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
- Pan-Seared Citrus Shrimp
- Shrimp In Thai Coconut Sauce
- Grilled Garlic Shrimp
- Crispy Coconut Shrimp
- Grilled Pineapple Shrimp Kabobs
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Jano
Delicious! Next time I will shoot for more sauce. My Italian neighbor, who is a great cook, recommended a small bottle of clam juice as that is what he uses.
Clam juice is a great idea to add more seafood flavor.
Julie K.
I have not made this yet, but intend to, for my husband & sister. I’m allergic to shrimp & wonder if I can use the same method & ingredients on scallops which I can eat? It looks delicious!!
Heather
Made this for dinner, it was excellent!
CoronaGirl
I love this recipe it was fast easy and delicious! I added a few different ingredients to taste because my husband wanted it over fettuccine. Therefore it had to be enough sauce to pour over the shrimp/stir in. I prefer the shrimp alone or with steamed veggies on the side but either way they were full of flavor
Sounds like a great all-around dinner to me!
Suzanne S
It was magnificent. I paired it with risotto. Yum!!
Michelle
Amazing!!! Super easy and quick week day dinner! The flavors are spot on, it’s like a party in your mouth.
So glad to hear you liked it Michelle. Party on!
Lorraine Strickland
This recipe had a very good taste, but I was wondering how to get more gravy. We had it with rice, and it got dry because there wasn’t enough gravy to spoon over it. Is there anything I can add?
Try doubling the sauce ingredients next time.
Alissa
This was so delicious and I will be making it again! Thank you for sharing such amazing recipes!
So glad you enjoyed it Alissa.
Kacie H
Delicious! Followed the recipe exactly as instructed
Jim
This by far is the best shrimp scampi I’ve ever tasted!
I just can’t believe I made something that tastes so outstanding!
Many thanks!
Brinda
I tried this & it was delicious
Lisa
OMG!!! I have made many various shrimp scampi recipes and I can say this is the best by far. The cold butter at the end really makes a difference.
I am eating it as I am typing. This is the only recipe I will ever use from here on out
Thank you,
Lisa
Ashley @ Foodie Crush
Thanks Lisa!
Cathi Wisner
I made this tonight and it was SO GOOD!!! Will definitely make again!
Ashley @ Foodie Crush
Thanks!
Amy
This hands down is our favorite recipe. We make it just about every other week. I also double the sauce because you need more sauce with the pasta. Perfect meal and everyone on my house is happy. Thank you
Ashley @ Foodie Crush
Thank you Amy!
Maggie
Omg! This recipe is great!!! So easy, I’ve seen others that were so unnecessarily complicated. I don’t eat meat so I sautéed onions and peppers and added it in and it was so yummy !!
Margie L
Heidi, this was fantastic! Oh my word… keeping this in my go-to recipes. Perfect balance of lemon, garlic, parmeson, and heat in a completely satisfying meal. My husband and I made this under quarantine with Covid-19 . Had a blast making and eating it together. We halved the recipe and no leftovers. Making again very soon! Maybe adding some dry wine to sauce next time. Thank you so much!
Margie from MN.
Ashley @ Foodie Crush
Thank you so much Margie!
Tony
Parmesan?
Sav
I only have pre-cooked (ready to eat) shrimp, does that mean I can’t make this recipe? I can’t tell if this requires raw shrimp. Although I’m guessing since your recipe calls for shells on that that may mean raw…I’m ignorant!
Ashley @ Foodie Crush
You definitely could use that shrimp you would just need to modify and only warm the shrimp
Pamela Busher
I could have eaten the entire dish! Excellent and easy .
Quinn
I used pre-cooked frozen peeled/deveined shrimp making this recipe tonight and it was soooooooooooo delicious. Follow the directions for defrosting on the package and when it’s time to throw them in the pan, just watch them to make sure they get the nice light golden color. I sauteed half an onion before throwing my shrimp in, and I think that helped. I was a little scared that the shrimp would come out tough and rubbery but they were fine, so im happy I took the easy route. This came out soooo good, I actually might go pick up more shrimp tomorrow to make it again.
Linda
Made this tonight and it was amazing!! Easy to follow recipe.
T. Scott
This was delicious. The sauce was amazing. I’ll be making this again.
So glad you enjoyed T. Thanks for the rating and comment!
michelle
so easy and DELICIOUS. Made a decadent, lick the spoon, bowl and plate sauce. Used on top of angel hair pasta and made a luscious lemony, creamy shrimp pasta. Cant wait to make this dinner for my parents. Thank you for a perfect recipie!
Germaine
Delicious! I used extra butter to make more sauce. Would probably use less lemon next time. I also topped with feta cheese.
Thank you for sharing.
So glad you enjoyed Germaine!
Debbie
Made this last night for my family. Everyone loved it! I’ve made shrimp scampi before but its been a while and I wanted to follow a recipe, so I did some research and glad I found yours! Prepping the shrimp with garlic, oil, red pepper flakes and salt for an hour prior to cooking was something I’d never done before and I think it really helped with melding the flavors together. I added a little more butter at the end (probably 3 TBSP instead of the suggested 1 TBPS) because everyone loves a little extra sauce over here! Otherwise I made the recipe as is and it was delicious!
Ashley @ Foodie Crush
I am so glad this was delicious for you!
Lynn Garst
Loved this recipe. – easy, quick and so flavorful!!!!
Ashley @ Foodie Crush
Thank you!!
Patti
This scampi looks delicious. Making me hungry. My husband will Like it too.
Holly Roy
This dish was absolutely delicious!!!! My husband loved it! I put it over whole wheat spaghetti noodles. I will definitely make this again! Thank you for the recipe!
Ashley @ Foodie Crush
Thanks Holly!
Karen
So easy! Great flavors! Served over pasta. Only addition was a sprinkling of Old Bay Seasoning because I love it.
Jeanne
Delicious! Forget Red Lobster, we are cooking at home. I was out of wine (I know but it is COVID time and things happen.) So I used a lemon aid wine cooler. It was a little sweet but after I put the second 1/2 tsp of salt and the red peppers in, you couldn’t tell the difference. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe, I can’t wait to try your other shrimp recipes too!
So glad it cured your Red Lobster cravings :) And lemon aid wine cooler??!! Excellent grocery games addition.
Margaret
Delicious recipe!! I didn’t have red pepper flakes so I subbed crushed red pepper. The flavor was amazing! I tossed it with Angel hair past and it was a hit! Thank you for this great recipe!