This classic Shrimp Scampi recipe is smothered in creamy garlic butter sauce and is SO EASY to whip up in only 15 minutes! Serve it with pasta, rice, or crusty bread, or zucchini noodles to keep it low carb.
Pat the shrimp dry and season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
Heat the olive oil (2 tablespoons) and 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet, preferably nonstick, over medium heat.
Add the 4 cloves of minced garlic (or a heaping tablespoon) and crushed red pepper (1/4 teaspoon) and sauté until fragrant, 30 seconds to a minute, being careful not to brown it.
Add the shrimp to the skillet and allow to cook for 3 minutes. Flip and allow to cook for 1 more minute, or until cooked through and no longer translucent.
Using tongs or a slotted spoon, remove the shrimp to a plate.
Turn the heat up to medium high and add the the lemon juice (2 tablespoons) and white wine/broth (1/2 cup), along with the 1 teaspoon of lemon zest.Simmer for 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently, until the liquid has reduced by half.
Turn the heat down to low and add the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter. Stir until melted and sauce is thickened.
Add the cooked shrimp and any juices from the bottom of the plate back into the skillet, along with the fresh parsley, and stir to coat.
Shrimp scampi is best served immediately, with pasta, rice, or crusty bread to mop up the sauce, or zucchini noodles for a low carb option.
Notes
You can use salted or unsalted butter for this. I used salted, as I usually do for most recipes. Season the shrimp with more or less salt depending on whether your butter is salted.
Time saving tip: buy shrimp that's already been peeled and deveined.
Money saving tip: frozen shrimp is cheaper than thawed, and there's usually no difference taste-wise between the two! To save a little more money, you can peel/devein the shrimp yourself, and/or use smaller sized shrimp, which are usually cheaper.
To thaw frozen shrimp: leave in your refrigerator for 24 hours. Or, if you're in a hurry, soak the shrimp in ice water 5 minutes or so, until they're defrosted (optional: add a tiny pinch of salt to the water to help speed up defrosting and add a little flavor).
Make it lower in fat: use three tablespoons butter instead of 5- melt 1 with the olive oil in the beginning, and melt two more into the sauce at the end.
The provided nutrition information does not include any added sodium from seasoning to taste, any optional ingredients, and it does not take brands into account. Feel free to calculate it yourself using this calculator or by adding the recipe to Yummly.