You know those recipes that feel fancy but secretly take like 15 minutes to cook? This Garlic Shrimp Scampi is it. Quick, easy, garlicky, lemony perfection and this is the ultimate way to make it!
Table of Contents
Why I Love This Recipe
This Garlic Shrimp Scampi is one of those weeknight winners that checks all the boxes: fast, flavorful, and wildly satisfying. It feels like something you’d order at a cute little seaside trattoria, but you can whip it up at home in under 30 minutes. The garlic, white wine, and lemon combo is basically a flavor bomb, and the shrimp cook in literal minutes. Bonus: you probably have half the ingredients on hand already. It’s elegant but approachable—aka my favorite kind of dinner. Learning how to cook shrimp is a great skill, its quick, its tasty and its a great dinner option!
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Butter
- Olive oil
- Garlic
- White wine
- Flaky Salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Red pepper flakes
- Large shrimp (cleaned + deveined)
- Fresh parsley
- Lemons
- Linguine
*For a full list of ingredients and instructions please see recipe card below.
How to Make Garlic Shrimp Scampi
Step 1: Cook the linguine according to package directions. Reserve a splash of pasta water before draining.
Step 2: In a large skillet, melt the butter and olive oil over medium heat. Add the chopped garlic and sauté for about 1 minute, just until fragrant (don’t let it brown).
Step 3: Add the white wine, a big pinch of salt, red pepper flakes, and a few cracks of black pepper. Bring it to a simmer and let it cook down for about 2 minutes.
Step 4: Add the shrimp and cook for 3–4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they’re pink and just cooked through.
Step 5: Stir in the chopped parsley and lemon juice. Add the cooked linguine to the skillet and toss everything together to coat. If the sauce looks a little tight, add a splash of that reserved pasta water to loosen it up.
Step 6: Serve the Garlic Shrimp Scampi immediately with extra lemon wedges on the side and a sprinkle of flaky salt.
How to Store Garlic Shrimp Scampi
Store any leftovers in an airtight container for up to 2-3 days and warm it through when it is time to eat.
Tips & Tricks
Use good wine—if you wouldn’t drink it, don’t cook with it! A dry white like Sauvignon Blanc works beautifully here.
Don’t overcook the shrimp! They only need a few minutes and should be just pink and slightly curled.
Reserve a little pasta water before draining in case you want to loosen up the sauce when tossing.
Add more heat if you want it spicy—a little extra red pepper flake goes a long way.
Finish the Garlic Shrimp Scampi with flaky salt or extra lemon if you want to level it up.
FAQs
Can I use frozen shrimp to make Garlic Shrimp Scampi?
Absolutely—just thaw them completely and pat them dry before cooking.
What can I use instead of wine?
Chicken broth or veggie broth will work in a pinch, but the wine adds a little oomph and the alcohol cooks out completely.
Can I use a different pasta?
Totally. Spaghetti, fettuccine, or even orzo would be fab.
Can I make it dairy-free?
Yup! Just sub olive oil for the butter—it won’t be quite as rich, but it’ll still be delicious.
What size shrimp should I use for this recipe
For this recipe, go with large shrimp, which are usually labeled 21–25 count per pound. They’re meaty enough to hold their own in the pasta, cook quickly, and won’t get lost in all that garlicky, lemony goodness.
If you can only find extra-large (16–20) or medium (26–30), no worries—just adjust the cook time slightly so they don’t overcook.
Similar Recipes
If you tried this recipe, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it goes in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting today
The Ultimate Garlic Shrimp Scampi
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 5 garlic cloves finely chopped
- ½ cup white wine like Sauvignon Blanc
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes more as needed
- 1 ¾ pounds large or shrimp cleaned, deveined, and shelled
- ⅓ cup parsley finely chopped
- 1 lemon juiced, plus more as needed
- 8-10 ounces linguine cooked according to the package directions
Instructions
- Cook the linguine according to package directions. Reserve a splash of pasta water before draining.
- In a large skillet, melt the butter and olive oil over medium heat. Add the chopped garlic and sauté for about 1 minute, just until fragrant (don’t let it brown).
- Add the white wine, a big pinch of salt, red pepper flakes, and a few cracks of black pepper. Bring it to a simmer and let it cook down for about 2 minutes.
- Add the shrimp and cook for 3–4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they’re pink and just cooked through.
- Stir in the chopped parsley and lemon juice. Add the cooked linguine to the skillet and toss everything together to coat. If the sauce looks a little tight, add a splash of that reserved pasta water to loosen it up.
- Serve immediately with extra lemon wedges on the side and a sprinkle of flaky salt.
The one thing I do that helps tremendously when using frozen shrimp is to pre cook them in the oil to just pink and drain the water and dry the shrimp on a towel and then start the recipe. The released water really helps get the most of the un diluted sauce. Excellent and fast.
Nailed it! Licked my plate. This took pantry and freezer ingredients I had on hand, and made em fancy! Thanks for another great recipe!
We use the same recipe and it never fails to be delish! I do add a little butter at the end to give it a velvet finish. And last week I made it but added a couple of chopped taragon leaves with the parsley and it was amazing. Love your recipes!
In corona time how would you use frozen shrimp in this recipe
Thaw them and then blot dry and cook accordingly
Make this at least 3x a month so easy and delicious! I add broccoli for some veggies. Easy on hand ingredients.
Dear Gaby,
I just today came across your site and am thrilled to try recipes. May I ask a favor? In shrimp recipes it is so much easier for us if, in your ingredients list, you list shrimp not as large, medium, etc. but by the count (21 -25, 16 - 20, 12 - 15). You can't tell by photos what size you are using and each store has different ideas for medium and large shrimp. Thank you so much.
This was another hit! I added a few halved cherry tomatoes, sliced fresh basil and a few green onions at the end for a flash of color.
I am thrilled that my husband and son loved it just as much if not more than my usual heavy cream version. Thanks!!!
Oh yes!!! Making the scampi for dinner this evening....thank you for sharing your wonderful recipes with us!!
Yes, clearly this is the ultimate scampi!!!! I could live on creamy pastas and shrimp forever and I want to make this one SO much, YUM!
Love how easy everything is to put together! You're right! Perfect for weekends OR weeknights!
This looks delicious! Which white wine do you recommend??
Any dry white wine you have on hand! I use a sauv blanc or pinto grigio
Easy peasy buttery, garlicky shrimp and pasta...yes!
Yum! I love shrimp in pretty much everything!
Kari
http://www.sweetteasweetie.com
Simple. Delicious. Gorgeous. More importantly - I have all the ingredients ready for tonight!!
What a gorgeous dinner recipe! Love this one!