Easy Garlic Butter Shrimp Scampi

Oh. My. Goodness. If you’re looking for the ultimate weeknight dinner hero, you’ve just found it. This garlic butter shrimp scampi is about to become your new go-to when you need something ridiculously delicious in under 20 minutes. I’m talking restaurant-quality flavor with barely any effort!

The magic is in that garlic butter sauce that coats each succulent shrimp. It’s silky, rich, and hits all the right notes with fresh lemon brightness cutting through the buttery goodness. The best part? You probably have most of these ingredients in your kitchen already. This is the kind of recipe that makes people think you spent hours in the kitchen when really, you were just tossing things in a pan and looking fabulous while doing it.

Ingredients

• ½ cup unsalted butter, cubed
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 medium shallot, diced
• ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1½ pounds medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 3 tablespoons fresh parsley leaves, chopped
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice, freshly squeezed
• 2 teaspoons lemon zest

Steps

1. Melt ½ cup butter in a large cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add garlic, shallot and red pepper flakes, and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Watch carefully as garlic burns quickly – you want it golden but not brown, which would make it bitter.
2. Add shrimp; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Arrange in a single layer if possible for even cooking. Cook, stirring occasionally, until pink and cooked through, about 3-4 minutes. You’ll know they’re done when they form a “C” shape and turn opaque. Be careful not to overcook or they’ll become rubbery.
3. Stir in parsley, lemon juice and lemon zest. The residual heat will release the aromatic oils from the zest, creating an incredible fragrance. Make sure to scrape up any flavorful bits from the bottom of the pan.
4. Serve immediately while hot. The sauce will naturally thicken slightly as it cools. If it seems too thin, let it stand for 30 seconds off heat before serving.

Smart Swaps

• Use olive oil for half the butter to lighten it up while maintaining richness
• Substitute chicken broth for half the butter to reduce calories while keeping flavor
• Try dried oregano (about ½ teaspoon) instead of parsley for a Mediterranean twist
• Use lime zest and juice instead of lemon for a different citrus profile

Make It Diabetes-Friendly

• Reduce butter to ¼ cup and add 2 tablespoons olive oil (saves 11g carbs per serving)
• Serve over cauliflower rice instead of pasta or with zucchini noodles (reduces meal by approximately 30g carbs)
• Add 1 cup sliced bell peppers to increase fiber content which helps slow glucose absorption
• Include ¼ cup toasted pine nuts for healthy fats that help moderate blood sugar spikes
• Pair with a side salad dressed with 1 tablespoon olive oil and vinegar to lower the meal’s overall glycemic impact

Pro Tips

• Pat shrimp completely dry before adding to the pan for better browning
• For extra flavor, marinate shrimp in 1 tablespoon olive oil and 2 cloves minced garlic for 30 minutes before cooking
• Use the largest skillet you have to avoid overcrowding, which steams rather than sautés the shrimp
• Save the shrimp shells to make a quick stock for seafood soups or risottos
• If using frozen shrimp, thaw completely in refrigerator and drain well to prevent watery sauce