Easy Shrimp Scampi Recipe
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Indulge in a delicious and effortless seafood dinner with my easy shrimp scampi recipe!
With just a few simple ingredients and easy-to-follow instructions, you can create a mouth-watering dish that is perfect for any occasion. Let the flavors of garlic, lemon, and juicy shrimp transport you to a seaside getaway in no time.
Shrimp scampi is one of those elegant meals that is offered on the menu at fine Italian restaurants, but let me tell you, it is SO easy to duplicate in your home kitchen.
My oven-baked version of this recipe was inspired by Ina Garten’s Baked Shrimp Scampi Recipe. It has a golden topping of buttery parmesan breadcrumbs.
I like to make it in individual au gratin dishes so each person can sop up their own sauce with a chunk of crusty bread, but you could easily make it in a larger dish and serve it over pasta or rice.
No matter how you serve it, the flavors are to die for. It is perfect for a quick weeknight meal but, fancy enough for a special occasion.
You can also make it in advance. That way can just pop it in the oven after a long day at work. Pour yourself a glass of wine and dinner will be on the table in under 15 minutes!
I always give instructions with step-by-step photos in my posts just in case some readers have questions. But if you are just here for the recipe, click the JUMP TO RECIPE tab under the title and it will take you straight there. You can also print the recipe card with full instructions or you can click one of the SHARE BUTTONS and save it for later!
Let’s Gather Up the Ingredients
- Shrimp– You can use fresh or frozen shrimp in this recipe. Just peel and devein them before cooking because although the shells do impart a lot of flavor, they can be messy to peel with all of the garlicy butter sauce on them. I do like to leave the tails on. It gives this dish a fancy flair, but you could totally remove them as well.
- Lemon– Zest the lemon before you cut it. There is a lot of extra flavor in the zest and it’s easier to zest them when they are whole.
- White wine– You could leave this out, but DON’T! Just kidding. The wine adds amazing flavor, but it is totally optional. You could substitute it for chicken broth or extra lemon juice. If you are using wine, choose a dry white wine such as Pinot Grigio or Chardonnay.
- Garlic– Use a garlic press or grate on a microplane. You don’t want large chunks of garlic.
- Butter– Use real butter. It can be salted or unsalted, but don’t use margarine.
- Shallot– Diced finely
- Panko breadcrumbs– Panko gives the scampi a better texture.
- Parmesan cheese– Grated finely. You could use your microplane for this as well.
- Red pepper flakes– For a kick of flavor. Add as much or as little as desired.
- Fresh parsley– Gives the final dish a pop of color and adds brightness.
Now Let’s Get Cooking
Peel and devein the shrimp and then arrange them in an even layer in a baking dish.
Make the garlic butter sauce
Add the diced shallots, garlic, and four tablespoons of butter to a pan. Saute until the garlic becomes fragrant and the shallots start to soften. Now add the lemon juice and white wine. Simmer for about three minutes to burn the alcohol from the wine and let the flavors meld.
Pour the garlic butter sauce over the arranged shrimp.
Now make the topping
Combine the remaining melted butter, Panko, grated parmesan, parsley, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper in a small bowl.
Top the shrimp with the buttery breadcrumb mixture.
Bake at 425 degrees F for 8-10 minutes or until the topping is golden brown and the sauce is bubbly. The shrimp will turn an orangy/pink color when they are done.
Tips for success: Check out my post How to Tell if Shrimp is Cooked Properly to make sure your final dish comes out perfect every time.
How to serve
Serve as is with crusty bread to soak up all of those amazing flavors. Or, if you want something more substantial, serve it over your favorite pasta with a Simple Caesar Salad or alongside my Rice Pilaf with your favorite green vegetable.
FAQ
What is a good side dish for shrimp scampi? You could serve it over pasta or rice with a salad or any green vegetable that your family likes. Some good options would be broccolini, asparagus, or sauteed spinach.
How long does it take to make shrimp scampi? Shrimp scampi is a delicious American-Italian dish made with tender shrimp and a flavorful buttery sauce that is quick and easy to make in 15 minutes
How long can I store leftover shrimp scampi? You can store leftover shrimp scampi in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. I would avoid doing this however because the shrimp could become tough and rubbery once reheated.
Can I make this Easy Shrimp Scampi Recipe in advance? YES! This can be such an easy weeknight meal. Prepare according to the recipe directions up until you add the breadcrumb topping. You can make that in advance as well, just keep it in a separate container until you are ready to cook. Cover and refrigerate for up to two days. When you are ready to cook, simply uncover, top with breadcrumb topping, and bake.
Once you discover how easy it is to prepare this elegant shrimp scampi you will come back to this recipe time and again!
If you decide to make this Easy Shrimp Scampi Recipe or any of my other recipes please be sure to give it a rating and let me know how yours turned out. I love hearing your feedback and I will do my best to answer any questions you have as quickly as I can.
As always, I will be back next week with more delicious recipes from my RV kitchen to yours!
Easy Shrimp Scampi
Ingredients
- 1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 2 lemons. 1 juiced and zested, the other cut into wedges for serving.
- 2 tablespoons white wine
- 4 cloves garlic, pressed or grated with a microplane
- 8 tablespoons butter, divided
- 1 shallot, diced finely
- ⅓ cup Panko breadcrumbs
- ¼ cup Parmesan cheese, finely grated
- 1 pinch red pepper flakes, adjust to taste
- 1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsely
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425℉.
- Peel and devein the shrimp and then arrange them in an even layer in oven-safe baking dish.
- Add the diced shallots, garlic, and four tablespoons of the butter to a pan. Saute until the garlic becomes fragrant and the shallots start to soften. Now add the lemon juice and white wine. Simmer for about three minutes to burn the alcohol from the wine and let the flavors meld.
- Pour the garlic butter sauce over the arranged shrimp.
Now make the topping
- Melt the remaining butter and combine it with the Panko, grated parmesan, parsley, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper in a small bowl.
- Top the shrimp with the buttery breadcrumb mixture.
- Bake at 425 ℉ for 8-10 minutes or until the topping is golden brown and the sauce is bubbly. The shrimp will turn an orangy/pink color once it is done.
- Enjoy as is, or serve over pasta or rice.
Tasty as always
This was everything a gourmet meal should be, and then some! Quick, easy and delicious; definitely, a new favorite recipe!
This was perfect! I’m a huge fan of shrimp and this recipe did not disappoint. Thank you so much!
This was such a flavorful and tasty dinner for our family! Loved how light and healthy it was too!
This will be a great dinner. The shrimp does look juicy.
This shrimp scampi looks amazingly delicious. Thanks for sharing.