Perfect Shrimp Scampi Recipe

You will love this Shrimp Scampi Recipe, lightly simmered in a delectable white wine and garlic butter sauce. It is one of my most requested recipes at family get-togethers.

Who doesn’t love easy-to-prepare seafood recipes? Try my flash fried calamari or easy broiled salmon for simple-to-make weeknight meals.

Shrimp Scampi

Shrimp Scampi is an American-Italian shrimp dish cooked with white wine, butter, and garlic. It is commonly served with pasta. Sampi is a European word, more specifically, Italian. It is tiny langoustines similar to mini lobsters that can be found throughout Western Europe. Initially, they were cooked in their juices and served, but they were later adapted to being cooked with garlic, butter, and wine.

When Italians migrated to the United States, scampi was very hard to find, so the classic recipe was changed to shrimp and cooked in the same manner as scampi, which led to the name shrimp scampi. This dish is very easy to make and is best served by itself with crusty bread or pasta.

Ingredients and Substitutions

• Shrimp – larger fresh or frozen and thawed shrimp at least 36/40 in size is best. Other sizes that work well are U/10, U/12, U/15, 16/20, 21/25, 26/30, or 31/35.
• Oil – Olive or avocado oil works well. You can also use your favorite neutral-flavored oil.
• Garlic – Whole garlic minced cloves are the key to this dish. Substitute with 1 tablespoon of garlic granules or powder.
• Wine – Any dry white wine such as Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, or Sauvignon Blanc is best.
• Herbs – I finished the dish with minced fresh flat-leaf Italian parsley. Substitute with dry parsley.
• Butter – I always use unsalted butter in my cooking and baking to control the sodium content.
• Seasoning – I used coarse salt, freshly cracked pepper, and optional crushed red pepper flakes to taste.
• Lemon – Some freshly squeezed lemon juice will brighten up the recipe.

How to Make Shrimp Scampi

Start by peeling your shrimp, leaving the tail on. You can also remove it if you like, as it is mostly cosmetic.

Next, gently cook some garlic over low to medium heat in a large pan with olive oil until you smell it.

Add the shrimp in and cook and stir for about 60 to 90 seconds.

Deglaze with white wine and cook the shrimp for 60 to 90 seconds while stirring.

Finish by adding parsley, lemon juice, red pepper flakes, sea salt, and butter and mixing until completely combined.

Shrimp Scampi Pasta

While you can eat it alone, it is also excellent when served over pasta. Cook the pasta in hot, boiling, and salted water until al dente, then toss it or serve it with the already-cooked shrimp scampi. 

Make-Ahead and Storage

Make-Ahead: This recipe is meant to be eaten as soon as cooked. If it sits too long, the shrimp will become overcooked and chewy.

How to Store: Cover and keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.  You can freeze these covered for up to 3 months. Thaw for one day in the fridge before reheating.

How to Reheat: Add the desired shrimp scampi to a large frying pan over medium to high heat and cook until warm. 

chef notes + tips

• The number before shrimp represents how many will make up one pound.
• If you want to alter the flavor slightly, add fresh herbs such as basil, oregano, chives, or thyme.
• This recipe makes quite a bit, so scale it to suit your needs. To serve, figure 4-6 ounces of shrimp per person.
• You can cook this recipe over higher heat, but it will risk overcooking the shrimp.
• When the shrimp are done cooking, they will be in the shape of a C, and if it is very tight and firm, it is most likely overcooked.
• If you do not want to use wine, substitute it with chicken stock.

More Seafood Recipes

• Cioppino
• Gravlax
• Smoked Salmon
• Clam Chowder
• Oysters Rockefeller

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Perfect Shrimp Scampi Recipe

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5 from 45 votes

You will love this Shrimp Scampi Recipe, lightly simmered in a delectable white wine and garlic butter sauce.

Servings: 8

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes minutes

Ingredients 

US CustomaryMetric

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 12 finely minced garlic cloves
• 3 pounds peeled and deveined 21/25 shrimp
• ½ cup dry white wine
• juice of 1 lemon, about 2 to 3 tablespoons
• 3 tablespoons chopped parsley
• 1 stick unsalted butter
• coarse salt, crushed red pepper flakes, and pepper to taste

Instructions

• Add the olive oil to a large pan or rondeau over low to medium heat and let it get hot for about a minute. Then add the garlic and cook while stirring it, just until you smell it, which takes about 30 to 60 seconds.
• Pour the shrimp, stir, and cook it for 60 to 90 seconds.
• Next, add the white wine and cook for 60 to 90 seconds.
• Finish by stirring in the lemon juice, parsley, butter, sea salt, crushed red pepper flakes, and pepper until combined.
• Serve with crusty bread or toss with cooked al dente pasta.

Notes

Make-Ahead: This recipe is meant to be eaten as soon as cooked. If it sits too long, the shrimp will become overcooked and chewy.

How to Store: Cover and keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.  You can freeze these covered for up to 3 months. Thaw for one day in the fridge before reheating.

How to Reheat: Add the desired shrimp scampi to a large frying pan over medium to high heat and cook until warm.

The number before shrimp represents how many will make up one pound.

If you want to alter the flavor slightly, add fresh herbs such as basil, oregano, chives, or thyme.

This recipe makes quite a bit, so scale it to suit your needs. To serve, figure 4-6 ounces of shrimp per person.

You can cook this recipe over higher heat, but it will risk overcooking the shrimp.

When the shrimp are done cooking, they will be in the shape of a C, and if it is very tight and firm, it is most likely overcooked.

If you do not want to use wine, substitute it with chicken stock.

Nutrition

Calories: 237kcalCarbohydrates: 2gProtein: 35gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 429mgSodium: 1324mgPotassium: 173mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 126IUVitamin C: 10mgCalcium: 258mgIron: 4mg

Course: Appetizer, Main

Cuisine: American, Italian

Author: Chef Billy Parisi