have is 30 minutes on hand to put something together then this shrimp recipe will come to the rescue because it only takes 20 minutes to make.
  • Versatile: You can serve this creamy butter shrimp with anything. whether you choose to serve it with rice, pasta, potatoes, or mashed potatoes, you can’t go wrong. We have some serving suggestions for you further down.
  • So tasty: You will love how tasty and delicious this dish turns out. You have to try it and come back and say it yourself.
top view of creamy shrimp with lemon and basil garnish  in a black skillet with metal spoon in skillet

Ingredients needed

  • Shrimp: peeled and deveined. We recommend you use raw shrimp instead of cooked shrimp. They can be frozen and thawed ahead
  • Butter or Ghee
  • Garlic Cloves: use fresh garlic cloves, and this ingredient is a must,. Using garlic powder instead is fine but won’t be as tasty.
  • Heavy Cream: or you may use canned coconut milk
  • Gluten-free Flour: or any flour of your choice.
  • Lemon Zest: that zesty addition gives it a nice touch
  • Italian Seasoning Mix
  • Red Pepper Flakes, optional
  • Cayenne pepper Powder: make it as spicy as you can handle. Start with 1/2 teaspoon.
  • Sun-dried Tomatoes Chopped, there are two types, canned in oil or packets. The ones in oil will have a more intense color and flavor, but either works.
  • A handful of freshly chopped basil leaves picked and chopped
  • Sea salt and pepper, to taste

How to make Tuscan Shrimp

  • Melt butter in a large skillet or nonstick pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds, or until fragrant.
  • Meanwhile, in a bowl, whisk flour and heavy cream until well combined, then pour it into the pan.
  • Stir in the lemon zest, Italian seasoning, chili/red pepper flakes, cayenne powder, and sun-dried tomatoes. Lower the heat and simmer for about 3-4 minutes, or until the sauce starts to thicken.
  • Add the shrimp and cook until becomes pink and curly. About 4-5 minutes.
  • Take off the heat and stir in the basil. Season with salt and pepper if needed and enjoy!
close up of metal spoon getting a creamy shrimp from skillet with basil garnishes near it

Notes and tips

  • The creamy Tuscan sauce is going to be high in fat because of the heavy cream, but this can be swapped with canned coconut milk, a combination of milk and cream cheese, or Greek yogurt and cream cheese.
  • Consider adding some other veggies like chopped kale, green beans, broccoli, or asparagus.
  • Do not overcook the shrimp so it doesn’t come out chewy and rubbery. You will know when the shrimp is cooked through when it curls up and turns pinkish. Which usually doesn’t take more than 4-5 minutes

Storage and Reheating

  • Storing: Store leftovers in a container in the fridge for up to 4 days. We do not recommend freezing this creamy Tuscan shrimp because once thawed it may curdle and not appetizing.
  • Reheating: Reheat the leftovers in the microwave for 60-90 seconds until heated through.
top view of black skillet with creamy shrimp and spoon in skillet, next to skillet on top left there are 2 lemon wedges and top right twi basil leaves

Frequently asked questions

What is a Tuscan cream sauce made of?

A Tuscan cream sauce is generally a creamy garlic butter-based sauce made with the addition of some seasonings and sun-dried tomatoes. Other additions that can be added to the Tuscan-inspired sauce are fresh basil, fresh spinach, and fresh cherry tomatoes.

How many calories are in Tuscan butter shrimp?

This will all depend on the ingredients used to make the Tuscan shrimp and the size of the serving. The calories per serving will range between 200-400 calories per serving. A single serving of our creamy Tuscan shrimp is 270 calories, with 18g of protein and 7g of carbs. The calories can be cut down by using healthier swaps like using coconut milk instead of heavy cream.

Can I use frozen shrimp to make Tuscan shrimp?

If you would like to use frozen shrimp for this Creamy Garlic Tuscan Shrimp Recipe, you can. Remove the frozen shrimp from the bag and place it in a colander. Run cold water over the frozen shrimp for a few minutes. This will thaw out the crystals on the shrimp. Alternatively, you can also just place it in a bowl of cold water and wait a few minutes. Shrimps do not need too much time to thaw out.

top view of black skillet with creamy shrimp and lemon wedge garnish with fresh basil leaves

What to serve with Tuscan Shrimp

top close up view of s skillet with creamy shrimp with a metal spoon in the skillet along with lemon wedges

More shrimp recipes

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top view of Tuscan shrimp in a creamy sauce in black skillet with metal spoon in skillet and on top left there are 2 lemon wedges next to the skillet

Creamy Tuscan Butter Shrimp

Easy to make sauteed with Shrimp in a Creamy Tuscan sauce that is rich, decadent, and made with heavy cream, garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, and other simple ingredients. Ready in 20 minutes.
4.85 from 60 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian
Diet: Gluten Free
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
0 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 6
Calories: 270kcal
Author: Rena

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ lb Shrimp peeled and deveined
  • 2 Tbsp Butter or Ghee
  • 4 Garlic Cloves pressed
  • 1 Cup Heavy Cream or coconut cream/milk in can
  • 1 Tsp Gluten-free Flour or any flour of choice
  • ½ Tbsp Lemon Zest
  • 1 Tbsp Italian Seasoning Mix
  • 1 Tsp Chili Flakes/ red pepper flakes or to taste
  • 1 Tsp Cayenne Powder optional if you can't handle spice
  • ¼ Cup Sun-dried Tomatoes Chopped
  • A handful of freshly chopped basil leaves picked and chopped
  • Sea salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

  • Melt butter in a large skillet or nonstick pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds, or until fragrant.
  • Meanwhile, in a bowl, whisk flour and heavy cream until well combined, then pour it into the pan.
  • Stir in the lemon zest, Italian seasoning, chili flakes, cayenne powder, and sun-dried tomatoes. Lower the heat and simmer for about 3-4 minutes, or until the sauce starts to thicken.
  • Add the shrimp and cook until becomes pink and curly. About 4-5 minutes.
  • Take off the heat and stir in the basil. Season with salt and pepper if needed and enjoy!

Video

Notes

Nutritional facts:
Please keep in mind that the nutritional information is calculated using a nutrition facts calculator. It is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on products used.

Nutrition

Calories: 270kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 198mg | Sodium: 694mg | Potassium: 357mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 1196IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 113mg | Iron: 1mg
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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Orpha Vic Faraon says

    5 stars
    Thank you for these spl recipe. They are delicious, i’ve tried it using our local seasonings and the result is also sumptuous licious!

  2. Anna says

    5 stars
    New Family Favorite! We cut the spices in half and it was still too spicy for the toddler and my 6 year old but keeping this and making it over again just less spices. We did it over linguine!

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