This shrimp scampi recipe makes for an ideal weeknight dinner: It comes together quickly with just a handful of ingredients, many of which you may already have in the house. The key, perhaps unsurprisingly, is good shrimp. Unless you have access to a fishmonger, frozen wild-caught or frozen sustainably farmed shrimp are likely to be fresher than the frozen-then-thawed shrimp sitting on ice at your local supermarket.
We urge you: Don’t skip the marinade step—it really amps up the flavor and sets this buttery garlic shrimp recipe apart. Use the time to make a big green salad or enjoy a glass of wine that you can also use in the recipe (we like a Pinot Grigio, Fiano, or another crisp, dry Italian wine here). Before you add the shrimp to the pan, be sure everything else for your meal is set up. The dish cooks in less than 10 minutes and shrimp can easily overcook and turn rubbery. (Watch Carla make it here.) Serve your shrimp scampi with bread for dipping so none of the lemony garlic-butter sauce goes to waste. Plates are optional.
If you’re looking for a scampi recipe that sees the crustaceans tossed with cooked pasta, this one keeps it classic but adds fettuccine (linguine works too) and a toasted panko topping for crunch, while this one uses spaghetti and an extra punch of heat from fresh jalapeño and canned roasted green chiles.
Recipe information
Total Time
45 minutes (includes marinating)
Yield
4 servings
Ingredients
2
1
3
1
¼
¼
1
¼
3
Preparation
Step 1
Whisk 2 garlic cloves, finely grated on a microplane, 1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. plus ⅛ tsp. Morton kosher salt, and 1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided in a medium bowl. Add 1 lb. large shrimp, peeled, deveined, toss to coat, and chill, uncovered, at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour.
Step 2
Heat remaining 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil in a large skillet over medium and cook shrimp mixture, being careful not to let shrimp or garlic brown, until shrimp is pink but still slightly underdone, about 1 minute per side. Transfer to a plate with a slotted spoon, leaving as much oil in pan as possible. Add 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced, and ¼ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes to skillet and cook, tossing, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add ¼ cup dry white wine and 1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice and cook, stirring occasionally, until reduced by half, about 2 minutes. Add ¼ cup (½ stick) unsalted butter and cook, stirring and swirling pan occasionally, until butter is melted and sauce is thickened, about 5 minutes more.
Step 3
Scrape shrimp along with any accumulated juices into skillet. Toss to coat and cook until shrimp are fully cooked through, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a platter, garnish with 3 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley and serve with warm crusty bread (if using) for dipping alongside.
Editor’s note: This recipe was first printed in February 2017. Head this way for more of our best shrimp recipes →