Shrimp scampi. We’ve all had it. We all love it. And honestly, what’s not to love? It’s a bunch of shrimp smothered in some delicious garlic butter. Anything with that amount of garlic butter would be good. The whole garlic and butter combo always makes me think of summer. Quick and easy seafood with tons of bright lemon juice and plenty of cold white wine. I just need some sandy feet and salty hair and the vision is complete.
For this version Ry and I had the scampi over some fusilli, but it’s also delish over rice, or just on its own with some good fresh bread to sop up all that winey, garlicky, buttery sauce. The sauce is key. It’s all about the sauce. And, as if I even need to say this, since there are so few ingredients here, make sure you get the best ones you can. Fresh shrimp, good butter and good wine. Enough said. Let’s cook.
I just need some sandy feet and salty hair and the vision is complete.
The Best Easy Shrimp Scampi Recipe with Garlic Butter Sauce
This classic shrimp scampi recipe transforms simple ingredients into an elegant dinner in just 20 minutes. Whether served over pasta, rice, or with crusty bread to soak up the sauce, this garlic butter shrimp dish delivers restaurant-quality results in your own kitchen.
Jump to:
- Key Ingredients
- Step-by-Step Instructions
- Expert Tips
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Storage Instructions
- Recipe Variations
Ingredients for Making Garlic Butter Shrimp Scampi
- Shrimp – Use medium to large shrimp for this. Frozen is just fine. Most “fresh” shrimp will have been previously frozen, so might as well thaw them yourself. (More info on how to thaw frozen shrimp is below) You do want to make sure they are fully thawed and the shells removed for this shrimp scampi recipe. You can leave the tails on if you like, I generally do, but totally optional.
- Garlic – You need fresh garlic for this. It’s the primary seasoning and gives the dish its delicious flavor.
- Olive Oil – a good quality olive oil as always
- White Wine – A dry white wine adds acidity to the sauce. You can also use a splash of dry vermouth if you don’t have white wine on hand.
- Butter – There is a good bit of butter in this recipe, so use one you like.
- Lemon – Fresh lemon always goes good with fish.
- Fresh Parsley – Finely chopped to finish off the dish.
- Red Pepper Flakes – Optional but recommended for adding a little heat.
How to Make Shrimp Scampi
- Prepare Shrimp – Defrost, peel and devein the shrimp, leaving tails on if desired.
- Marinate Shrimp – Toss the shrimp with the grated garlic, olive oil, and salt. Let marinate for 20-30 minutes.
- Cook Pasta – While the shrimp marinates, bring a large pot of salted water to boil and start to cook your chosen pasta. Follow the package directions for time.
- Cook Shrimp – Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook shrimp for 2 minutes per side until nearly cooked through, the shrimp will finish cooking with the sauce and pasta.
- Make Pan Sauce – In the same pan, sauté remaining garlic and red pepper flakes until fragrant. Add in white wine and lemon juice, let it reducing by half.
- Finish Dish – Lower heat and swirl in butter until melted. Return shrimp to pan, add pasta along with some cooking water, and toss and toss and toss until well-coated.
- Garnish – Finish with finely chopped fresh parsley and an additional squeeze of lemon juice.
Some Tips for Making This Easy Shrimp Scampi
Don’t Skip the Marinade
The brief marinade makes a huge difference in flavor. Letting the shrimp marinate with the fresh garlic is a game changer. Don’t skip this step!
Watch the Garlic
When making the sauce, cook the garlic just until fragrant, being careful not to burn the garlic.
Pasta Water is Key
Save at least 1 cup of the pasta cooking water. The starchy water will help create a silky sauce and keep everything emulsified.
Quality Ingredients Matter
I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again, get the best quality ingredients you can. There are only a handful here, so use good ones. You want fresh garlic, good butter, and wine you’d actually drink.
Some Frequently Asked Questions when making Shrimp Scampi with Garlic and Butter
Which wine is best for shrimp scampi?
Choose a dry white wine like Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, or an unoaked Chardonnay. Avoid anything sweet or any “cooking” wines here. You can also substitute in some dry vermouth. I’ll typically do this when I don’t have white wine on hand, or I’m just not interested in opening a bottle just to make this dish.
Can I make shrimp scampi without wine?
Yes! Substitute the wine with chicken broth or seafood stock plus a splash of lemon juice to maintain the acidic balance. Or, at the bare minimum, add in some extra pasta cooking water.
What’s the best pasta to serve with shrimp scampi?
While this recipe uses fusilli, other options include:
- Angel hair pasta (Capellini) super quick cooking and goes well with a light seafood sauce like this
- Linguine – A traditional choice, and food good reason, linguine and seafood is always a good bet.
- Spaghetti – Classic and perfect for this dish.
How to thaw frozen shrimp?
- Cold Water Method (Quickest and my choice):
- Place the shrimp in a bowl or sealed plastic bag.
- Submerge in cold water, changing the water every 10-15 minutes to keep it cold.
- Shrimp will thaw in about 15-30 minutes, depending on size.
- Refrigerator Method
- Place shrimp in a covered container or plastic bag.
- Transfer it to the refrigerator and let slowly thaw overnight.
- This method is slower (usually takes about 12-24 hours)
Storage Instructions
Fresh Storage
Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 2 days
Store pasta and shrimp separately if possible for best texture and it makes reheating a little easier too.
Reheating
Gentle reheating is key to prevent rubbery shrimp
Use low heat in a skillet with a splash of water or white wine
Some Recipe Variations on Scampi
Shrimp Scampi with Rice
Serve over steamed jasmine or basmati rice instead of pasta. The rice soaks up the garlic butter sauce beautifully.
Shrimp Scampi Toast
Get a thick slice of lightly toasted bread and pile on that shrimp and lots of sauce.
Shrimp Scampi Roll
Think lobster roll, but filled with shrimp scampi. Forego the pasta in this recipe and prepare the garlic butter shrimp. Serve them in a toasted, top split roll. Delicious!
Lobster Scampi
Substitute lobster meat for shrimp, adjusting the cooking time accordingly. It’s like a shrimp scampi 2.0
Crab Scampi
Use lump crab meat, folding it in gently at the end just to heat through. I highly recommend serving this with angel hair pasta.
Scallop Scampi
Replace shrimp with sea scallops, searing for 2-3 minutes per side until golden brown. Serve over pasta or rice. So good!
Shrimp Scampi
Ingredients
- 1 lb shrimp
- 1/4 c olive oil
- salt
- 5-6 cloves garlic
- crushed red pepper as much as you like
- 1/2 c white wine
- lemon juice 1/2, and slice the rest
- 4 tbsp butter cut in cubes
- parsley
Instructions
- Peel and devein that shrimp. I like to leave the tails on, but you can certainly take them off if you like. Then get them marinating with two cloves of grated garlic, a good drizzle of olive oil and some salt. Then let it sit for 20-30 minutes, you can let it sit longer, it won’t hurt.
- Once your shrimp are all ready to go I would recommend dropping your pasta into some salted boiling water to start cooking, since the shrimp and sauce bit will only take maybe 10 mins. Just plan accordingly.
- To start get your shrimp into a hot pan with a few teaspoons of olive oil and cook em for maybe 2 minutes on each side. You want them just about cooked through, since they’ll finish cooking in the butter sauce a little later on. Take those shrimp out and set them on a dish while you get the garlic butter going.
- Toss your garlic and red pepper flakes into the same pan, you may need to add in a little extra olive oil. You want to get the garlic super fragrant but you don’t want it to burn, that’s not what we’re going for here. You’ll probably only need to cook it for about a minute. Once the garlic is super fragrant, like scenting up your whole house, you can add in the white wine and lemon juice and let it reduce for a minute or so. Once reduced by about half, drop the heat to low, and add in the butter. Stir and swirl the butter around in the pan so everything creates a cohesive sauce. You can then toss those shrimp back in and they’ll finish cooking from the heat of the pan. Then go ahead and toss in the pasta along with maybe 1/4 to 1/3 cup of the pasta cooking liquid. You want it saucy, so add in as much liquid as it needs.
- I like to finish it all up with some fresh parsley and another spritz of lemon That’s it. Eat up!
Want more recipes like this delivered right to your inbox?
Sign-up to the Substack newsletter below:
SubscribeRelated Posts
4 thoughts on Shrimp Scampi with Garlic and Butter
Jared made this tonight and it was delicious! Definitely replacing our former shrimp scampi recipe.
Amazing!!
Looks better than what i use. Can’t wait to try it. Can tasye it already!
Looks better than what i use. Can’t wait to try it. Can taste it already!