Shrimp Scampi is made with big, juicy shrimp that are cooked in a garlic butter wine sauce! Made in 20 minutes, including prep, it’s perfect for a weeknight dinner. Serve with crusty bread, or over some al dente pasta!
This is one of my Seafood recipes I know you’ll want to keep on hand!
Shrimp Scampi is one of my husband’s favorite meals. And even though I’m not the biggest seafood fan, it’s one of my favorite meals to cook.
Why, you ask? Because it’s ready in 20 minutes, from start to finish, and made entirely in one pan!
That’s a huge win in my book. Less work for me, but the flavors are out of this world good!
You’d never know this meal was so easy to put together, because it tastes like you got it from a fancy restaurant.
This recipe for shrimp scampi has been on the website for years, but I thought it could use some better photos and updated information for you!
How to make shrimp scampi?
This is just an overview; the full ingredients and directions are in the recipe card toward the bottom of this post.
- Season shrimp. Pay dry and season with salt and pepper.
- Start sauce. Heat butter, parsley, garlic, and lemon zest and cook for a minute or two.
- Cook shrimp. Increase heat, cook shrimp for 1 minute.
- Pour in wine and chicken broth. Cook the wine until reduced by half, then add chicken broth and simmer another 1-2 minutes.
- Stir in lemon juice. Then transfer shrimp to a plate.
- Add butter to sauce. Whisk the cold butter into the sauce, then taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.
- Add shrimp back. Toss shrimp in the sauce and serve with more parsley and lemon wedges.
Helpful Tip!
You’ll want raw shrimp for this, so they don’t get all overcooked and rubbery. To save myself some time, I bought shrimp that were peeled and deveined, but feel free to get whatever you prefer. Pick up the jumbo shrimp though, about 16-20 per pound. Mine were frozen, then I just defrosted them, but if you live closer to a coast and have some great looking seafood, go for fresh!
Variations of this recipe
- Extra saucy – if you like a lot of sauce, feel free to double the amount of the butter, parsley, garlic, lemon zest, white wine, chicken broth, and lemon juice.
- Cheese – it might not be traditional, but before serving, sometimes I like to sprinkle some shredded Parmesan cheese over the top.
- Parsley – I really prefer and recommend using fresh parsley here. It’s worth picking some up at the store. Dried doesn’t have the same texture, however it’ll work in a pinch.
- Olive oil – to cut down on the amount of butter, feel free to swap half of it for olive oil.
- Wine – any dry white wine will work here, but sauvignon blanc, pinot gris, and chardonnay are our favorites.
FAQ’s
We love to serve shrimp scampi over some pasta, or with a big piece of crusty bread. For some sides, we like to do green beans and a salad. But those are just what we like, you can serve it with whatever you’d like.
Unfortunately no. If you use cooked shrimp, you run a serious risk of having very overcooked and rubbery shrimp. I highly recommend fresh shrimp, but quality frozen shrimp will work as well. Just thaw them in the refrigerator and pat dry.
From what I can tell, the shrimp in garlic butter wine sauce is a fairly traditionally Italian meal. However the addition of pasta is an Italian-American thing.
Making shrimp scampi ahead of time
I don’t recommend making this recipe entirely ahead of time. Reheating shrimp can yield a tough and rubbery texture.
You can prep the ingredients ahead of time if you’d like, but this recipe is so quick and easy, you’ll have plenty of time to make this… I promise!
Storage
Leftover shrimp scampi should be stored in an airtight container and eaten within 2-3 days.
Recipes to Serve with Shrimp Scampi:
Recipe originally published in August of 2017, but has been updated in September of 2021.
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @the_chunky_chef on Facebook and Instagram!
Ingredients
- 4 Tbsp unsalted butter divided
- 1 1/2 lbs raw jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined (16 or 20 per pound)
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- heaping 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
- 4-5 cloves garlic minced
- 1 Tbsp lemon zest
- 1/4 cup dry white wine (like a Chardonnay)
- 1/4 cup chicken broth or stock (if you have shrimp or seafood stock that would be awesome too)
- 1 tsp lemon juice fresh is best
- pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
- more minced parsley, for garnish
- lemon wedges, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Pat shrimp dry and season with salt and pepper. Â
- To a large skillet, add 3 Tbsp of the butter and heat over MED heat. Â Add parsley, garlic, and lemon zest and cook, stirring often, until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes.
- Increase heat to MED-HIGH/HIGH, add shrimp and cook until just starting to turn pink, about 1 minute.
- Pour in wine and cook until reduced by about half, 1-2 minutes. Add chicken broth and simmer until shrimp are just cooked through, about 1-2 minutes.
- Add lemon juice, and crushed red pepper flakes, and stir.
- Transfer shrimp to a plate, leaving the liquid in the skillet. Add remaining 1 Tbsp of butter and whisk to incorporate. Simmer sauce for a few seconds, taste to see how the seasoning is. Add salt and pepper if needed.
- Add shrimp back to skillet and toss to coat. Garnish with a sprinkle of parsley and serve with lemon wedges if desired.
Want to save this recipe for later? Click the heart in the bottom right corner to save to your own recipe box!
Chef Tips
- Serve as is, over pasta, or with a big piece of crusty bread.Â
Video
Nutrition Disclaimer
The Chunky Chef is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
David says
We thoroughly enjoyed this. I added half a diced onion at the start and used 1 additional butter pad after taking shrimp out. Also I rolled the pasta through the sauce on Med heat to soak up all the extra goodness! Plated the noods, plopped on shrimps, sprinkled some more parsley and parm! It’s officially added to rotation!
PS- friends from OH recommend and will definitely try more recipes!
Mindy Joss says
It tasted like I knew what I was doing for a change!! Thanks so much for sharing; I feel so accomplished now & I’ll be trying your other recipes too!
Kathleen Bush says
Thank you for so many yummy recipes! IRISH
Krystle says
We love this recipe, it tastes just like it came from our favorite seafood restaurant.
Sandra says
These were a huge hit at my house! Everyone loved it!
Erin | Dinners, Dishes and Dessert says
This Shrimp Scampi looks incredibly delicious!
Erik says
I know a lot of people who would love this!
Kathy K says
Great, but very simple recipe! A true classic…nice job!
Jeff says
Really really good. I had to use powdered garlic bit it still turned out even better than most restaurants.
Even my 9 year old liked it, bout made me fall out of my chair! He thinks nuggets are the only food group!
Penny Weagly says
Made it tonight for dinner. It was awesome
TJM says
One additional item to make it even better add fresh grated parmesan cheese when serving over pasta. I let each person add the amount of cheese they want and everyone loves it
Abeer says
Dinner time truly can’t get easier than just 10 minutes and simple ingredients!
Nutmeg Nanny says
Love how quickly you can make this delicious meal!
Paula - bell'alimento says
ONE pot and only 10 minutes? There is no other answer but YES : )
Jen says
My stomach is growling looking at these pictures!! I want these just the way they are with crusty bread….amazing suggestion!
Jamielyn says
Only 10 minutes?! Can’t beat that. Sold!