Garlic Lemon Shrimp Scampi
Garlic Lemon Shrimp Scampi is an easy and quick recipe to put together. The tanginess of the lemon with the flavors of garlic in a wine and butter reduction is a must have for your recipe files. It is made in one skillet, so clean up is a breeze.
Thirty-minute meal from start to finish
Garlic Lemon Shrimp Scampi is a low carb and keto friendly dinner. Serve it over Cauliflower rice for a complete Keto meal. Looking for other keto friendly options? Check out Easy Creamy Tuscan Chicken, another 30 minute dinner.
However, just because a recipe is quick it does not fall short on flavor. If you are following a low carb diet then this recipe can be served over gluten free pasta.
Have you ever forgotten to take something out of the freezer for dinner? This meal is the perfect answer. Frozen shrimp defrost quickly in water, just add a few more minutes to the prep time for that.
One skillet dinner
Garlic Lemon Shrimp Scampi is for those special nights when for one reason or another you need to get dinner on the table in a relatively short amount of time. You’re tired from the day. The family is starving. Schedules ran late or you need to hurry up dinner to get back out the door. A meeting. Sports practice, or you had a challenging day and are not up to spending the time for a gourmet meal.
This recipe looks like an expensive dinner you would order in a fancy Restaurant on date night. Make it and eat it in the comfort of your own home. If you don’t have to run out, put a small table by the fireplace and set it up with wine glasses and put on your relaxing fluffies or jammies. Enjoy a relaxing time for dinner, with one pan or skillet, one plate and one serving spoon to clean up in the kitchen. Now that IS easy!
I have been married for many years, though I’m not admitting how many, it gives away my age. Let’s just say I am an experienced shopper. I am guilty of being comfortable in the past and falling into ruts buying and making the same recipes for many years. It is easy. It takes little effort to do! However, after a while it is boring. Yes the same repeated meals are like old friend. It’s nice to see them every week. I love them!
Change up your menu options with Garlic Lemon Shrimp Scampi
I think in anyone’s life who has been doing this for a while, cooking, making a shopping list and menu, you suddenly realize you want and need a change. On the other hand falling into boring ruts are not fun. They can be hard to get out if. Your life doesn’t have to consist of Meatless Monday, Taco Tuesday, Wednesday Italian night etc.
I needed a change. I wanted to try something new so I decided I would buy something each week that I don’t normally buy. A random item. That would help me branch out of my norm and MAKE myself turn it into a quick and easy 30 minute meal.
This week I bought shrimp. You can laugh if you want while I share something personal. I do not like fish. I also married the right man because he does not like fish either. (Ok I married him for other reasons). After many years we are happily married NEVER catching, eating, buying or cooking fish. We lead happy fish-less lives.
I used to look at shrimp as fish too. Shrimp is different. Shrimp is shellfish. See? It’s got the word fish in there! Because it comes from the sea, to me, if not cooked right or for whatever reason, it can taste fishy.
I’m crazy you say? Nah! A little weird, a little quirky, yes. Crazy, no. I bought shrimp as my out of the comfort zone try something new idea. The recipe I came up with is a version of Shrimp Scampi. The added extra garlic and lemon make shrimp which is normally a tasteless protein into a delicious meal with great rich depth of flavor. Garlic lemon shrimp scampi cooks quickly so your meal takes very little time from start to finish.
How to cook your Easy Garlic Lemon Shrimp Scampi
Cook the garlic just long enough to soften it.
Add the shrimp until it turns pink, flip, and continue until both sides are pink.
Remove from skillet and set aside on a platter. Add the butter, wine, and lemon and reduce by half.
Add shrimp back in and heat through. Garnish with minced parsley. Serve with a lemon wedge to add extra lemon flavor
For a complete meal serve over Cauliflower rice, pasta or Jasmin Rice
Now isn’t that easy and delicious!
Garlic Lemon Shrimp Scampi
Ingredients
- 32 oz shrimp uncooked
- 4 large garlic cloves minced
- 2 tbs olive oil
- 1 cup white wine can substitute chicken broth
- 16 tbsp butter two sticks
- 1/3 cup lemon juice
- 1-2 tbs minced parsley
- 1 tsp salt or salt to taste
- 1/8 tsp black pepper subatitute red pepper flakes in desired
Instructions
- Prepare by defrosting shrimp in a large bowl with cool water until no longer frozen. Clean and devein shrimp, place on paper towels to dry.
- Heat skillet (I prefer my iron skillet) to medium and add olive oil
- Place minced garlic in hot pan and cook for about one minute to soften it being careful not to burn the garlic.
- Add the shrimp and 1 stick of butter and cook shrimp on medium until one side is pink. Flip the shrimp over and continue cooking for about 3-4 minutes per side.
- When shrimp is pink remove from skillet and set aside on a platter
- Remove from skillet and set aside on a platter. Add the butter, wine, and lemon to skillet. Add red pepper flakes if you like it spicy and continue cooking until the mixture has reduced by half.
- Reduce temperature to medium low. Return shrimp to skillet and heat until shrimp is heated through. Be careful not to over cook the shrimp or they will become hard and have a rubbery texture.
- Keep warm until ready to serve. Sprinkle with chopped parsley before serving. Serve with pasta, rice or Cauliflower rice.
Nutrition
WELCOME
My name is Mary. Here at The Recipe Patch you will find a garden full of recipes to make life easy and delicious. I hope you find a new recipe to share with your friends and family. There is something for every occasion…. Let’s get to work… or play!

This was super easy and soooo delicious!! I opted for the white wine which added to the flavor. I think my shrimp as a little over done. I’m thinking but was because it was fully cooked frozen shrimp. When I try this again and if I use fully cooked shrimp, should I change the recommended cooking time or look I’m going for in the shimp?
Thank you Tricia, I am glad you liked the recipe. This recipe was meant for uncooked shrimp. I think cooked shrimp might work, though I haven’t tried it myself. Perhaps if you defrost the shrimp, marinate them and make the sauce separate while the shrimp marinate. Heat the butter, lemon and white wine, etc, and reduce by half, then just warm the shrimp. Perhaps this will work. If you try it , let me know! 🙂