Shrimp Scampi
This Shrimp Scampi recipe is such an easy, tasty and quick way to cook shrimp. Tender shrimp is coated in a luscious garlicky, lemon butter herb sauce, all made in the same pan! We love Shrimp Scampi over pasta, however you can serve it with rice, veggies, salads or simply crusty bread to mop up that sauce.
Ingredients
Shrimp
- 2 lb shrimp large shrimp, deveined and cleaned
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper
- 1 tablepsoon oregano fresh herbs of your choice
- 1 Tabelspoon olive oil
Scampi Sauce
- 4 cloves garlic sliced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 teaspoons oregano thyme fresh herbs, minced
- 1 cup stock or white wine or a combo
- 6 tablespoons cold butter cut into tablespoons
- 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper
- 1 teaspoon chilli flakes optional
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley Minced with chives
Pasta
- 2 lbs spaghetti cooked
Instructions
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In a large bowl, toss the shrimp with the garlic, seasoning, oregano and olive oil. Set aside for about 10-15 minutes before cooking.
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Preheat a sauce pan over medium high heat for 2 minutes and then add in the butter.
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Add the shrimp to the skillet and don’t flip them for 3 minutes until they start to turn pink on the bottom.
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Make sure the shrimp is added in a single layer, you may need to make this step in several batches.
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Flip the shrimp when they turn pink and cook on the other side for an extra 3 minutes until they turn pink.
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Remove the shrimp onto a separate platter and keep the same skillet, but drop the heat to medium.
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Onto the skillet add oil, and sauté the garlic, chilli fakes and fresh oregano for 2 minutes until the garlic turns translucent.
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Add the stock/wine and bring it to a gently boil then drop the heat to a medium low.
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Let the sauce simmer for 3-5 minutes until it has reduced.
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Add the shrimp back to the sauce and toss it for 1 minutes before dropping the heat to low.
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Add the butter on tablespoon at a time while mixing in each tablespoon until blended into the sauce.
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Turn off the heat immediately as you add in the last tablespoon of butter.
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The same is ready, so garnish with chives and parsley and serve over the butter spaghetti with extra sauce on top.
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Enjoy!
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
Shrimp Scampi BEST Tips and FAQ
- The size of the shrimp will determine the cooking time, but aside from that it doesn;t affect the recipe at all, so feel free to choose your favorite.
- Make sure the shrimp is well cleaned and deveined before cooking it. You can leave the tails on or off depending on your preference.
- Marinating the shrimp is optional, and only 10-15 minutes will do the trick.
- Careful about overcooking the shrimp as it will change texture and become chewy and rubbery instead of tender.
- To make the sauce, use dry white wine or stock or a combo of both as long as the final amount of liquid is the same.
- Make sure to use cold butter to make the sauce.
- Use your favorite herbs here we love fresh oregano and thyme, and maybe rosemary. It's up to your taste.
- Also chilli flakes are optional.
What kind of shrimp is used for scampi recipe?
We use large colossal shrimp here which I got from Sealand--if you're in Canada do check them out as they're the BEST! So large is ideal , but the 21-30 count is also great! When you buy frozen shrimp, make sure to defrost it in the fridge and double check that it is deveined and cleaned before using.
Smaller shrimp will cook in no time, make sure that it's peeled and cooked for just a few seconds to avoid them overcooking or releasing their juices.
How long does shrimp scampi keep?
Leftover seafood is a bit tricky, like Lobster Roll is best made with leftovers from How To Cook Lobster Tail. But leftover shrimp and tuna isn't as favorable. Two days in the fridge is best for the shrimp scampi when sealed well. Make sure you store the shrimp separately from the pasta for better storage results. Heat it well before serving and enjoy!
To freeze the dish, you can seal the cooked shrimp for about 2 months and then thaw, and heat again.