Shrimp Francese (or francaise) is a classic Italian-American dish that combines succulent, egg-battered shrimp that’s simmered in a buttery lemon and white wine sauce and topped with fresh parsley. This simple seafood dish goes perfectly with rice, linguine, or crusty bread and is so simple it’s sure to become part of your rotation!

Shrimp Francese is one of those dishes I grew up eating.
Anytime we’d go to an Italian restaurant, it was on the menu alongside some other favorites, like baked clams, shrimp parm, and shrimp fra diavolo.
As great as it is at a restaurant, it’s even better at home, and is incredibly easy to make!
I love to serve shrimp Francese with rice pilaf, or linguine, but it’s also great with crusty bread.
A simple sauteed green like broccoli rabe or spinach rounds out the meal.
And when you’re in the mood for chicken, check out our recipe for chicken Francese!
How to make it
Each number corresponds to the numbered written steps below.
- Mince 1/4 cup of flat-leaf Italian parsley and 3 cloves of garlic. Cut 1 large lemon into slices, and juice enough of another lemon to yield 1 tablespoon of juice. Clean and devein 1 1/2 pounds of colossal shrimp (roughly U15 size). If you’d like to butterfly the shrimp, do that now by cutting the shrimp almost all the way through, lengthwise. Then flatten it as shown. Prepare a frying station with the shrimp, a bowl with 1 cup of flour, and a bowl of 5 large beaten eggs mixed with half of the minced flat-leaf Italian parsley.
- Dry the shrimp off with paper towels and season with salt and pepper on both sides.
- Heat a large nonstick pan to a little less than medium heat and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and 2 tablespoons of butter. Dredge the shrimp in flour and shake off the excess. Note: you’ll need 3 tablespoons of flour for the sauce later on. Reserve 3 tablespoons from the dredging flour and the rest can be discarded.
- Dip the shrimp into the eggwash, then add them to the pan. If needed, work in batches to avoid overcrowding the pan.
- Fry the shrimp for 1-2 minutes per side, then place on a wire rack or paper towels to drain. Note: If you chose to butterfly the shrimp, you can try to get the shrimp to fry with the flat side down. An easier way to get them to fry flat is to remove the tails before frying. The choice is yours.
- Repeat the process for the remaining shrimp adding extra oil and butter as needed.
- Wipe down the pan to remove most of the accumulated oil and butter and add 3 tablespoons of butter and the minced garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Take 3 tablespoons of flour from the dredging flour and add to the pan, whisking over medium heat for 30 seconds or until smooth.
- Add 3/4 cup of dry white wine and turn the heat up to high and allow to boil for 30-60 seconds while whisking. Add 1 1/2 cups of low-sodium chicken stock and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice and bring to a boil for 1 minute while whisking.
- Turn the heat down to medium-low and taste test the sauce. Adjust any salt and pepper as needed.
- Return the shrimp to the pan along with the lemon slices and gently coat the shrimp with the sauce. Heat through and cook for 3-4 minutes while spooning the sauce over the shrimp.
- Stir in the remaining parsley before serving. Serve the shrimp with rice, linguine, or with crusty bread and enjoy!
Top tips
- Shrimp. I used U15 shrimp for this recipe, meaning there are 15 shrimp per pound. I find that the larger shrimp are much better for this dish. Also, I recommend butterflying the shrimp as it will create more surface area for batter and sauce and makes for an overall better experience and appearance. The same principle works well for shrimp parmigiana.
- Wine. I used Sauvignon Blanc for this recipe but any dry white wine will work. If you prefer to not use wine, you can omit it entirely.
- Pan. Using a nonstick pan is a great idea for this particular recipe since it will help to prevent the delicate batter from sticking and coming off the shrimp.
More awesome shrimp recipes
It’s no secret that we’re huge shrimp fans here at Sip and Feast. Here are just a few of our favorites, but feel free to browse our entire seafood category for more!
- Shrimp oreganata – shrimp with garlicky breadcrumbs, lemon, and butter.
- Lemon garlic shrimp pasta – al dente pasta tossed with shrimp, parsley, lemon juice, and garlic.
- Shrimp alla vodka – pasta tossed with shrimp in a creamy pink sauce.
If you’ve enjoyed this Shrimp Francese Recipe or any recipe on this site, give it a 5-star rating and tell us about it in the comments below.
We strive to satisfy a number of learning styles. If you are someone who prefers to learn by watching, you can find most of our recipes on YouTube and our Facebook Page.
For more never-before-seen FULL MEAL RECIPE VIDEOS, become a Patreon member today!
Shrimp Francese
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds colossal shrimp cleaned, deveined, and butterflied – around U15 count
- 5 large eggs beaten
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 8 tablespoons butter divided
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 cup flour
- 3/4 cup dry white wine
- 1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken stock
- 1 large lemon sliced
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup flat-leaf Italian parsley minced, divided
Instructions
- Prepare a frying station with the butterflied shrimp, a bowl of flour, and a bowl with the beaten eggs and half of the parsley mixed in.
- Heat a large nonstick pan to a touch lower than medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and 2 tablespoons of butter to the pan.
- Dry the shrimp off with paper towels then season the shrimp with salt and pepper on both sides. Dredge shrimp into the flour, shake off the excess, and dip into the eggwash then add to the pan. Do not crowd the pan! Work in batches. Use more oil/butter as required for subsequent batches. Fry the shrimp for 1-2 minutes per side, then place on paper towels or a wire rack to drain. Reserve 3 tablespoons of the dredging flour for use later on.
- Wipe the pan down and add 3 tablespoons of butter and the garlic and cook until fragrant (about 60 seconds). Next, add 3 tablespoons of flour to the pan and whisk over medium heat until smooth (about 30 seconds).
- Add in the white wine, turn the heat to high, and bring to a boil for 1 minute while whisking. Next, add the chicken stock and lemon juice and again bring to a boil for 1 minute while whisking. Turn the heat down to medium-low. Taste test the sauce and adjust salt and pepper to taste.
- Return the shrimp to the pan along with the lemon slices and gently coat the shrimp with the sauce. Heat through for 3-4 minutes while spooning the sauce over the shrimp.
- Stir in the remaining parsley before serving. Serve over rice, linguine, or with crusty bread. Enjoy!
Notes
- This recipe can easily be made with flounder, cod, or scallops.
- Use a nonstick pan to avoid sticking.
- Leftovers can be stored for up to 3 days in fridge. Reheat in the oven at 325f covered until warm.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
every recipe I have tried is awesome. thank you for sharing.
We’re so happy to hear that, Donna!
Hi Tara,
Happy Holidays! My favorite way to eat shrimp! Like you, grew up eating this dish. tMaking this tonight for Christmas Eve dinner with friends and family, adding lobster tails to the shrimp. Can I dredge and dip the seafood and place on a parchment lined sheet pan and refrigerated a few hours prior to the sautee? It would make bringing the dish to the table without too much prep time between courses a bit easier…just curious. TIA!
Hi Debra, you can though it may get a little soggy but it should still work.
Thank you…that was my thought so I will tough it out tonight ! Lol!! Merry Christmas!
My wife is a pescatarian and I was looking for an equivalent recipe to substitute for chicken francese which i love. This recipe worked fabulously although I made in a stainless pan so I could get some fond for the sauce. I also think pairing this with a pasta ai oglio is enjoyablr
I love your recipes. You print them out so anyone can easily follow.
We’re so happy you enjoy the recipes, Maryann!
We had our anniversary dinner at a local Italian restaurant last night and this is what I ordered. Served with capellini and grilled veggies. I had leftovers but not enough for two of us. So I found this recipe and I, once again, wonder why we bother to go out for dinner. I love to cook so Iโd rather spend $170 on quality ingredients I can make at home. Thank you for this simple but delicious recipe.
I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Barbara!
Looking forward to making this next week love your recipes and videos again TY
We hope you enjoy it!
Excellent! As has been every single recipe Iโve made from this site! Iโm not a newby to cooking, it is my passion for 40 years, and this has become my go-to when I need a PERFECT recipe. Theyโre accurate, well-thought out and written in a straightforward manner. Love you guys! Thank you! This is a birthday favorite around here and it is perfect!
Thanks for the awesome comment, Patti! We’re so happy you’re enjoying the recipes!
Shrimp Francese
Love, love, love this recipe. Have made it with shrimp and added scallops. Reheats beautifully, but I usually donโt have any leftovers to reheat. Everyone gobbles it up.
Thanks for all the recipes you create. They are becoming my go to dinners for family and company.
Made this recipe for company and they not only loved it but wanted to know when I would be making it again as they would be back to have more. Served it over rice but have also made it and put it over orzo pasta. My favorite shrimp recipe.
We’re so happy you and your guests enjoyed this one, B.J.!
Made this recipes last night it was so delicious ๐ thank you for sharing this recipe big fan of your recipes.
Made tonight it was absolutely delicious !
Canโt wait to make this recipe. It looks amazing! Thank you so much for the recipe. So kind of you.๐
Just made this recipe and it was delicious !
Thank you for sharing it with all of us !