Shrimp Scampi combines succulent shrimp with garlic, lemon, and parsley in a velvety white wine and butter sauce. It’s one of the most iconic Italian-American seafood dishes and is great with some crusty bread as an appetizer, or with pasta or rice for a full meal!
Editor’s Note: Originally published on February 3, 2020. Updated with improved photos, process shots, and new information.
Shrimp Scampi is a favorite in our home because it’s ready in 30 minutes and perfect for any occasion, from quiet weeknight dinners, to Christmas Eve’s feast of the seven fishes!
It’s so easy that this was one of the first dishes my daughter, Sammy, learned to make (you can watch the video below from back in 2020 when we made it together!)
For a full meal serve it over pasta or rice pilaf alongside a garlicky green vegetable like sauteed broccoli or garlicky spinach.
As a seven fishes dish, shrimp scampi shines alongside other seafood favorites like calamari salad, baked clams, lobster oreganata, and zuppa di pesce.
And if you love shrimp scampi, try our shrimp scampi rolls, lemon garlic shrimp pasta, and shrimp francese which all have similar flavors.
Recipe Ingredients
All ingredients for this recipe are shown in the pic below and special notes are made in this bulleted list to assist you.
- Shrimp. I used extra jumbo shrimp, about 15 shrimp per pound, and find that the larger shrimp are more forgiving when cooking. That being said, you can use smaller shrimp if desired, but note the cooking time will be less. I recommend buying US gulf or Argentine red shrimp as the flavor is superior to farm shrimp.
- Wine. Use a dry white wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc for shrimp scampi. It brings great flavor and acidity to the dish. If you can’t have wine, you can omit it.
- Garlic. I used 6 cloves of garlic for this recipe, but feel free to use more or less. Garlic is really about personal preference!
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to make it
Each number corresponds to the numbered written steps below.
- Mince 6 cloves of garlic and 1/4 of flat-leaf Italian parsley and set aside. In a medium-sized bowl, toss 1 1/2 pounds of extra jumbo cleaned and deveined shrimp with 1 teaspoon of Diamond Crystal kosher salt and 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda and set aside.
- Heat a large pan to medium heat with 4 tablespoons of butter and 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Once the butter melts, add the garlic and saute for 2-3 minutes or until lightly golden.
- Add 3/4 cup of dry white wine and 1/4 teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes and turn the heat to high.
- Once the wine reduces by half, about 3-5 minutes, add the shrimp and turn the heat to medium.
- Cook the shrimp until they turn light pink and firm. Depending on the size of the shrimp, this can take anywhere from 3-5 minutes.
- Once the shrimp are cooked through, turn off the heat and add the parsley and 1 1/2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice. Taste test and make any adjustments to salt, pepper, or lemon juice. Serve the shrimp scampi with crusty bread and enjoy!
Top tips
- Brine the shrimp. For most of my shrimp recipes I recommend brining the shrimp in a combo of baking soda and salt. It makes the shrimp plumper and juicier.
- Don’t overcook the shrimp. When shrimp are overcooked, or reheated, they may dry out and become rubbery. When cooking, you may want to taste test or cut one in half to check for doneness. It’s important to note that the cook time will vary based on the size of the shrimp.
- Serve promptly. Serve your shrimp scampi right away for best results. Leftovers should be reheated gently on the stovetop just until warmed through.
More shrimp recipes
Shrimp scampi is a true classic, as are these other wonderful shrimp recipes!
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Easy Garlic Butter Shrimp Scampi
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds (680g) extra jumbo or colossal U15 or larger, cleaned and deveined
- 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal Kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 4 tablespoons (56g) unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons (30ml) olive oil
- 6 cloves garlic minced
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed hot red pepper flakes optional
- 3/4 cup (180ml) dry white wine
- 1/4 cup minced flat-leaf Italian parsley
- 1 1/2 tablespoons (23ml) fresh lemon juice or to taste
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Begin by mixing the shrimp with the baking soda and kosher salt in a bowl. Set aside for 10 minutes.
- Heat a large pan to medium heat and add the olive oil and butter to the pan. Once butter melts add the garlic and saute for 2-3 minutes or until lightly golden.
- Add the white wine and crushed red pepper to the pan and turn heat to high.
- Once the wine reduces by half (about 3-5 minutes) add the shrimp in and turn the heat back down to medium.
- Cook the shrimp until they turn light pink and firm, making sure to flip them to achieve even cooking. Depending on the size of shrimp this will take anywhere from 3-5 minutes.
- Once the shrimp are fully cooked through turn off the heat and add the parsley and the lemon juice.
- Taste test the sauce and make any final adjustments to salt, pepper, and lemon juice if required. Serve with crusty Italian bread. Enjoy!
Notes
- The shrimp should not be rinsed after the brine.
- Serve with crusty Italian bread. For pasta add 50 percent more wine and butter. Also use a bit more pasta water to make a sauce that won’t dry out.
- Leftovers can be reheated gently on the stovetop until warmed through.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This recipe was originally published on February 3, 2020. It was completely updated on December 7, 2024.
This is so easy to make yet such an amazing shrimp scampi dish. This scores a 10 of 10! Thank you for the recipe, James and Tara.
We’re so happy you enjoyed, Angela! Thanks for the 10/10!
Pinned this for my Christmas Eve menu! Thank you for the simplicity! Extra points for being a Yankees fan.
We hope you love it, Theresa!
Tried the shrimp scampi recipe tonight. Family loved it. Delicious!
We’re so happy you all enjoyed, Anthony! Thanks for the comment!
Lots of versions of this recipe out there, this one teaches the best technique and delivers the best flavor. So simple, so delicious, Thanks Jim