Garlic Butter Shrimp Scampi
by Chungah
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Juicy, garlicky sautéed shrimp with the dreamiest butter sauce! Made in just 20 min. Perfect for quick weeknight meals or to impress company!
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Why you’ll love this garlic butter shrimp scampi recipe
- Quick cooking time. Shrimp scampi comes together in lightning fast speed – we’re talking 20 minutes start to finish.
- Restaurant-quality. This may cook quickly, but that doesn’t mean we can’t have restaurant-quality shrimp right at home using bigger and better quality shrimp all around. Talk about more bang for your buck!
- Versatile recipe. Serve this as an appetizer with some crusty bread, or over a bed of angel hair pasta and a salad as a fancy dinner.
types of shrimp
Wild caught shrimp vs. farmed shrimp
Farmed shrimp are raised in controlled environments, whereas wild caught shrimp have been caught in their natural habitats by fishermen. Wild caught shrimp are generally preferred over farmed shrimp primarily due to taste.
Frozen vs. fresh shrimp
Unless you reside in a coastal area, the “fresh shrimp” on display at your local grocery store have already been previously frozen at sea. Frozen shrimp offers ultimate freshness (flash-frozen as soon as they are caught) and flexibility, using only what you need for dinner. Bottom line, frozen shrimp will taste better and cook better.
How to make garlic butter shrimp scampi
- Prep the shrimp. Pat the shrimp as dry as possible to remove any excess moisture. This is key for a crispy, caramelized sear (deep flavor). Too much moisture will lead to steamed shrimp instead.
- Sauté the aromatics. Melt the butter in a large cast iron skillet, sautéing the garlic, shallot, and red pepper flakes (adding more for extra heat!).
- Cook the shrimp. Cook the shrimp just until cooked through – keep a close eye as shrimp cook very quickly, about 3-4 minutes. Unfortunately overcooked shrimp will be rubbery.
- Add the finishing touches. Add the parsley, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Freshly squeezed lemon juice will have the brightest flavors.
- Serve. Serve warm with crusty bread for sopping (or on a bed of white or brown rice) with a side salad.
what to serve with garlic butter shrimp scampi
TOOLS FOR THIS RECIPE
Large cast iron skillet
For the best texture and flavor, use a large, heavy-bottomed skillet that holds heat evenly.
Garlic Butter Shrimp Scampi: Frequently Asked Questions
Unsalted butter allows you to add as much (or as little) salt in your dish as you like, allowing for more control and consistency. You can replace unsalted butter with salted butter in a pinch, reducing the amount of salt indicated in the recipe, and adding to taste.
You can thaw frozen shrimp overnight, transferring them from the freezer to the fridge the day before. For a quick thaw, you can run them under cold water until completely thawed, about 5-10 minutes. Pat them dry as thoroughly as possible to remove any excess moisture so they can brown nicely and evenly.
Shrimp cook incredibly quickly, about 3-4 minutes.
Check for shape and color – look for shrimp with a loosely curled C (a tight O means the shrimp are overcooked) that are opaque with a pink hue (undercooked shrimp will be translucent and grayish).
The lemon juice helps balance out the flavors and richness of the butter.
Absolutely! Serve over angel hair, linguine, fettuccine, or any other long strand pasta variety.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 1 day, reheating in the oven at 325°F, covered in aluminum foil until warmed through.
Garlic Butter Shrimp Scampi
Video
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter, cubed
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 medium shallot, diced
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 ½ pounds medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
Instructions
- Melt butter in a large cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add garlic, shallot and red pepper flakes, and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
- Add shrimp; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Cook, stirring occasionally, until pink and cooked through, about 3-4 minutes.
- Stir in parsley, lemon zest and lemon juice.
- Serve immediately.
Equipment
Notes
- Use a cast iron skillet. Cast iron skillets retain heat much better than a nonstick skillet, allowing for even cooking and a better sear on the shrimp.
- High quality butter goes a long way. Although any butter will work well here, high quality European butter has a higher butterfat content than standard American butter (82% vs 80%), resulting in better emulsification for that richer, silkier butter sauce for the shrimp.
- Know your shrimp size. Shrimp size is calculated on number of shrimp per pound. The smaller the number, the larger your shrimp. There are about 40-50 medium shrimp per pound. Note that smaller shrimp will cook much faster!
- Buy frozen shrimp. For superior quality and freshness, using frozen shrimp is ideal (but avoid the bags with freezer burn), opting for a quick thaw under cold running water.
- Pat the shrimp dry. This is crucial to remove any excess surface moisture for that crispy, golden brown sear. Too much moisture will steam the shrimp instead.
- Add freshly squeezed lemon juice (and zest). The lemon will help balance out all the flavors, cutting through the richness of the butter while providing a vibrant, zesty kick.
- Cook in batches. Overcrowding the pan will lead to poor searing and chewy, rubbery shrimp.
- Mix it up. Add a splash of white wine (pinot grigio or sauvignon blanc), diced tomatoes, leafy greens, or serve over pasta.
- Reheat in the oven. Leftover shrimp can be rubbery when reheated in the microwave. For best results with leftovers, reheat in the oven at 325°F, covered in aluminum foil until warmed through.
- Serve with crusty bread. Serve with all the homemade crusty bread for dipping, sopping and dunking!
Did you make this recipe?
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Easy and delicious. Forgot to put lemon in and it was still wonderful. Used Jared minced garlic so added more because it doesn’t seem as strong as fresh. Can’t say enough how fantastic it was.
My dear son made this for us the other night for our evening meal. Verdict: it was delicious! From one of comments of one of the other reviewers, I took the suggestion and served this with One Pot Garlic Parmesan Pasta and some steamed broccoli. A lovely meal!
This is so much better than the usual shrimp scampi! Love the additions you have made which add flavor and pizazz! Thanks a bunch!
Best scampi I’ve ever had. All your recipes are,wonderful. Thank you! Served with Skinnytaste broccoli orzo.
Simply done and delicious! Bravo
We loved this recipe! For someone who asked in the comments: I used regular butter (vs. unsalted), and we thought it turned out great. I didn’t have any parsley, but I don’t typically add something like that anyway. I paired this recipe with her “One Pot Garlic Parmesan Pasta” dish (my favorite of hers). I’m glad I tried this!
Added a little grated parmesan cheese, just a little . I replaced my shallots with scallions … Came out great!
Garlic, butter and shrimp…you had me! I added some zucchini spirals for veggies and it was DYNAMIC! OMG! I was heavy on the red pepper and it showed, so I’ll use it sparingly next time. But an instant favorite!
I for some reason had it in my head that I couldn’t cook shrimp, even though it’s one of my favorite proteins. This recipe was simple, quick and turned out *perfectly*. It even looked like the picture! I will definitely make this recipe again!
I added capers and a touch more garlic….
I have made this dish several times. I always put extra butter and a little extra crushed peppers . The lemon zest I do about half of a small lemon and juice to taste . When I am cooking the shrimp I cover the pan with a lid and stir occasionally until pink. I find that it makes the shrimp moist. Everybody loves this dish and it’s so simple to make . 10/10
I have never made scampi before and this recipe knocked it out of the park. Love your recipes because they make me try new things.
Hi, I made this for the first time. It was so good, i sent the recipe to my sister inlaw in Honduras Pati. She also made it and my mother in law ate every bit and even used bread to soak up the rest of the sauce. They Loved it. Thank you for the great recipe. Today we’re making it agin because my wife Claudia loves it .
I know I have made this before, but the recipe is currently missing from this page!
I’m gonna make this but I’m wondering if it makes a difference for if I use salted butter, seeing as how u have a whole pack.
How did it turn out with regular butter?
Love how easy, inexpensive, and tasty this dish is! I add about 1/2 cup of white wine (not too sweet) to this for added flavor, and boiled spaghetti to the last minute of cooking to make a more substantial meal. Paired with warm, crusty French bread, and the rest of the white wine, Delicious……..yum,
Damn good is a tough standard to live up too! This succeeded, and even exceeded all expectations! Plus fast and easy!
Very good we all loved it
This recipe I made as post of pr Christmas Eve dinner. The sauce was very easy to make and very tasty! I also used the sauce to brush on my lobster tails… delicious!
I think you forgot step 1. Cook the pasta. 🙂 thank you for this recipe! And this is a oh so delish christmas meal.