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This quick and Easy Shrimp Scampi recipe is on the table in 30 minutes. So buttery and delicious, the whole family will love it. Great with pasta, rice, or bread.
Why you’ll love this Easy Shrimp Scampi Recipe
Nothing beats a hearty platter of buttery, garlicky Shrimp Scampi, but it’s easy to end up with a greasy sauce if you’re not careful. I mastered all the classic sauces in culinary school, and I’m excited to share those techniques with you here.
The shrimp you choose matters, too. Anything pre-cooked or too small will turn rubbery, so look for large raw shrimp. Sometimes you can find them peeled and cleaned, but if not, I’ll walk you through how easy it is to devein shrimp. You won’t even break a sweat!
Enjoy this easy Shrimp Scampi recipe with pasta, rice, crusty bread, roasted veggies, or a simple salad. It’s a simple dinner that will make you excited to cook at home more often.
Table of Contents
Simple Shrimp Scampi Ingredients
At a Glance: Here is a quick snapshot of what ingredients are in this recipe.
Please see the recipe card below for specific quantities.
- Lemon: Zest the lemon before you cut it in half for juice.
- White wine: Choose a dry variety such as Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay, or Sauvignon Blanc . Substitute chicken broth or shrimp stock if you want to omit the wine.
- Shrimp: For the best flavor, buy individually quick frozen raw shrimp. Thaw frozen shrimp overnight in the refrigerator or in a bowl in the sink with a trickle of cold water running over them. To clean the shrimp, use a paring knife to cut along the dark vein on the back of each shrimp and remove it. Rinse out the back of each shrimp and pat dry with paper towels.
How to Make This Easy Shrimp Scampi Recipe
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add half the butter (2 tbsp) and olive oil and heat to melt the butter. Stir in the garlic and lemon zest until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Stir in the wine, red pepper flakes if using, and salt and pepper to taste (I like 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper). Bring to a simmer.
- Add the shrimp, cover, and cook until the shrimp are slightly translucent, about 2 minutes. Reduce to medium heat and cook until the shrimp are just cooked through and pink, about 2 minutes longer.
- Remove the pan from the heat and stir in lemon juice and remaining 2 tbsp butter and toss. Season to taste with salt and pepper and garnish with parsley.
Shrimp Scampi Recipe Easy Tips For Success
- Yield: This recipe makes 4 servings from 2 lb of shrimp. It will feed 6 or 8 as an appetizer.
- Make ahead: The shrimp can be thawed and cleaned up to 24 hours in advance.
- Shrimp stock: Consider making homemade shrimp stock from the shells (you can always freeze the shells and tackle that another day). This comes in handy when making other shrimp recipes.
What to Serve With Homemade Shrimp Scampi
Serve scampi with cooked pasta like angel hair pasta, linguine, or buttered noodles. Other great options are white rice, mashed potatoes and roasted asparagus, zucchini noodles, broccoli, or cauliflower on the side. Crusty bread is great too!
How to store Simple Shrimp Scampi
This recipe is best enjoyed the day it is made.
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Simple Shrimp Scampi
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons butter divided (½ stick)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest (see note 1)
- 1/4 cup dry white wine or shrimp stock
- 1/4 teaspoon red chili flakes (optional)
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 pounds large shrimp peeled, tails on (see note 2)
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice (from 2 lemons)
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley chopped
Instructions
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add 2 tablespoons butter and olive oil and heat until butter is melted. Stir in the garlic and lemon zest until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Stir in the wine, red pepper flakes if using, and salt and pepper to taste (I like 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper). Bring to boil. Add the shrimp, cover, and cook until the shrimp are slightly translucent, about 2 minutes.
- Reduce the heat to medium and cook until the shrimp are just cooked through, about 2 minutes longer. Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice and remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Season to taste with salt and pepper and garnish with parsley.
Recipe Video
Notes
- Lemon: Zest the lemons before you cut them in half for juice.
- White wine: Choose a dry variety such as Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay, or Sauvignon Blanc. Substitute chicken broth or shrimp stock if you want to omit the wine.
- Shrimp: For the best flavor, buy individually quick frozen raw shrimp. Thaw frozen shrimp overnight in the refrigerator or in a bowl in the sink with a trickle of cold water running over them. To clean the shrimp, use a paring knife to cut along the dark vein on the back of each shrimp and remove it. Rinse out the back of each shrimp and pat dry with paper towels.
- Yield: This recipe will make about 24 ounces of cooked shrimp, enough for 4 servings, 6 ounces each.
- Storage: This recipe is best enjoyed the day it is made.
Nutrition
Meggan Hill is a classically-trained chef and professional writer. Her meticulously-tested recipes and detailed tutorials bring confidence and success to home cooks everywhere. Meggan has been featured on NPR, HuffPost, FoxNews, LA Times, and more.
Awesome recipe! My husband loved it and said we need to have this more often.
Nice recipe. I roast the shrimp and add it once the sauce and pasta are cooked and combined. That way there’s not treat of overcooking the shrimp.