Easy Shrimp Scampi Sauce
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Indulge in the flavors of classic Italian-American cuisine with shrimp scampi sauce! This delightful sauce comes together in no time, starting with minced garlic and crushed red peppers sautéed in olive oil. We then bring out the rich layers of flavor with a splash of white wine, a burst of fresh lemon juice, and butter.
Whip up this simple yet delicious shrimp scampi sauce in just minutes! Just heat the ingredients, toss them with shrimp, and you have a garlicky delight that’s perfect over pasta or rice. Want to keep it casual? Serve the shrimp and sauce as a tasty appetizer with toothpicks; perfect for sharing!
This recipe yields enough sauce for about one pound of peeled and cooked shrimp, but feel free to get creative! You can also use the scampi sauce to transform other seafood or chicken dishes, or ladle it over pasta.
Ingredients
For the ingredient measurements and the entire recipe, be sure to scroll down to the bottom of the blog post where the recipe card is located.
- Olive oil: We prefer to use extra virgin olive oil for a lighter flavor.
- Garlic: Use fresh garlic over jarred garlic for the best flavor.
- Red pepper flakes: We only use ½ teaspoon, so the scampi sauce isn’t spicy. Feel free to add more if you want a little kick.
- White wine: Use a quality dry white wine like sauvignon blanc.
- Lemon juice: We always recommend using freshly squeezed lemon juice.
- Butter: We typically reach for unsalted butter, but salted butter will also work well with the recipe.
How to Make Shrimp Scampi Sauce
For the full recipe instructions, scroll down to the bottom of the blog post to the recipe card.
- Sauté the garlic and crushed red pepper in olive oil
- Add the wine and lemon juice, then allow it to simmer until reduced by about half.
- Add the butter and swirl the pan as it melts until the sauce is fully combined.
- Toss with 1 pound of cooked jumbo shrimp that’s been peeled and deveined.
Tips For Success
- Have all of your ingredients prepped and ready. This recipe cooks fast, and you don’t want to be running all over your kitchen to hunt down the ingredients and measure them out.
- The butter is added last to prevent it from burning.
- Use a good-quality white wine in this recipe. One that you would enjoy drinking.
- Serve the sauce with large or jumbo shrimp. Those taste the best with this rich, buttery sauce.
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Easy Shrimp Scampi Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or more to your liking
- ¼ cup dry white wine
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook just until fragrant.
- Add the wine and lemon juice and bring to a simmer. Cook until reduced by half, about 3 minutes.
- Add the butter and cook until melted, swirling the pan to combine the sauce.
- Toss with 1 pound of cooked jumbo shrimp that’s been peeled and deveined.
Notes
- Use a good quality white wine. We like sauvignon blanc, but Pinot Grigio or Chardonnay will also work.
- Have all the ingredients prepped and ready. This recipe cooks fast.
Nutrition
The nutrition information provided is for convenience and as a courtesy only. It is not guaranteed to be accurate because nutrition information can vary for a variety of reasons. For precise nutritional data use your preferred nutrition calculator and input the exact ingredients and brands you used in the recipe.