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Homemade Shrimp Scampi is easy to make and whipped up with a handful of inexpensive ingredients! This simple recipe might just beat out your favorite restaurant’s version.
Shrimp scampi is always one of those safe options on a restaurant menu. While I’ve never had a scampi I totally hated, some just don’t quite hit the spot. That’s why, as much as I do enjoy some of those restaurant scampis out there, this homemade version is by far my favorite!
When making shrimp scampi at home, I can control quite a few things. First off, and possibly most importantly, I can make sure that my shrimp are cooked to perfection! Too often I’ve been served this pasta dish with rubbery, over cooked shrimp. When I sauté them at home, I can do so with the best ingredients and to the best level of done-ness.
This recipe is perfect for just about any time or place. Date nights, dinner parties, easy weeknight dinners, and more are great for serving this easy to make shrimp scampi! It’s a low-stress recipe that yields a restaurant-worthy result. Pair it with a tall glass of white wine for the dinner you deserve!
What You’ll Need
- Olive Oil – Avocado oil may also be used if preferred.
- Garlic – For this recipe, you should really use fresh, not pre-minced garlic.
- Salt – To taste.
- Crushed Red Pepper Flakes – These are optional, but highly recommended for a little added heat!
- Shrimp – They need to be cleaned, deveined, and still have their tail on.
- White Wine – Use a dry white wine like Chardonnay. If you’d prefer not to use wine, you can opt for chicken broth instead.
- Butter – Unsalted works best.
- Lemon Juice – FRESHLY SQUEEZED! Keep that bottle of store-bought lemon juice away from these shrimp!
- Parsley – Freshly minced parsley adds that extra oomph, for lack of a better word!
How to Make Shrimp Scampi
Cook the seasonings. Preheat a large skillet over medium heat with oil, garlic, salt, and red pepper flakes. Cook until the garlic becomes fragrant.
Cook the shrimp. Cook the shrimp until they’re pink. This should only take about 5 minutes. Then, remove them from the pan.
Create the sauce. Add the wine and butter to the pan, simmering until it thickens to a saucy consistency.
Add shrimp again. Toss the shrimp back into the pan with lemon juice and parsley. Cook for another 2-3 minutes.
Enjoy! Serve these shrimp atop a bed of cooked angel hair pasta, and enjoy!
Common Questions:
Can I use frozen shrimp in this scampi recipe? You can, but they’ll need to be thawed prior to cooking.
Why should I leave the tails on my shrimp? The little tails on shrimp actually contain a ton of flavor, and they add that flavor to the sauce as they cook. It’s a great easy way to seep extra flavor into this dish.
Storage Instructions:
In an airtight container in the fridge, this shrimp scampi will stay fresh for up to 3 days.
Have any extra shrimp on hand?
Shrimp Scampi
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, finely minced
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, optional
- 24 ounces (680 g) large shrimp, deveined with the tail on
- ⅔ cup (158 ml) white cooking wine or chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons (28 g) unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- 1 tablespoon freshly minced parsley
Instructions
- Add the olive oil, garlic, salt and red pepper flakes to a large skillet over medium heat.
- Stir and cook until the garlic becomes fragrant, about 2 minutes.
- Add the shrimp and cook until they become pink for about 5 minutes then remove them from the pan and set aside for later.
- Add the cooking wine and butter and let it simmer for 3-4 minutes or until it thickens.
- Add the shrimp back to the pan, pour in the lemon juice and the parsley and stir to coat.
- Cook again for 2-3 minutes then serve over angel hair pasta or whatever pasta that you prefer and garnish with freshly minced parsley.
Very good. Husband and I enjoyed the meal.