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!
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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, gambas al ajillo, and shrimp francese which all have similar flavors.
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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.
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This recipe was originally published on February 3, 2020. It was completely updated on December 7, 2024.
Love all your recipes. I enjoy watching you cook and have your handsome son do a taste test!
Hi Baba, thank you for the comment and so happy you’re enjoying the videos!
I have been watching your videos for months now and have enjoyed them (especially your kids), but I have never tried any of your recipes until today. My husband requested Shrimp Scampi for Father’s Day. Although I have made it made it many times, I decided to try your recipe today. It was amazing! My husband said it was better than 99% of restaurants. I had to agree, but I give all the credit to you! The baking soda trick really does work! Thank you so much!!!
Hi Linda, I’m so happy you and your husband enjoyed this one and really appreciate your comment and watching the videos!
Jim, you are an amazing chef, every one of your recipe that you have shared, and I have made, are delicious, easy to prepare, and watching your videos with your beautiful family makes them so special. I am 86, and so many of them are from my childhood. My mom, was an amazing cook also. You prepare them the same as she did. Bring loving memories 💕🌷💕
Hi Anita, I’m so happy you’re enjoying the recipes and really appreciate your kind words; thank you!
Love all your recipes as they are well written with pure Italian ingredients and methods.
All your recipes and videos are my go to when I need a refresher of a recipe.
Hi Branka, I’m so happy to hear we’re your go-to for recipes, thank you for that! I really appreciate the comment and am so happy you’re enjoying the recipes and videos.
Dinner tonight!
Hi Gail, thanks for the comment and so happy you enjoyed it!
This is now our favorite shrimp scampi recipe. The ingredients call for 4 Tbsp butter, and the directions start with 2 Tbsp in the pan with the OO, but don’t say when to add the other 2 Tbsp butter. So I just started with 4 Tbsp in the pan plus the OO. Added 50% more wine as recommended. Served with orzo and crusty bread – there was not a drop of sauce left. (Only used a half-pound of shrimp since it’s just the two of us, and there were no shrimp left either.)
Hi Mike, so happy you enjoyed the scampi! You were right to add the 4 tbsp of butter all at once and I’ve corrected the instructions to read 4 instead of 2. Thanks for the comment!
love your recepies!!
I grew up on LI and loved the Italian American food that is so prevalent there. I stumbled across one of your YouTube videos a while ago and have been a subscriber ever since. You and your family are a joy to watch. You make me smile. I’ve made so many of your recipes and have not had a single failure. This recipe looks great and I’m going to make it tonight. However, I have a question. I usually prep for dinner in the morning, so I can get dinner on the table quickly in the evening. How far in advance can I brine the shrimp with the baking soda and salt? Thanks and keep on cooking!
Hi Marilyn, I really appreciate this comment and so happy you’re enjoying the videos and recipes! I would only brine with the baking soda/salt for 15 minutes. I wouldn’t go longer than that. You can certainly omit the brine if you’d prefer to prep in the morning – the shrimp will still be good. Hope you enjoy!
Love this recipe. Made tonight and it was a winner!
Hi Deborah, thanks for the comment and so happy you liked the scampi!
Without even asking my husband said, if I would rate this it would be a 5.
I followed the recipe and added more wine and butter since I was serving the shrimp on pasta. I added too much red pepper for my liking, but other than that it was delicious and I will make it again.
I do recommend having your table set. If you are serving salad, pasta or garlic bread I definitely would recommend preparing those items first. Once you have your ingredient ready and the oil/butter is hot , it all goes so quickly.
Hi Jane, thanks for the comment and so happy you liked this one!
Love your recipes
Thank you, Skip!
Thanks for all your videos. I just happened to come across your videos when searching for a simple recipe. I definitely need it kept simple; as I was never taught to cook growing up and I always felt guilty for not knowing how to cook at all. What really drew me in to your videos and made me a forever fan, was when I watched another video with you and your daughter and I actually cried because the way you were interacting with her was so genuine and loving and she also asked many questions that I had. You make a wonderful team. You are a great father and your children will succeed in whatever they choose. Let me know when you get your own cooking show; as I’m sure the requests are flooding in. Thanks again for keeping it simple for people like me.
CJ
Hi CJ, this may be one of the nicest comments I’ve ever received. Thank you for sharing this with me and I’m grateful to have been able to help you learn a bit about cooking.
Looks really great! Love all your recipes and videos!
Hi Russ, thank you, and happy you’re enjoying the videos and recipes!
Delicious!! Made additional sauce and had it over spaghetti!
Can’t wait to make it again!
Thank you for another great recipe
Thanks, Rich! So happy you enjoyed this one!
I’m a recent subscriber Jim, a Whitestone guy now in bucolic Sparta NJ. Your presentations are a pleasure to watch, thanks for doing this. You remind me of all the guys I worked with in the NYPD who grow up out on the island. I cook all the time as well, trying new techniques and honing my knife skills (see what I did there?:) Keep up the good work brother!
Glad you’re enjoying all the recipes and videos, James. I almost did join the NYPD after college. My father was in the Sheriff’s department so it was almost a perfect fit. I’ll keep honing my craft 😉
Can’t wait to try this! Can you also show us how to make Chicken parmesan? Your videos are great.
Hey, I hope you enjoy it and I do have a video and recipe post for chicken parm. Here it is: https://www.sipandfeast.com/chicken-parmigiana/
A scrumptious dish (Shrimp Scampi) and you show how simple ingredients can always taste best. Your tips for increasing to more servings is always very helpful, we do all the Sunday dinners at our house!
Thank you! Glad you like the recipe.
Hi!
I have two pounds of shrimp as we are hosting dinner. I want to have a little extra “broth” leftover too to have with pasta. Any recommended adjustments to achieve this?
Thank you!
With you having 2 pounds of shrimp I would use about 50% more of the sauce ingredients (wine, butter, and lemon juice). When you make the pasta reserve at least a cup of the pasta water. Add a couple of ounces of it at a time if the sauce needs to be loosened up. Enjoy!
Wow! This shrimp scampi was absolutely delicious. I added extra butter and wine as indicated for a side of linguine. My guests raved about it as well. We had about 8 shrimp leftover, but only about 6 strands of linguine. What a delicious meal. And easy to make as well. Thank you.
I’m so glad you all enjoyed it! Thanks for the comment!
This guy is an excellent cook tried a couple of his recipes although I have my own and I thought they were fabulous 🇮🇹👑🇮🇹👍👍👍
Thank you! That’s really nice of you to say.