Make Shrimp Scampi without wine in just 10 minutes for a flavor packed appetizer or meal. Your kitchen will smell so amazing with all those garlic, lemon, chili and parsley flavors mixed together.
This Might Be My Favorite Recipe Ever
Shrimp Scampi is one of those dishes I just can't get enough off. And this version is no exception - I found myself testing this recipe over, and over, and over again... just because I wanted an excuse to make it again...
I don't just love Shrimp Scampi - I love basically any dish that pairs seafood with garlic and butter, and if there's chili? Even better! This dish has all of that, and is so quick and easy to make, you can make it again... and again... and again.
This version is made entirely without wine or other alcohol, mainly because - I don't drink, so I never have alcohol at home. But this also means everyone can eat it. Doesn't matter if you're pregnant, sober, or just don't like alcohol in your food. It's still just as delicious, though!
My favorite way to eat this is as an appetizer, with a nice piece of bread to sop up all that sauce. Because you have to finish the sauce! There's just too much flavor there to let it go to waste.
My second favorite way is on top of pasta. I like it so much, I made it into a recipe all of its own: Garlic Butter Shrimp Pasta.
This Recipe Has All the Best Ingredients
Choose Your Shrimp!
I used jumbo shrimp for this recipe, and that's what's most commonly used for shrimp scampi. However, it's very tasty made with other sizes as well.
I recommend using raw shrimp, but I have also successfully made it (many times) with pre-cooked shrimp. You just need to adjust the cook time accordingly. Cooking raw shrimp takes a bit longer, but this also means they get more flavor.
Shell on or Off?
This is entirely up to you! I like to make this without shells, so I either shell them first or (more often) buy the already peeled kind. I just find it too too messy to peel them after cooking!
Cooking them with the shells on does add a bit more flavor, and it also makes overcooking them less likely. So you decide if it's worth the mess!
If you do decide to cook them with the shell, I recommend at least removing the head and cleaning and deveining them first.
Make It More or Less Spicy
I like my shrimp a bit spicy, but if that's not your thing - that's perfectly fine. You can adjust the amount of chili flakes you use, to make it more or less spicy. Or even skip them!
Chili flakes also vary in how spicy they are, so it's good to know how spicy your kind is. When in doubt, always start with less, and add more as needed.
The chili flakes I use are pretty spicy, and the amount stated for this recipe gives it just a small kick. So this amount should be fine with most types, as long as you can handle a little bit of spice.
How to Make This in 3 Easy Steps
1. Create Your Sauce
First, we want to create that delicious sauce the shrimp will cook in. We do this by sautéing garlic in butter and olive oil, before adding in the chicken stock as well as the chili flakes and other seasonings.
We then let it simmer a few minutes, until thickened.
2. Cook the Shrimp
When the sauce has thickened, we add in the shrimp.
If you're cooking raw shrimp, you want to make sure they cook through - but not overcook. The best way to do this is to wait until the tail turns pink, then flip them and cook until they're pink on both sides.
If you're using pre-cooked shrimp, you just want them to heat up in the sauce - not more than that.
3. Finishing Touches
When the shrimp is done, turn off the heat, add in the lemon juice and parsley, and mix. Then serve immediately!
What to Do with Leftovers
Leftovers: This dish is best eaten straight away but leftovers are fine to store as well.
Storing: Store leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
Freezing: Freeze shrimp with the sauce for up to 1 month. Thaw gently in the fridge overnight before reheating!
Reheating: Reheat leftovers in a pan on the stove over medium heat, with an extra splash of chicken stock.
What to Serve With Shrimp Scampi
- Air Fryer Texas Toast Garlic Bread11 Minutes
- 15-minute Garlic Butter Pasta15 Minutes
- Creamy Rice with Butter & Chicken Broth30 Minutes
- Turkish Bread (No-Knead Overnight Recipe)12 Hours 29 Minutes
More Quick & Easy Appetizers
- How to Bake Brie25 Minutes
- Buffalo Shrimp10 Minutes
- Smoked Salmon Pâté With Hot or Cold Smoked Salmon25 Minutes
- Bacon Wrapped Dates (Devils on Horseback)25 Minutes
Recipe
Shrimp Scampi without Wine
Print RateIngredients
- ½ lb jumbo shrimp or other size but adjust cook time; shells and tails on or off
- ½ cup boiling water or homemade chicken stock and skip the stock cube
- ¼ chicken stock cube
- 2 tablespoon butter
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- ½ teaspoon fine table salt
- ¼ teaspoon paprika powder
- ¼ teaspoon red chili pepper flakes or more or less, according to taste
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice
- ¼ cup chopped parsley
To serve as an appetizer
- 2 slices bread
To serve as a main course
- 2 servings cooked spaghetti, linguine or angel hair pasta
- ¼ cup pasta cooking water
Instructions
- Dissolve the chicken stock cube in the boiling water and set aside for now.½ cup boiling water, ¼ chicken stock cube
- Heat butter and olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.2 tablespoon butter, 2 tablespoon olive oil
- When the butter is melted, add minced garlic. Sauté 1 minute without the garlic browning, lower the heat if necessary.2 garlic cloves
- Add the chicken stock, salt, paprika powder, chili flakes and black pepper. Simmer 2 minutes until thickened.¼ teaspoon paprika powder, ¼ teaspoon red chili pepper flakes, ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper, ½ teaspoon fine table salt
- Add the shrimp and cook for about 2 minutes, until the tail has turned pink pink, then flip them and cook until the other side is pink as well, this will take about 1 minute.½ lb jumbo shrimp
- Turn off the heat and mix in lemon juice and parsley. Mix well!1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice, ¼ cup chopped parsley
To serve as an appetizer
- Serve in the pan together with a slice of bread for mopping up that delicious sauce from the bottom of the pan.2 slices bread
To serve as a main course
- Drain pasta and reserve some of the pasta cooking water. Add to the shrimp scampi, mix well, and simmer 1 minute, then serve.2 servings cooked spaghetti, linguine or angel hair pasta, ¼ cup pasta cooking water
Equipment (may contain affiliate links)
- Measuring cups (metric or US)*
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is approximate and automatically calculated, and should only be viewed as an indication.
Pheebs
Absolutely delicious!!! Has a bit of a new Orleans kick to it. I x4 the recipe and didn't have fresh garlic so used almost 2 tsp of garlic powder. Also didn't have fresh lemons but almost always have lemon juice so I used that. This is so fast and easy to whip up and my whole family loved it. I had to print the recipe so I can have it on hand another time 🙂