Garlic Shrimp Scampi garnished and served.

This Lemon Garlic Shrimp Scampi recipe seems fancy but is actually an incredibly quick and simple dish. It’s made with perfectly pan-seared fresh shrimp that’s simmered in a decadent sauce made with butter, garlic, white wine, lemon juice, and a couple of seasonings.

Why You’ll Love Garlic Shrimp Scampi

This is the best shrimp scampi recipe for beginners because it’s so simple and easy. Even if you’re trying this delicious dish for the first time, it takes just 10 minutes to prepare and 10 minutes to cook! It is delicious on its own, with a side of crust bread, or mixed into pasta or rice. 

Adding lemon juice to the dish.

This incredible pasta dish combines over a pound of shrimp with delicious sauce in a hot pan, so it’s perfect for easy weeknight dinners. It’s a flavorful, filling, and simple meal for 2. Bring it out for a romantic night any day of the week!

Ingredients

This Garlic Shrimp Scampi recipe combines large shrimp doused in scampi sauce made out of unsalted butter, minced garlic, olive oil, dry white wine like pinot grigio or sauvignon blanc, fresh lemon juice, kosher salt, and black pepper.

Once it’s done, you’ll finish it off with red chili flakes, chopped parsley, and crusty bread for a well-balanced, tasty meal. Now let’s walk through how to create it yourself.

How to Make Garlic Shrimp Scampi

First, We Prep! 

First, prep all of your ingredients for the garlic butter shrimp scampi. This recipe moves quickly…I’m talking 10 minutes from start to finish. It’s better to have everything at the ready because the last thing we want is burnt shrimp before you have the chance to add the rest of the ingredients.

Butter and garlic simmering in the skillet.

Start creating your lemon garlic sauce by mincing the garlic, squeezing the lemon juice and also selecting your white wine (I recommend a dry one). Then grab your butter, olive oil, salt, pepper, and get ready to get cooking! 

Sear the Shrimp

Now, it’s time to get this recipe going! First, preheat a medium-high heat fire to around 350ºF for direct cooking. Next, add a skillet to the fire and then let it preheat for about one minute.

Shrimp starting to cook in the skillet.

Use a cast-iron skillet if you have it. I love cast-iron because it’s great at conducting heat and is fire friendly, which results in perfect, juicy shrimp with the perfect crispy exterior. That, my friends, is exactly what we want for Garlic Shrimp Scampi.

For more with shrimp, check out my Spanish Garlic Shrimp, Creamy Cajun Shrimp Alfredo and Bacon Wrapped Shrimp Skewers.

Garlic Shrimp Scampi

Drizzle olive oil into your large skillet and add the four tablespoons of unsalted butter. Melt butter, then add in the minced garlic. Let the garlic cook for 90 seconds or until it’s browned and fragrant. 

Cooking shrimp getting flipped for the Garlic Shrimp Scampi.

Next, add all of the jumbo shrimp into the flavorful sauce, but avoid overcrowding. If you have too much for the size of pan you’re using, then cook the shrimp in batches for perfect Garlic Shrimp Scampi. Overcrowding equals uneven cooking and mushy shrimp…and we definitely don’t want that. 

Garlic Shrimp Scampi halfway through cooking.

Season the shrimp with salt and pepper, then cook it for 90 seconds on the first side. Next, flip the shrimp over and deglaze the skillet with the white wine and lemon juice. Stir a little bit in order to help the sauce incorporate. Then continue cooking the Garlic Shrimp Scampi for another 1-2 minutes.

Pouring the white wine into the skillet for Garlic Shrimp Scampi.

For more cooking with wine check out my White Wine Herb Lamb Skewers and Wagyu Beef Tenderloin with Red Wine Onions Recipe.

Serve Your Garlic Shrimp Scampi

Up next is serving time! Pull the skillet off of the grill and let it sit for a few minutes so the shrimp can cool off slightly. Next, add a sprinkle of red pepper flakes to the Garlic Shrimp Scampi, because a little spice never hurt anyone. Finish it off with a layer of fresh parsley.

Garlic Shrimp Scampi is served in the skillet with some bread.

Now, you can totally stop there and dig right into your Garlic Shrimp Scampi, but there are also plenty of ways you can bulk your meal up a bit. I love to serve it with a chunk of crusty bread to soak up the garlic butter sauce, piled over a bed of rice, mixed into buttered noodles, or with a side of roasted veggies. If you love garlic bread as much as I do, you’ll love these savory garlic-and-carb combinations.

This Garlic Shrimp Scampi is insanely versatile…and delicious no matter how you choose to serve it!

Cheers!

Want to save this recipe?
Enter your email and get it sent to your inbox! Plus, you’ll get freakin’ delicious recipes every week.
Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.
Garlic Shrimp Scampi ready to be served.

Garlic Shrimp Scampi

Garlic Shrimp Scampi is a one skillet wonder recipe, and so delicious!
Author:Derek Wolf
5 from 2 votes
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Course: Appetizer, Main Course
Cuisine: American
Servings: 2 People

Ingredients 

  • 1.5 lbs Large Shrimp
  • 4 tbsp Unsalted Butter
  • 3 tbsp Minced Garlic
  • 2 tbsp Olive Oil
  • ¼ cup White Wine preferably dry white wine
  • 2 medium Lemons juiced
  • Kosher Salt to taste
  • Black Pepper to taste

Serving:

  • Red Chili Flakes
  • Chopped Parsley
  • Crusted Bread

Instructions 

  • Preheat a medium high heat fire (around 350F) for direct cooking. Add a cast iron skillet to the fire about 1 minute before cooking.
  • First, add your olive oil and butter to melt in the skillet. Next, add the minced garlic and let it brown for 90 seconds. Once browned, add all of your shrimp to the skillet (make sure to not fully overcrowd the pan), season with salt & pepper then cook for about 90 seconds on the first side. Flip the shrimp over and then deglaze the skillet with the white wine and the lemon juice. Stir and little and continue to cook the shrimp for another 1-2 minutes until fully done. When the shrimp are done, pull the whole skillet off the fire to cool.
  • Garnish the skillet with red chili flakes, chopped parsley and crusted bread. Serve and enjoy!

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 640kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 49g | Fat: 41g | Saturated Fat: 17g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 16g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 489mg | Sodium: 1935mg | Potassium: 610mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 1337IU | Vitamin C: 61mg | Calcium: 243mg | Iron: 2mg

 

Derek Wolf

Derek is the driving force behind Over the Fire Cooking. He started cooking with live fire in 2016 and decided to start a social media page so his friends and family could follow the journey. Fast forward to today and Over the Fire Cooking has spread across multiple platforms with millions now following Derek's fire cooking journey. He's a southern fellow who enjoys everything from classic BBQ to Central and South American inspired dishes. Whatever he's cooking up, it's guaranteed to be so freakin' delicious!

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Comments