Easy Shrimp Scampi Recipe

This delicious Shrimp Scampi recipe features shrimp cooked in garlic, butter and a hint of lemon served over pasta. Ready in under 15 minutes!

Looking for more quick and easy dinner ideas? I think you’ll love Parmesan baked salmon, garlic shrimp, and shrimp creole.

Why I Love This Recipe

• Delicious. Buttery, garlicky shrimp with a light hint of lemon is perfect served in so many ways. My favorite way to serve it is over a bed of cooked pasta.
• Quick. Ready and on the table in 15 minutes, this recipe is a busy cook’s friend!
• Easy. This is a simple recipe that yields big flavor. Easy enough for a weeknight but elegant enough for entertaining friends.

Shrimp Scampi Recipe

What is Shrimp Scampi?

Scampi, or langoustines, are pink crustaceans similar to shrimp but have a taste similar to lobster. Reportedly, Italian American chefs changed the recipe long ago to use shrimp instead of scampi, as scampi are not readily available in America. Shrimp is more plentiful, so it is commonly used in this dish.

However, even though scampi are not commonly used in the recipe here, the word “scampi” is still used in the name of the recipe, Shrimp Scampi.

In addition to shrimp, the dish also commonly contains butter and olive oil, fresh garlic, a bit of lemon juice and either white wine or chicken stock. I make this Shrimp Scampi without wine – I use chicken stock or broth. There are a few more ingredients, but those are characteristic for a buttery, garlicky shrimp scampi with a hint of lemon.

How to Make Shrimp Scampi

There are a few ingredients that make this dish a favorite.

Ingredients

• shrimp – I prefer wild-caught shrimp over farm raised. Frozen is fine. I suggest buying with the tail on and removing the tail, peeling, and deveining yourself. Shrimp will be fresher – and probably a lot less expensive than if you buy it with all that already done. Thaw the frozen shrimp in a bowl of cool water for around 10 minutes.
• butter – I usually use salted butter, but unsalted works fine too. The buttery sauce is iconic for this dish.
• olive oil – this adds to the sauce and keeps the butter from browning too much.
• garlic – fresh garlic is best in this recipe. Peel the garlic and mince it yourself for the most flavor.
• red onion – adds a special bit of flavor to the dish, as well as a bit of color. Some people use shallots, but I prefer the bit of red onion.
• chicken stock or broth – I use this instead of wine to make a flavorful sauce. You can use your favorite store-bought chicken stock or broth if you wish. I like making homemade stock, canning, and using it for cooking.
• lemon juice – fresh lemon juice will give the most flavor, but you can certainly use good quality refrigerated lemon juice if you want.
• salt – I prefer to use Kosher salt, but use salt to your tastes.
• fresh parsley – finely chopped
• pasta, zucchini, or crusty bread – I use linguini pasta in the recipe. If you prefer zucchini noodles, use the amount of zucchini to make the equivalent amount of pasta as the recipe. A thick crusty bread to soak up some of the buttery, garlicky sauce is also a delicious option!

Step-by-Step Instructions

First, make sure you’ve prepped all of your ingredients and have them nearby the stove. The shrimp cooks quickly, so for the best results, prep the ingredients prior to cooking.

• Preheat. Begin by placing a large skillet over medium heat. I then add the butter to melt along with the olive oil. Once the butter has melted, I add my garlic and red onion and saute until tender.
• Cook. Next, add in shrimp and cook until the shrimp turns pink about 2-3 minutes. Remove the shrimp and pour in the chicken stock and lemon juice. Now, increase the heat to medium-high heat until the stock boils.
• Add ingredients. Remove it from the heat and gently stir in cooked pasta, shrimp, salt, and fresh parsley. Lightly toss shrimp to make sure it is well coated.
• Serve. Plate the shrimp scampi, serve and enjoy.

Other Delicious Shrimp Recipes

Boiled Shrimp

Citrus Shrimp Avocado Salad

Shrimp Tacos

Here’s my favorite shrimp scampi recipe. I think you should make it soon!

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Shrimp Scampi Recipe

Robyn Stone

5 from 12 votes

Shrimp Scampi is easy and elegant, perfect for entertaining. Made of shrimp sautéed in butter, olive oil and garlic, and gently tossed with red onion and parsley, it is a classic. Ready in under 15 minutes and delicious served over pasta or as an appetizer!

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Prep Time: 3 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 12 minutes minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes minutes

Servings: 6 people

Ingredients

For the Pasta

• ▢ 1 pound linguine
• ▢ 2 tablespoons kosher salt
• ▢ 2 tablespoons olive oil

For the Shrimp Scampi

• ▢ 1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
• ▢ 3 tablespoons butter
• ▢ 3 tablespoons olive oil
• ▢ 3 cloves garlic, minced
• ▢ 4 tablespoons diced red onion
• ▢ 1/4 cup chicken stock or broth
• ▢ 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• ▢ 4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Instructions 

For the Pasta

• Set a large pot of water over medium heat and bring to a boil. Once it comes to a boil, add a couple of tablespoons of salt and the linguini. Stir to make sure the pasta separates and then cover. When the water returns to a boil, cook for about 6 to 8 minutes or until the pasta is not quite done. Drain the pasta and toss with olive oil.

For the Shrimp Scampi

• Set a large skillet over medium heat. Add the butter to melt along with the olive oil. Saute the garlic and red onion. Add in shrimp and cook until the shrimp turns pink, about 2-3 minutes. Remove the shrimp and pour in chicken stock and lemon juice. Increase heat to medium-high heat until the stock comes to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in the cooked pasta, shrimp, salt and fresh parsley. Lightly toss shrimp to make sure it is well coated.
• Serve immediately.

Nutrition

Calories: 470kcal | Carbohydrates: 56g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 205mg | Sodium: 3161mg | Potassium: 235mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 175IU | Vitamin C: 3.5mg | Calcium: 130mg | Iron: 2.6mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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Enjoy!
Robyn xo