Slow Cooker Frozen Shrimp with Garlic Butter Sauce

Frozen shrimp and a slow cooker sound like a natural pair, but the crock still isn’t the right tool for actually cooking the shrimp itself — that part still needs direct heat, whether the shrimp starts frozen or thawed. What the slow cooker is genuinely good for here is the garlic butter: a long, low infusion that mellows raw garlic into something rich and rounded. The frozen shrimp goes straight into a hot skillet with no thawing required, searing through in just a few extra minutes, then gets tossed into the warm garlic butter to finish. Same easy, dump-and-hold appeal, minus the rubbery shrimp.

Why This Slow Cooker Frozen Shrimp with Garlic Butter Works

The slow cooker infuses the butter, not the shrimp. A long, low melt mellows raw garlic into something rounder and sweeter, exactly what a slow cooker does well.
No need to thaw the shrimp first. It goes straight from the freezer into a hot skillet, which handles the extra ice with just a few added minutes.
The shrimp still gets real, direct heat. A quick sear cooks it through properly, something the slow cooker alone can’t do for a protein this delicate.
Perfect for serving warm at a gathering. Once combined, the crock holds everything at serving temperature without cooking the shrimp any further.

What You’ll Need

You’ll want a small slow cooker (1.5 to 3 quarts) and a large skillet for searing the shrimp.

1 pound frozen large raw shrimp, peeled and deveined — no need to thaw
1 tablespoon oil, for searing
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cubed
8 cloves garlic, minced
1 lemon, juiced and zested
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
Salt and black pepper, to taste
Crusty bread, for serving

Step-by-Step Instructions

Start the garlic butter. Add the butter, garlic, lemon zest, red pepper flakes, and Italian seasoning to the slow cooker.
Infuse low and slow. Cover and cook on LOW for 1 to 2 hours, stirring occasionally, until the butter is fully melted and the garlic smells sweet and mellow rather than sharp.
Heat the skillet. About 15 minutes before serving, heat the oil in a large skillet over high heat until shimmering.
Sear the frozen shrimp. Add the shrimp straight from the freezer in a single layer. Expect a burst of steam and liquid as the ice melts — that’s normal.
Cook through. Cook undisturbed 2 to 3 minutes, then flip and cook 3 to 4 more minutes, until fully pink, opaque, and curled into a “C” shape. Let any excess liquid cook off, then season with salt and pepper.
Combine. Stir the lemon juice into the warm garlic butter, then add the seared shrimp, tossing to coat.
Serve warm. Switch the slow cooker to WARM and serve directly from it with crusty bread for dipping.

Pro Tips

Don’t add frozen shrimp straight to the slow cooker. Even with the butter already warm, the crock can’t bring a frozen block up to a safe, fully cooked temperature quickly enough.
Let the liquid cook off before combining. Frozen shrimp release more liquid than thawed shrimp as they cook; draining or evaporating it first keeps the garlic butter from turning watery.
Use high heat for searing. It compensates for the temperature drop when frozen shrimp hits the pan, keeping the cook time close to normal.
Stir the butter occasionally while it infuses. Garlic can settle and scorch slightly against the base of some slow cookers if left completely undisturbed.
Keep it on WARM, not LOW, once the shrimp is in. LOW continues actively cooking; WARM just holds the temperature for serving.

Variations & Alternatives

Already-thawed shrimp: Skip the extra searing time — thawed shrimp cooks through in about 3 to 4 minutes total instead of 5 to 7.
Extra garlicky: Push the garlic up to 10 or 12 cloves for a bolder flavor.
Spicier version: Double the red pepper flakes or add a dash of hot sauce.
Turn it into dinner: Serve over pasta or rice instead of bread.

Storage & Reheating

Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days; the butter solidifies in the fridge and melts back down when reheated. Reheat gently in a saucepan over low heat, stirring often. This dish doesn’t freeze particularly well once the shrimp is mixed in.

FAQ

Can I put frozen shrimp directly in the slow cooker with the butter? Not for the full cook time. It would spend too long at unsafe temperatures before heating through, and shrimp turns rubbery well before that point regardless. Searing it separately keeps things safe and tender.

Does searing shrimp from frozen take much longer than thawed? Only a few extra minutes — plan on about 5 to 7 minutes total instead of 3 to 4.

Can I thaw the shrimp first instead? Yes, that works too, and slightly shortens the searing time. This method is just built to skip that step if you forgot or didn’t plan ahead.

How long can this stay on WARM for serving? An hour or two is ideal; beyond that, the shrimp gradually firms up even on the warm setting.