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This Garlic Butter Shrimp Scampi has an addicting garlic buttery sauce with a little lemon in it! Plus, you can have it ready to go in about 20 minutes! The perfect appetizer or quick dinner idea!
This post is sponsored by Challenge Butter, but all opinions are my own.
One of the hubs’ favorite things is anything shrimp scampi and he totally fell in love with this, as did I. The flavor is wonderful and it’s such a quick and easy meal. How could you not add it your regular dinner rotation?
And one of the things that makes this scampi special is that it’s less about the wine (not that I mind the wine), and more about the butter and garlic. Is there any better combination than that one? When you add a little lemon juice to it, it’s just perfect. It might even be worth making just the sauce so that you can soak some bread in it and eat it that way. It’s that good!
How to make Garlic Butter Shrimp Scampi
So to get started making this delicious dish, you’ll want to get all your ingredients ready. It comes together quickly and you don’t want to have to run around the kitchen to get something when you’re ready for the next step.
Add half of the butter to a large pan or skillet and heat it over medium heat until it’s melted.
Speaking of the butter, it’s the star of the show in this shrimp scampi and I made sure to use my favorite – Challenge Butter. With butter being such an important ingredient, a good quality butter is a must. Challenge Butter is a wonderfully creamy butter that goes from farm to fridge in just two days, so you know it’s fresh. It has no added hormones, artificial flavors or filling, which I love. Be sure to check it out!
Once your butter is melted, you’ll add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook it until it’s fragrant, about 1-2 minutes. Turn up the heat a little and then add the shrimp.
I found that I liked it when the shrimp were cooked until they were just lightly browned on the outside, hence the slightly higher heat to cook them on and only adding half of the butter up front. The lightly browned exterior just gave them even better flavor. But feel free to cook them just until they’re cooked. You certainly don’t want to over cook them and get them rubbery.
They won’t take long to cook – about 3-5 minutes – then set them aside.
Add the remaining butter, parsley and lemon juice and stir until everything is melted. Add the shrimp back in and coat them in the sauce.
From there, you can serve the shrimp as is for an appetizer, or serve it over pasta or rice for a meal. Either way, it’s delicious!
What to serve Garlic Butter Shrimp Scampi with
You can serve this shrimp scampi as an appetizer or make it a meal! To make it a meal, serve with any number of options:
- Crusty Bread
- Linguine
- Zucchini noodles
- Rice
More great dinner recipes to enjoy
Spicy Sriracha Shrimp Tacos
Slow Cooker Creamy Lemon Butter Chicken
Lemon Rosemary Chicken and Rice
Shrimp and Crab Nachos
Chunky Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Easy Creole Salmon
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Garlic Butter Shrimp Scampi
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 4
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stove
- Cuisine: American
Description
Juicy pan-seared shrimp are smothered in a buttery garlic lemon sauce and served over linguine pasta in this quick and easy Shrimp Scampi! Spiced up with fresh parsley and a pinch of red pepper flakes, this ultra-comforting entree is a wonderful weeknight dinner option.
Ingredients
- 8 oz linguine, optional
- 3/4 cup unsalted Challenge Butter, cubed, divided
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 1/2 lbs large shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails on or off
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 3 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
- 2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
Instructions
- In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain well and set aside.
- Add half of the butter to a large pan or skillet and heat over medium heat until melted.
- Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook while stirring until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes.
- Increase heat to medium-high and add the shrimp. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, turning the shrimp as needed, until cooked through and just lightly browned, about 3-5 minutes. Be careful not to overcook the shrimp. I turn the heat up for cooking them so that they can brown more quickly without over cooking them (think it adds more flavor), but if you’re concerned about over cooking, remove them from the heat when opaque pink.
- Add the remaining butter, parsley and lemon juice and stir until melted and combined and the shrimp are coated in the mixture.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
- To Store: Keep leftover shrimp scampi pasta refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- To Reheat: Preheat oven to 275°F and place leftover shrimp on a lightly greased pan. Add a spritz of oil and cover shrimp with foil, then reheat for 10-15 minutes. Warm up pasta over medium-low heat with a pat of butter (or in the microwave). Once shrimp and pasta are warmed through, plate and serve immediately.
- To Freeze: Place cooled leftovers into an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw out in the fridge before reheating.
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 668
- Sugar: 1.8 g
- Sodium: 212.6 mg
- Fat: 36.3 g
- Carbohydrates: 44.1 g
- Protein: 42.2 g
- Cholesterol: 365.2 mg
Can I make this with frozen shrimp that is thawed and patted dry? Thank you.
Definitely!
Oh my goodness, this was so good! Easy to make, especially with shrimp and scallops. I added four green onions as well. I think mushrooms would be good too.
It was perfect the first time. I learn so much from you as well! Keep it up great post.
What if fresh shrimp is not available where I live? Any suggestions? Thank you.
Frozen is totally fine. Just thaw it before using.
Thank you. Congrats on expecting again! Every baby is a blessing from God. Take care of yourself.
I love shrimp scampi! So excited to try your recipe!! <3