If you want something gourmet level but without too much hassle, this seafood recipe is for you! With a garlicky, zesty, and creamy white wine sauce and perfectly cooked shrimp, this Creamy Shrimp Scampi is as delicious as it is easy to whip up.
Best served over fresh pasta, this shrimp scampi recipe requires just one pan, 9 ingredients, and just about 20 minutes to make. And just like my popular Salmon Spinach Pasta with White Wine Sauce, this dish proves that simple is best!
Shrimp Sustainability
I love shrimp because of its versatility and distinct texture and taste, but depending on where you live, it may be something to consider eating in moderation. As a proponent of a sustainable lifestyle, I always put thought into how I source my seafood.
I’m very lucky to live in a coastal community in Georgia where local shrimp can be sourced sustainably by smaller shrimping operations during the shrimping season.
Of course, this option is not available to everyone. However, there are still some things you can look out for when purchasing!
When it comes to sustainability, try to avoid imported shrimp entirely. Imported shrimp are sourced from farms that are especially detrimental to mangrove forests and produced on farms that emit a high number of pollutants.
Plus, it has to travel far to get to you! If you can, seek domestic farmed shrimp.
Green tip: Shrimp is seafood we should enjoy in moderation, as it is not the most sustainable out of season. The best way to source your shrimp is from domestic shrimp farms (avoid imported).
Creamy Shrimp Scampi Ingredients & Substitutions
Here’s everything you need:
- Shrimp. I prefer large white deveined shrimp. Fresh or frozen. If you are using frozen shrimp, make sure it’s thawed completely before you start. You can defrost shrimp by transferring them to the refrigerator 24 hours ahead of time or putting them in a sealed bag and submerging the bag in a large bowl of cold water for 45 minutes.
- Unsalted butter. Plant-based butter works, too.
- Garlic.
- Dry white wine. Like Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, or Chardonnay. If you don’t want to use wine you can substitute ½ cup vegetable broth + 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar.
- Salt & pepper.
- Lemon juice. You should be able to get enough juice from ½ a lemon.
- Fresh parsley.
- Cream. Heavy or regular cream or even coconut cream work!
How to Make Shrimp Scampi with Cream
Set Yourself Up for Success
Start by prepping your shrimp and mincing your garlic. Peel your shrimp. You can choose whether or not you want to remove the tails. Then, grab a paper towel and lightly press down on the naked shrimp, blotting to reduce excess moisture.
This is the same technique I use while making my similar, but less-creamy dish: 30-Minute Zesty Lemon Shrimp Pasta!
Green tip: Paper products contribute to deforestation. Consider these bamboo paper towels! Bamboo naturally regenerates every few months, whereas trees cannot regrow once harvested.
For the garlic cloves, all you need to do is peel and mince. I highly recommend using fresh garlic in this recipe for depth of flavor.
You can also dice your parsley now if you like to prep everything beforehand. I usually just chop it up when the sauce is cooking down.
How to Make Shrimp Scampi All in One Pan
Start by adding 2 tablespoons of the butter and the minced garlic into a pan over medium heat. Allow the butter to melt completely and sauté until the garlic is nice and fragrant.
Then, add the prepped shrimp to the pan. Season it with about 1 tablespoon of lemon juice and half the salt and pepper. After 1 minute, flip the shrimp and season it on the second side to use up the lemon juice, salt and pepper.
After 1 more minute, add the white wine. It’s best if the wine is at room temperature so it doesn’t halt the cooking process. Turn the heat up if necessary to bring it to a simmer.
Simmer for about 5 minutes until the shrimp is fully cooked and the wine has reduced a bit. Then, add the butter and chopped parsley. Cook until the butter is completely melted and integrated into the wine.
Turn the heat all the way down to low and add the cream. Stir to combine and assess the consistency. If it’s too thin, you can continue to cook down for a few minutes.
Serving Your Scampi
This creamy sauce with shrimp is so delicious as is. Sometimes I just serve it up in a bowl with toasted bread to soak up the sauce.
Usually, I serve it with fresh pasta. It’s also really delicious over rice or even poured over grilled or roasted veggies (or this 10-Minute Cast-Iron Asparagus!).
It’s also really delicious with this Pesto Butter Garlic Bread!
How to Properly Store and Reheat Creamy Shrimp Scampi
This delicious shrimp dinner dish will last for 4-5 days in an airtight container in the fridge. The best way to reheat it is actually in the oven!
Add the shrimp and sauce to a baking dish and cover with aluminum foil. If you already mixed it with pasta or rice, throw that in there, too.
Preheat your oven to 350°F and cook for 15-20 minutes until the pasta and shrimp is thoroughly heated. If it seems too dry, add some vegetable broth or extra white wine or even some extra cream.
Alternatively, you can reheat it over the stove or in the microwave, but this does tend to make the shrimp a little rubbery.
Green tip: Did you know that of the billions of pounds of food wasted annually, it is estimated that 50% of it happens in our homes? It’s always best to avoid food waste as much as you can!
One-Pan Creamy Shrimp Scampi
SAVE RECIPE TO COLLECTION PIN PRINT RATEEquipment
Ingredients
- ½ pound large or jumbo white shrimp (deveined)
- 4 cloves garlic
- ½ cup fresh parsley
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice (1 lemon = about 4 tablespoons juice)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ cup dry white wine (Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, or Chardonnay, preferably at room temperature)
- ½ cup heavy or regular cream
Instructions
- Peel the shrimp and pat it dry with a paper towel. Peel and mince the garlic and rinse and chop the parsley.
- To a large pan, add 2 tablespoons of butter and the minced garlic over medium heat. Allow the butter to melt completely and cook the garlic until its nice and fragrant.
- Add the shrimp and season with about half the lemon juice and half the salt and pepper. After 1 minute, flip and season the second side of the shrimp with the remaining lemon juice, salt, and pepper.
- Add the white wine and bring to a simmer (turn the heat up if necessary!). Simmer for about 5 minutes until the shrimp is completely cooked and wine starts to reduce.
- Turn the heat to low and add the rest of the butter and the parsley. Cook until butter is melted and combined.
- Stir in the cream. If you want your sauce thicker, you can cook for an additional 5 minutes. Serve with toasted bread, over pasta, or over rice. Enjoy!
Pro Tips
- If you are using frozen shrimp, make sure they are defrosted before starting this recipe. You can defrost your shrimp in the refrigerator for 24 hours or by placing the frozen shrimp in a sealed storage bag and submerging it in a bowl of cold water for about 45 minutes.
- You can add up to 1 pound of shrimp to this recipe without altering the amounts of the rest of the ingredients with similar results if you want more shrimp but the same amount of sauce. This is a great option if you’re serving it as a shareable appetizer with bread to dip. If you want a larger portion to serve with pasta, double the recipe as you normally would.
