This shrimp scampi recipe makes easy appear elegant with juicy shrimp bathed in a garlicky, lemony butter sauce. Dish it up as an appetizer or serve as a main with pasta, zucchini noodles, or over rice.
At first glance, this garlic shrimp scampi dish looks downright decadent. But in reality, it’s the poster child for simplicity, because it takes just minutes to prepare.
Homemade shrimp scampi is elegant but effortless and is a no-brainer for a quick and delicious dinner. Whether you serve it as shrimp scampi pasta for a super quick weeknight meal or serve it to company for a chic nod to your faux fancy cookery, I love this recipe because the ingredients can always be stocked in the pantry and freezer for a sizzling bite any time.
Plus, it’s a versatile dish that can be served over rice, pasta, zucchini noodles, or just with some crusty bread (the perfect vehicle for all of that luscious buttery garlic sauce).
Heidi’s Tips for Recipe Success
- “Fresh is best” almost always applies to any recipe, but this is the exception. Make shrimp scampi with frozen shrimp for ease and to save some money.
- To ensure you’re getting the freshest shrimp possible, skip the seafood counter’s ice rink of thawing shrimp (it was originally frozen too, and how long have they been sitting there??) and go for a bag of flash-frozen shrimp so you can thaw it yourself.
- For the best flavor, choose wild-caught shrimp. I prefer the large 21/25 Key West pink shrimp for its sweet flavor.
- Avoid using acids like lemon juice or vinegar in the shrimp marinade. Similar to ceviche, these ingredients will “cook” the shrimp. Sitting in an acid-based marinade for too long could also make the shrimp mealy.
Ingredients in Shrimp Scampi
The full recipe, with amounts, can be found in the recipe card below.
- Frozen shrimp — Choose a frozen shrimp with the shell and tail still on, then shell and devein yourself. You can keep the tail or remove it. Shrimp still in the shell have more flavor and are cheaper.
- Garlic — Choose fresh garlic over the jarred stuff. I prefer to press mine instead of mincing.
- Red pepper flakes — Deliver a balanced heat.
- Extra-virgin olive oil — A fruity extra virgin is my choice.
- White wine — Adding white wine to this scampi’s olive oil, butter, and lemon juice sauce gives it a depth of flavor that won’t ever leave you boozy woozy. See, the wine’s alcohol cooks out and evaporates while simmering, making it perfectly okay for kids or those who abstain to eat.
- Butter — Salted or unsalted work equally fine and thicken the sauce.
- Lemon juice — Always use fresh lemon juice in this recipe.
- Kosher salt — Isn’t as strong as table salt.
- Parsley — Use flat-leaf or regular parsley. Mince it fine for just the right bits of brightness.
How to Make Shrimp Scampi
- Prep the shrimp. Thaw the shrimp by giving it 5 to 10 minute dunk in cold tap water, then remove the shells and devein.
- Marinate the shrimp. Toss the shrimp with a little olive, garlic, kosher salt, and red pepper flakes. Let it hang out for about 20 minutes to give the flavors time to penetrate the shrimp.
- Cook the shrimp. Shrimp cooks quickly, so don’t walk away from the skillet. Give them about 1 minute to 90 second on either side and remove to a plate to prevent them from overcooking.
Heidi’s Tip: If your shrimp taste tough or rubbery, you overcooked them. I suggest setting a timer as soon as the shrimp hit the hot pan so you know when to flip them. You’ll know they’re cooked when they’re opaque in color and the tails have curled in on the heads.
- Make the garlic butter scampi sauce. To the now-empty skillet, melt the butter and garlic, cooking just until fragrant. Stir in the wine and lemon juice, letting the sauce simmer gently until thickend.
- Whisk in additional COLD butter. This is the secret to creating a rich and creamy scampi sauce.
- Toss it all together. Return the shrimp to the pan and cook just long enough to reheat. Sprinkle with fresh parsley before serving.
Heidi’s Tip: Whisking the cold butter into the warm sauce emulsifies the sauce and thickens it as the butter melts. It’s a French technique similar to the classic beurre blanc, and creates a satiny-smooth, velvety textured garlic butter sauce you’ll be licking with a spoon.
FAQs
Never set frozen shrimp on the counter to thaw; you’re just asking for trouble when you do that.
Frozen shrimp thaws in about 10 minutes when submerged in COLD tap water. You might have to change out the water once or twice if you’re thawing a lot of shrimp.
Choose a drinkable wine that’s on the drier side such as a sauvignon blanc or even a chardonnay.
If you prefer skipping the wine, substitute half chicken broth and half water in lieu of the wine.
If your sauce is at all watery, there might be too much moisture in the pan from the shrimp. After thawing the frozen shrimp in cold water, pat them dry with a clean kitchen towel, taking care to remove all excess moisture.
This also ensures a golden sear on the shrimp. If they’re damp, the shrimp will steam when they touch the hot pan rather than sear.
“Scampi” is the Italian plural for “Scampo,” which is a larger type of langoustine (a shrimp-like crustacean native to Scotland that’s actually in the lobster family.)
Most American versions of garlic shrimp scampi just use shrimp, as I do here.
Storage and Reheating Tips
Shrimp is generally best eaten right away as it tends to dry out or become rubbery when reheated.
If you have leftovers, add them to sun-dried tomato pasta or buttered noodles (add the shrimp last and heat just until warmed through). Or, enjoy them cold in this Mediterranean salad or grilled vegetable sandwich.
What to Serve With Shrimp Scampi
- Carbs — creamy polenta, lemon rice, steamed white rice, lemon fettuccine, lemon asparagus risotto (or make shrimp scampi with zucchini noodles)
- Salad — Caesar salad, shaved parmesan arugula salad, Italian salad
- Bread — garlic bread or garlic rolls
If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a 
rating on this recipe below and leave a comment, take a photo and tag me on Instagram with #foodiecrusheats.
Garlic Butter Shrimp Scampi Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound wild caught large shrimp with shells
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil , divided
- 4 cloves garlic , pressed or minced
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 4 tablespoons butter
- ⅓ cup white wine or chicken stock
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice , or ½ lemon
- 1 tablespoon minced parsley
Instructions
- Prep the shrimp: Thaw the shrimp in cool water and remove the shells then devein the shrimp. Discard the shells, rinse and drain the shrimp then transfer to a small bowl.
- Marinate the shrimp: Drizzle the shrimp 2 tablespoons olive oil, half of the garlic, ½ teaspoon kosher salt and the red pepper flakes. Toss to coat and set let sit for 20 minutes for flavors to build.
- Cook the shrimp: In a large skillet, warm 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add the shrimp and garlic mixture to the skillet, spacing evenly in the pan. Cook for 1 to 1 ½ minutes then flip the shrimps over when they begin to become opaque. Cook for 1 more minute or so, watching so the shrimp turn golden but don't brown too much and the garlic doesn't burn. Transfer the shrimp to a small bowl or plate. If you have browned bits of garlic, move the skillet from the heat and remove the browned garlic as it will be bitter.
- Make the sauce: Melt 3 tablespoons of the butter in the skillet over medium heat and add the remaining garlic. Cook for 30 seconds or until fragrant then stir in the white wine and lemon juice. Cook for 5 minutes or until the sauce thickens and reduces by half, stirring occasionally.
- Finish the dish: Add the shrimp with any juices back to the pan and stir in the last tablespoon of butter and ½ teaspoon kosher salt or to taste. Sprinkle with the minced parsley, stir, and cook for 1 more minute. Serve warm with sourdough bread for dipping, or over pasta or rice.
Nutrition
More Shrimp Recipes to Try Next
- Easy Shrimp Cocktail
- Fried Shrimp Po Boys
- Peel ‘N Eat Beer Steamed Shrimp
- Crispy Baked Garlic Shrimp
- Saucy Greek Baked Shrimp
- Pan-Seared Citrus Shrimp
- Shrimp In Thai Coconut Sauce
- Grilled Garlic Shrimp
- Crispy Coconut Shrimp
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Aye
Made this shrimp scampi last night. Have to say it was just delicious! we like spicy food so, we added a little more red pepper flakes. Yummy
Thank you Aye! So glad you enjoyed it!
Linda
Made this tonight for our second time. Gosh, this is such a great recipe and it’s so simple. Everyone loves it. Thank you for sharing this with us.
Thank you Linda! So glad you liked it and came back to say you did!!
Kent
Made this for the first time tonight, its going into the regular rotation, SPECTACULAR!
Thanks for the kind words of approval and the 5 star review! Glad you enjoyed it Ken!
Shirley Goode
The recipe was very good. I followed the base recipe, but didn’t infuse the shrimp as suggested. Next time I will. Even so, I got rave reviews.
So glad you enjoyed it Shirley!
Leigh
too much salt…sadly we couldn’t eat this. I’ll try again without the salt next time. it smelled devine.
Sorry it didn’t work for you Leigh, did you use table salt or kosher salt? Table salt will definitely make it saltier.
Bob S
I love simple yet tasty recipes and you nailed it with this easy to make shrimp scampi
Thanks Bob, so glad you liked it.
Lynne
Yum yum
So simple, yet so delicious!
Glad you liked it Lynne!
Lisa Wilbraham
Amazing recipe. The best Shrimp scampi ever. It’s wonderful having a new recipe which taste likes you spent hours preparing – our little secret. So delectable and tasty and light. It’s my new go to recipe. Couldn’t post a picture since we ate every bite. Thank you.
Love it when a recipe becomes part of the family! Thanks Lisa!
Jodannns
AMAZING!! Absolutely delicious! Just curious, what is the serving size for each serving?
Glad you enjoyed it! Serving size depends on the size of your shrimp, but it should serve 6-8!
Len
Made it tonight with pink gulf shrimp and very glad I had bread to mop up the sauce
Yes to bread for mopping! Thanks Len!
Jodannns
AMAZING!! Absolutely delicious. Just curious though, what is the serving size for 1 serving?
Michelle
So easy and tasty. Rivals much of what I’ve had in restaurants.
Okay that’s a big compliment. Thanks Michelle!
Marcy
Fabulous!!! Excited to share it with my family who love scampi!
That’s great to hear Marcy. Thanks for the comment and 5 star review!
Jackqueline Wildonger
I found this dish to be absolutely delicious and so easy to make.Though I’m Just interested in the kind of wine you like to use when you make this shrimp dish. What’s the difference between the salts you like to use Can I use pink Himalayan salt instead of Kosher salt which is even saltier than the pink salt I used. What’s the purpose of the Kosher salt
I like pink salt as a finishing salt, and I use it often! I’d still use the kosher salt to season the sauce. I use a decent boxed white wine I keep in the cabinet for cooking. That way the wine doesn’t go bad.
Lisa Miner
I’ve made this recipe twice and it comes out AMAZING! I add a little more red pepper flakes and serve it over thin spaghetti, with small steamed broccoli florets mixed in. It’s delicious!
Hayley
Thanks for sharing, Lisa, we’re so glad to hear that!
Lynn Dee Smith
We love this dish!! Thank you!!
Hayley
Thanks for sharing, Lynn–we’re so glad you enjoy it!
Diane. G
Dah! I didn’t think of that
Diane.G
Amazing! The only thing I will do differently, is to omit the garlic when cooking the shrimp. It gets to brown. Will add later.
That’s a good tip Diane, or lower the temp. Thanks!!
Karen
Fantastic! Easy, super quick & scrumptious!! I’ll be making this often!
Hayley
Thanks for sharing with us, Karen–we’re so glad you love it!
Donna Stokes
Easy & so flavorful! Next time I’m adding scallops.
Hayley
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Donna! And we think scallops would be a tasty addition!
Jackqueline Wildonger
Now that sounds absolutely scrumptious Are you going to be using sea scallops or Bay Scallops and what would you put it over pasta or rice and if you are going to be using pasta which one would you use
Wow those both sound awesome to me!
Debbie Schaberg
This was the first time making scampi and I’m 76. It was Devine. Better than any I have gotten from a restaurant.
Hayley
Thank you so much, Debbie–we’re thrilled that you loved it and appreciate you giving the recipe a try! :)
Shelly
absolutely the best..Thank you for sharing
I’m so glad you enjoyed it Shelly!
Kate jakobsen
Too much butter …halve unless you have 2 loaves of good French bread. Otherwise simple and delicious!
Hayley
We appreciate you giving this a try, Kate!
Rebecca
Simply delicious! I sautéed bok choy & spinach & oven roasted tomatoes and served it all over rice pilaf with the shrimp & sauce, which was fantastic. Thank you.
Hayley
Thank you for sharing, Rebecca–that sounds delicious and we’re so glad you enjoyed it!
Barb
Delicious definitely making again.
Hayley
Thanks, Barb, we’re glad you enjoyed it!
Cocoa Yon
I didn’t know what to make for dinner so I typed in “shrimp” and this recipe came up and when I looked at the ingredients I had EVERYTHING! It turned out DELICIOUS ! I added scallops and WOW! Recipe is saved
Hayley
Thank you for giving this a try and for letting us know you loved it, Cocoa!
Ashley
Hi! Can’t wait to make this. Just a quick question. Are you starting with raw frozen shrimp or already cooked? They look cooked from the picture! Thanks ahead of time!
Hayley
Hi Ashley! We start with raw shrimp. We hope you enjoy the recipe!
Mary
I made this for a very special occasion and it was excellent. Recipe was easy to follow and it was fun to make it. Everyone enjoyed…. Thank you:)
Hayley
Thanks for sharing, Mary—we’re so glad it was a hit!
Serena Boyles
This Shrimp Scampi recipe is wonderful and delicious. I highly recommend this recipe for its simplicity and ease of cooking. This is my go to favorite dish and my family loves it.
Hayley
Thanks, Serena—we’re so glad to hear you and your family love it!
Nancy Jameson
I followed your recipe and instructions exactly and it was delicious Shrimp were cooked and seasoned perfectly.. Thank you!
Yay Nancy! So glad you liked it. Thanks for the comment and 5 stars!
Gail
I made this for my husband and me. It was absolutely delicious and easy!
Perfect Gail! I hope he loved it too!