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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.
Shrimp Scampi is one of those effortlessly impressive meals that’s good enough “for company” or just for a night when you want to eat like a king.
You can keep things light with just the shrimp in the garlic butter sauce, or maybe serve with a salad or roasted veggies on the side. Or you can go full-blown comfort food with your starch of choice: crusty bread, mashed potatoes, chewy buttered noodles, or a bowl of tender white rice.
Table of Contents
Recipe 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.
Ingredient notes
- 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 in the shell (pre-cooked shrimp will turn rubbery). 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 knife to make a shallow slice right through the shell on the shrimp’s back, from its head to its tail. Then pick out the black or green vein that runs along the back and discard it.
Step-by-step instructions
- 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.
Recipe tips and variations
- Yield: This recipe makes 4 servings from 2 lb of shrimp. It will feed 6 or 8 as an appetizer.
- Storage: This recipe is best enjoyed the day it is made.
- 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.
- Suitable side dishes: 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!
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Easy Shrimp Scampi
Quick and easy Shrimp Scampi is on the table in 30 minutes! So buttery and delicious, the whole family will love it. Great with pasta, rice, or bread.
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 (see note 2)
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 pounds large shrimp peeled, tails on (see note 3)
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice (about 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 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 in the shell (pre-cooked shrimp will turn rubbery). 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 knife to make a shallow slice right through the shell on the shrimp’s back, from its head to its tail. Then pick out the black or green vein that runs along the back and discard it.
- Yield: This recipe makes 4 servings from 2 pounds of shrimp. It will feed 6 or 8 as an appetizer.
- Storage: This recipe is best enjoyed the day it is made.
- 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).
- Suitable side dishes: Serve scampi with white rice, mashed potatoes, or buttered noodles and roasted asparagus, broccoli, or cauliflower on the side. Crusty bread is great too!
Nutrition
Calories: 409kcalCarbohydrates: 2gProtein: 47gFat: 22gSaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 602mgSodium: 1867mgPotassium: 230mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 556IUVitamin C: 16mgCalcium: 343mgIron: 5mg
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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.