March 19, 2021

Lemon Garlic Shrimp Scampi

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Make Lemon Garlic Shrimp Scampi when you’re craving shrimp–which I do often! This dish is so quick and easy, it makes a great weeknight dinner. And it’s delicious–so much better than the overly salty scampi you might order at a restaurant. It’s wonderful served with Rustic Sourdough Baguettes to soak up the delicious garlic butter.

(Post modified on 2/3/23.)

This recipe works well served with a fresh green salad and pasta, such as my Fettuccine with Truffle Sauce and Asparagus or Fettuccine with Pesto. Or even Herbed Brown Rice. So good!

I love shrimp and usually don’t do much to it when I cook it. It’s fabulous when it’s simply steamed or boiled in salted water. However, on those days when I feel like a little something extra, my go to ingredients are lemon and garlic. This recipe for Shrimp Scampi is quite lovely and ranks high on my favorite recipe scale.

Browse More Shrimp Recipes

Ingredients for Lemon Garlic Shrimp Scampi

(See the full recipe at the bottom of this post.)

butter
extra-virgin olive oil
garlic cloves (4 of them)
red pepper flakes
frozen large, x-large, or jumbo shrimp
favorite dry white wine
lemon, freshly squeezed
fresh or dried parsley
kosher salt
coarsely ground peppercorn melange

A Note about the Ingredients

When shopping for shrimp, I like to buy when it is on sale and then I buy in bulk. Our local grocery store offers shrimp sales every 6-8 weeks, so it’s not hard too difficult to find good prices. For this recipe I like to use large shrimp or extra-large to jumbo-sized shrimp.

I use a dry white wine for this recipe, such as Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio, or even a Chardonnay.

If you prefer not to cook with wine, you may substitute chicken broth for the wine.

Instructions for Making This Recipe

Gather all your ingredients so that you have everything close at hand on the counter or table.

Prepare The Ingredients

Peel and thinly slice the cloves of garlic. Using a lemon juicer, squeeze 2 tablespoons of juice from a large lemon. Place juice in a prep bowl for use later. If using fresh parsley, chop it and set aside until later.

Place frozen shrimp in a large bowl or bucket that has been filled with salted ice water, about 1 tablespoon of salt per quart of water. Allow to set in cold water until shrimp has thawed.

A gallon ice cream bucket works well for this. Or if you are working with a lot of shrimp, you could just use your kitchen sink.

Remove the shells and devein the shrimp as needed. Drain well in a stainless colander.

Time to Cook the Shrimp

Heat butter and extra-virgin olive oil in a large skillet or shallow Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the sliced garlic and red pepper flakes, stirring until garlic is golden brown about 1-2 minutes.

Place the prepared shrimp in the butter and cook for 1-2 minutes on each side until the meat turns lightly pink and opaque. Add the wine to the sauce and simmer for 2-3 minutes until it has reduced.

Remove from heat and sprinkle the shrimp with the freshly squeezed lemon juice. Season with dried or chopped fresh parsley, kosher salt, and coarsely ground peppercorn melange. Serve immediately.

When I make this recipe, I like to serve the shrimp in individual bowls along with spoonfuls of the garlic butter. Serve this dish with a hard, crusty bread to dip up the garlic butter. Other side dishes that go well with it are Spinach Salad, Herbed Brown Rice, or Fettucine with Pesto, and a fresh vegetable, such as asparagus or zucchini.

This recipe will serve 4 people.

Wine Suggestion: Sterling Sauvignon Blanc.

See more Fish and Seafood Recipes Here. Browse Quick and Easy Weeknight Dinner Ideas Here.

Lemon Garlic Shrimp Scampi

Try this easy recipe when you're craving shrimp--which I do often! This is wonderful served with Sourdough Baguettes to soak up the delicious garlic butter. Enjoy!

5 from 1 vote

Print Rate

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American, Italian

Keyword: Garlic, Large Shrimp, Lemons, Quick and Easy Meals, Weeknight Dinners

Prep Time: 15

Cook Time: 15

Total Time: 30

Servings:

Equipment

Lemon Juicer

Stainless Colander

Spurtle Set

Dutch Oven 3 qt

Ingredients

3 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon Extra Virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
24 oz frozen large shrimp
1/4 cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 teaspoon dried parsley or 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground peppercorn melange

Instructions

Gather all your ingredients so that you have everything close at hand on the counter or table. Prepare your ingredients.
Thinly slice the cloves of garlic. Using a lemon juicer, squeeze 2 tablespoons of juice from a lemon. If using fresh parsley, chop it with a sharp knife and set aside for later.
Place frozen shrimp in a large bowl or bucket that has been filled with salted ice water, about 1 tablespoon of salt per quart of water. Allow to set in cold water until shrimp has thawed.
Remove the shells and devein the shrimp, if necessary. Drain in a colander.
Heat butter and oil in a large skillet or shallow Dutch oven over medium heat.
Add the sliced garlic and red pepper flakes to the butter, stirring until garlic is golden brown about 1-2 minutes.
Place the prepared shrimp in the butter and cook for 1-2 minutes on each side until the meat turns lightly pink. Add the white wine to the sauce and simmer for 2-3 minutes until reduced.
Remove from heat and sprinkle the shrimp with the freshly squeeze lemon juice. Season with dried or fresh parsley, kosher salt and coarsely ground peppercorn melange. Serve immediately. Serves 4.