Sambuca Cream Shrimp Recipe: Garlic Butter Shrimp in Creamy Sambuca Sauce

Shrimp in Sambuca Cream Sauce combines a subtle sweet licorice note with a gentle garlic finish for a dish that’s equally stunning as an appetizer or a main. This restaurant-style classic yields a silky, mildly sweet cream sauce you’ll want to spoon up when the plate is empty. Serve with crusty bread if you’re not low-carb, or enjoy it as a low-carb treat with just 4g net carbs per serving.

Sambuca cream sauces have been used for years with seafood like mussels, scallops, and shrimp. In restaurants you might see Sambuca shrimp flambéed table-side to burn off the alcohol — a dramatic touch. If you’re unsure about a licorice-flavored sauce, don’t worry: when reduced into cream with tomatoes and basil the flavor is mild, slightly sweet, and wonderfully balanced.

Ingredients

Sambuca is the star here. Use a clear Italian Sambuca (not ouzo) and avoid black Sambuca — the sauce should be a pale, creamy finish. The recipe uses simple Italian flavors: garlic, shallot, tomato, and fresh basil. These ingredients let the slightly sweet Sambuca shine without overpowering the dish.

Key ingredient notes: choose a good-quality clear Sambuca, ripe diced tomatoes, fresh basil leaves for garnish, and heavy cream to finish the sauce. Butter added at the end gives extra richness and sheen.

Suggested shrimp: jumbo tiger shrimp (12–15 count) work best for appetizers — they’re easy to butterfly and make an impressive presentation. For a main course, smaller shrimp served over zucchini noodles (zoodles) are excellent.

Preparation Tips

This recipe comes together quickly, so have all ingredients measured and ready. Joanie recommends a nonstick skillet for cream sauces to prevent sticking; if you plan to flambé the Sambuca, use a stainless skillet instead. Shrimp cook fast — about three minutes for larger shrimp — so avoid overcooking. You can tent cooked shrimp in foil while finishing the sauce to keep them warm, but remove them early so they don’t continue cooking.

When adding cream, remove the pan from the heat or lower it to prevent the cream from scorching. Stir continuously after adding cream and again after folding in the final butter so the sauce emulsifies and stays glossy. The sauce thickens slightly as it cools.

For presentation as an appetizer, butterfly jumbo shrimp and arrange them over the sauce. For a heartier main, double the sauce and serve over zoodles or grilled fish or chicken.

Shrimp in Sambuca Cream Sauce – The Perfect Italian Appetizer

Shrimp in Sambuca Cream Sauce is an elegant Italian appetizer with an earthy tomato-basil base and a whisper of sweet licorice from the Sambuca. The sauce pairs beautifully with shrimp, scallops, mussels, grilled fish, or chicken. It’s simple to prepare yet impressive to serve — mild, slightly sweet, and very tasty.