This Shrimp Scampi recipe is such an easy, tasty and quick way to cook shrimp. Tender shrimp is coated in a luscious garlicky, lemon butter herb sauce, all made in the same pan! We love Shrimp Scampi over pasta, however you can serve it with rice, veggies, salads or simply crusty bread to mop up that sauce. 

We love Seafood here and we can’t get enough of it! Ranging from simple no cook Tuna Carpaccio, Sushi Burrito and the HIT recipe Tuna Tartare, to how to tutorials like How To Cook Lobster Tail, How to Cook Scallops or How to Cook Mussels. Family recipes like Mediterranean Baked Fish and speciality fish like Chilean Sea Bass, Halibut, Baked Mahi Mahi, Green Mussels, Sardines and much more!

Today, we’re all about shrimp! One of our favorite recipes here is Shrimp Chimichurri especially now for the summer as it’s BBQ season! We also love this Chili Lime Shrimp for it’s punch of flavors and for being a weeknight dinner dream!

What is Shrimp Scampi?

Originally this dish is from Italy and made with scampi, which is a type of shrimp that’s often peeled. As it came to America, the shrimp was used to make this dish instead of scampi but ironically the name hasn’t changed! 

So names aside, shrimp scampi is an Italian dish made with shrimp that’s bathed in a garlic, herb, lemon and butter sauce. You can serve it with any side dish and make it a main, or serve it as an appetizer to another main dish. 

Today we’re making it a main dish served over pasta which is called shrimp scampi pasta. 

Ingredients for Shrimp Scampi

• Shrimp. I’m using extra large colossal shrimp. You can use smaller sizes. 
• Garlic. Garlic is used twice in this recipe. First, minced to toss with the shrimp and then sliced to create the sauce.
• Herbs. I love adding a spike of fresh herbs to the recipe, while it’s completely optional, I highly recommend it. Use fresh oregano, rosemary or thyme or a combo.
• Lemon juice. Fresh is the only type you should be using here as it makes a difference as it cooks in the sauce.
• Stock/White wine: You need a liquid base for the sauce, which can be either or, or a combo of both.
• Seasoning: Salt and Pepper, chilli flakes are optional.
• Unsalted Butter. The star of the sauce and the luscious factor here.
• Olive oil. To help sautéing and adding flavor.
• Parsley. Chopped fresh parsley and chives are shrimp scampis best garnish.
• Spaghetti: Cooked spaghetti for serving.

What is Shrimp Scampi Sauce made of?

Many of the ingredients above:

• Olive oil
• Butter
• garlic slices
• Lemon juice
• Stock/Wine
• Fresh herbs to taste
• Chopped Parsley
• Seasoning

How to Make Shrimp Scampi

Once you make this, you’ll see how easy it is to put together and seriously such a crowd pleasing wow your friends kinda dish!

1. Prepare the shrimp by defrosting it if frozen, make sure it’s cleaned and deveined and then pat them dry after rinsing.
2. Marinate the shrimp in garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper and fresh herbs.
3. Add the shrimp in a single layer in a hot skillet or cast iron (best choice) and make sure not to over crowd the pan. You may need to do so in a few batches. 
4. After 2-3 minutes as the shrimp begins to turn pink on the cooked side and opaque, they will be ready to flip and continue cooking on the other side. 
5. Continue cooking for an extra 2-3 minutes (time will depend on the size of your shrimp) until it looks as above. Pink and slightly golden, firm and opaque shrimp. 
6. At that point, you’ll remove the shrimp onto a clean plate. You can repeat the process for the remaining shrimp if you have left. And it’s time to start the scampi sauce–make sure not to wash the pan as we will be using it for the sauce. 

Make Scampi Sauce

1. Add some olive oil and sliced garlic to the same pan we used to cook the shrimp. There’s so much flavor in that pan so we need to take advantage of that! Cook some fresh herbs along with the garlic.
2. Now it’s time to add the liquid, you can use a combo of stock and white wine or just stock, or just wine. You’ll need to cook down the liquid for 10 minutes on a low simmer until it evaporates and reduces slightly.
3. At that point the cooked shrimp will go back into the scampi sauce to absorb some of that flavor and have it cook for about 2 minutes before adding the butter.
4. The butter here is the secret to the luscious shrimp scampi. Use cold butter that’s cut into tablespoon chunks You’ll need to add the butter one tablespoon at a time. As you do so it will emulsify the sauce.
5. Perfect Shrimp Scampi!

What to serve with Shrimp Scampi?

• Spaghetti aglio e olio & Olive oil Pasta fresh, bright and zesty spaghetti recipe that highlights the flavor of scampi sauce!
• Pesto Pasta with Pistachio Pesto – another bright and fresh pasta that’s tossed in a step by step homemade Basil Pesto.
• Pasta Primavera— veggie loaded pasta that has hints of lemon and basil goes so well with shrimp scampi!
• Ultimate Garlic Bread – simple yet rich roast garlic bread
• Panzanella Salad – An Italian salad that pairs so well with this recipe!
• Burrata Caprese – Luscious upon luscious is what this pair could be.
• Your favorite veggies like Roasted Acorn Squash

Shrimp Scampi BEST Tips and FAQ

• The size of the shrimp will determine the cooking time, but aside from that it doesn;t affect the recipe at all, so feel free to choose your favorite. 
• Make sure the shrimp is well cleaned and deveined before cooking it. You can leave the tails on or off depending on your preference. 
• Marinating the shrimp is optional, and only 10-15 minutes will do the trick.
• Careful about overcooking the shrimp as it will change texture and become chewy and rubbery instead of tender.
• To make the sauce, use dry white wine or stock or a combo of both as long as the final amount of liquid is the same.
• Make sure to use cold butter to make the sauce.
• Use your favorite herbs here we love fresh oregano and thyme, and maybe rosemary. It’s up to your taste. 
• Also chilli flakes are optional.

What kind of shrimp is used for scampi recipe?

We use large colossal shrimp here which I got from Sealand–if you’re in Canada do check them out as they’re the BEST! So large is ideal , but the 21-30 count is also great! When you buy frozen shrimp, make sure to defrost it in the fridge and double check that it is deveined and cleaned before using. 

Smaller shrimp will cook in no time, make sure that it’s peeled and cooked for just a few seconds to avoid them overcooking or releasing their juices.

How long does shrimp scampi keep?

Leftover seafood is a bit tricky, like Lobster Roll is best made with leftovers from How To Cook Lobster Tail. But leftover shrimp and tuna isn’t as favorable. Two days in the fridge is best for the shrimp scampi when sealed well. Make sure you store the shrimp separately from the pasta for better storage results. Heat it well before serving and enjoy!

To freeze the dish, you can seal the cooked shrimp for about 2 months and then thaw, and heat again. 

Seafood Recipes

Salmon Tartare

Sockeye Salmon With Lemon Butter Sauce

Mahi Mahi Tacos

Halibut

Sushi Bowl

Air Fryer Salmon

Tuna Steak Recipe

Fish Fry

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