This easy shrimp scampi without wine is garlicky, buttery, absolutely fantastic and melts in the mouth, a treat to your tastebuds. The shrimp are perfectly cooked and tossed in the sauce, making it the ideal dish to enjoy on its own or paired with pasta, rice, crusty bread, or a crisp salad.
Get ready for the best 30-minute dinner recipe ever!
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Sometimes, the simplest ingredients, used the right way, can turn a humble dish or protein into an outstanding dish. More often than not, that's what I turn to on busy, rushed weeknights. This recipe delivers all the rich, buttery, garlicky goodness without needing wine.
Whether you're cooking for a family dinner or a quick weeknight meal, this simple yet flavorful recipe uses lemon and garlic to create a mouthwatering sauce, just like Easy Baked Tilapia and Mediterranean Baked Tilapia. This one pot of shrimp rice and coconut rice is absolutely to crave. Also, this shrimp-filled restaurant-style seafood boil will be your favorite too.
This time, though, I had some shrimp left over after I tried my Rasta Pasta and Jambalaya recipe, and I thought of using it up to make a simple yet wholesome dish. And that's when I tried out this recipe.
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What I Love About this Recipe
This shrimp scampi is the perfect easy recipe that takes just around 20 minutes from start to finish.
No wine is needed, just broth.
It has simple yet elegant flavors that are bound to impress anyone! It's great to make on a weeknight or a party when you're entertaining.
The dish is naturally gluten-free, and you can customize it to your liking, too!
Recipe Ingredients
Shrimp: I used scaled, deveined and thoroughly washed and cleaned shrimp here. You can choose to use shrimp with the tails on, or removed- it's up to you!
Butter: For that rich, luxurious flavor.
Broth: Use low-sodium chicken or beef broth- whatever you have at hand.
Garlic: Fresh, for that beautiful savory deliciousness.
Seasonings: Just a dash of salt, pepper, and chili flakes.
Lemon: Lemon juice, freshly squeezed for that citrusy deliciousness, and to tie all of those flavors together.
Olive oil: To cook the shrimp.
Parsley: To garnish.
See the recipe card for quantities.
Variations & Substitutions
- To lend a bit of extra lemony deliciousness, add some freshly grated lemon zest into the mix too.
- Add a pinch of smoked paprika to bring an amazing smoky flavor to the shrimp scampi.
- You can also add a dash of cayenne or some extra red pepper flakes to season the dish if you like a kick of heat.
- To make a dairy-free version of this recipe, swap the butter with some olive oil.
How to Make Shrimp Scampi Without Wine
To make the easy shrimp scampi, start by patting the shrimp dry and seasoning it with salt and pepper.
- Aeason shrimp with salt and black pepper.
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat and sear the seasoned shrimp on both sides for 1-2 minutes.
- To the same skillet, add a bit of more oil and sauté the garlic until light golden brown. Now, add the broth and butter to deglaze the pan and cook for a minute, until the butter melts.
- Next, stir in the shrimp along with the lemon juice, chili flakes, salt, pepper and parsley. Taste and adjust.
- Take the skillet off heat, garnish, and serve immediately.
Storing Leftovers
If you have some leftovers, move them to an airtight container and refrigerate them for up to 3 days. You can reheat the shrimp in the microwave, pausing at every 20-second interval or in a pan over medium heat.
You may also need to add a splash of water or broth to get the sauce to the right consistency.
Tips & Tricks to Make the Shrimp Scampi Without Wine
- The trick to get the perfectly soft and juicy shrimp is to cook them just until they turn pink and then take them off heat before you add them back in.
- If you can, use big shrimp for this recipe! Large-sized shrimp have that plump, juicy texture that works perfectly when served with pasta.
- Cook the shrimp in a skillet over medium heat. They should ideally have that nice bit of sear on the outside.
- You can also add some veggies into the mix to bulk it up. Broccoli florets, asparagus spears, diced zucchini, carrots, and bell peppers are all great choices.
- You can also add a splash of heavy cream to the mix towards the end and give it a quick simmer to make a creamy version of this shrimp scampi.
- Freshly grated Parmesan cheese can also be a great addition to the dish. Sprinkle it on towards the end, as you take the pan off heat.
- If you're serving the dish with pasta, make sure you reserve a cup of pasta water and add it to the shrimp scampi when you add the pasta. Doing this helps the sauce cling to the pasta beautifully!
Serving Ideas & Suggestions
Shrimp scampi is typically served with angel hair pasta or any other pasta for that matter. I sometimes like to pair it with my Veggie Mac and Cheese when I'm craving some pasta.
On other days, I team it up with some toasted Cheesy Garlic Dinner Rolls and some Crispy Baked Potato Wedges to finish it all up.
Recipe FAQs
Overcooking the shrimp can make them very chewy. Cook them just for a few minutes until they're slightly pink and then take them off heat.
You absolutely can! Just remember to thaw the shrimp completely and pat it dry to remove all moisture before you use it for the recipe.
Sauteing the garlic on high heat or for too long will cause it to burn, and will turn the dish slightly bitter. Make sure you add in the stock immediately after you notice the garlic getting slightly golden brown.
More Seafood Recipes to Try
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
If you tried this shrimp scampi no wine recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Shrimp Scampi Without Wine
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1.5 lb Shrimps scaled, devained and washed.
- ¼ cup Butter unsalted
- ½ cup Broth chicken or beef. low sodium
- ½ Lemon, freshly squeezed
- 3 Garlic cloves minced or finely chopped
- 2 tablespoon Parsley finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon Chilli flakes
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- ¼ teaspoon Black pepper
- Pinch of salt and black pepper for the scampi sauce
- ¼ cup Olive oil divided
Instructions
- Pat dry the shrimp with a paper towel and season with salt and pepper, set aside.¼ teaspoon Salt, ¼ teaspoon Black pepper
- Add 2 tablespoon olive oil to a pan over medium heat and cook the shrimp for 1½ minutes on each side. Remove and set aside.1.5 lb Shrimps
- Add the remaining 2 tablespoon oil and saute the garlic for 2 minutes; be careful so it doesn't burn because it will make the sauce bitter.3 Garlic cloves
- Add the broth, and butter. Stir till the butter melts. Add the shrimp, chili flakes, lemon juice, parsley, a pinch of salt, and black pepper. Stir and simmer for 2 minutes, taste to adjust any seasonings.¼ cup Butter, ½ cup Broth, ½ Lemon, freshly squeezed, 2 tablespoon Parsley, 1 teaspoon Chilli flakes, Pinch of salt and black pepper for the scampi sauce
- Transfer to a pan, garnish with some fresh parsley, and serve.
Notes
-
- The trick to get the perfectly soft and juicy shrimp is to cook them just until they turn pink and then take them off heat, before you add them back in.
-
- If you can, use big shrimp for this recipe! Large sized shrimp have that plump, juicy texture that works perfectly when served with pasta.
-
- Cook the shrimp in a skillet over medium heat. They should ideally have that nice bit of sear on the outside.
-
- You can also add some veggies into the mix to bulk it up. Broccoli florets, asparagus spears, diced zucchini, carrots and bell peppers are all great choices.
-
- You can also add a splash of heavy cream to the mix towards the end and give it a quick simmer to make a creamy version of this shrimp scampi.
-
- Freshly grated Parmesan cheese can also be a great addition to the dish. Sprinkle it on towards the end, as you take the pan off heat.
One of my favorite shrimp recipes to enjoy with pasta. The sauce is so good and is ready under 30 minutes. I loved it, so will you!