Easy Scampi Sauce for Shrimp

Written by
Diana Rattray
Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes articles in her 20 years as a food writer.
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Diana Rattray
Updated 07/29/20
Easy scampy sauce

The Spruce / Diana Chistruga
  • Total: 14 mins
  • Prep: 10 mins
  • Cook: 4 mins
  • Yield: 4 servings
Nutritional Guidelines (per serving)
208 Calories
18g Fat
12g Carbs
3g Protein
See Full Nutritional Guidelines Hide Full Nutritional Guidelines
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4 servings
Amount per serving
Calories 208
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 18g 22%
Saturated Fat 11g 54%
Cholesterol 46mg 15%
Sodium 89mg 4%
Total Carbohydrate 12g 5%
Dietary Fiber 1g 4%
Protein 3g
Calcium 80mg 6%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

This easy-to-make sauce recipe creates a delicious shrimp scampi that takes mere minutes to prepare. Just heat the sauce ingredients, toss with shrimp, then serve the garlicky concoction over pasta or rice. You can also serve the shrimp and sauce on their own as an appetizer with toothpicks.

This will make enough sauce for about two pounds of peeled and cooked shrimp. Alternatively, you can use scampi sauce to top other kinds of seafood or even chicken as well as pasta or rice. The mild but rich dish pairs well with a leafy green salad, broccoli, or asparagus.

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Ingredients

  • 6 tablespoons butter (salted)
  • 5 cloves garlic (pressed)
  • 1/4 cup fresh parsley (chopped)
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • Dash Tabasco sauce
  • Salt (to taste)
  • For Serving: 2 pounds shrimp (peeled and cooked, or other cooked and prepped seafood or cooked chicken breast)

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for scampi sauce
    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  2. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. When the butter stops foaming add the garlic and continue cooking for 2 minutes. 

    Melt butter in saucepan
    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  3. Stir in the fresh parsley, lemon juice, dash of Tabasco sauce, and salt to taste. Heat through.

    Stir in fresh parsley
    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  4. Toss with hot cooked shrimp and serve immediately with hot cooked rice or angel hair pasta.

    Toss with cooked shrimp
    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga 

How to Use

Scampi sauce is classically used on seafood like shrimp. It also tastes great with prawns, lobster, scallops, and white fish like cod or flounder. Or swap the seafood for chicken breast.

  • Add just-cooked seafood—either broiled, grilled, steamed, or sautéed—to the hot, finished sauce and toss. Or drizzle the scampi sauce over the top.
  • If serving with pasta or rice, add to the plates before topping with the seafood or chicken and scampi sauce.
  • If serving without pasta or rice, consider serving the dish with crusty bread to mop up the sauce.

Scampi Variations

What Does Scampi Mean?

Scampi is actually the name of a type of prawn or small lobster. The scampi are often served in a garlic and butter sauce but are not commonly available in the U.S. In American cuisine, shrimp replaces the scampi with the word "scampi" describing the style of dish instead of the crustacean. Shrimp scampi is a seafood dish with a sauce of garlic, lemon, and butter. 

How Do You Thicken a Scampi Sauce?

Scampi sauce is meant to be fairly thin since it's largely butter-based. If you would like a thicker sauce, consider adding a slurry made with cornstarch or add some heavy cream. Cream will also make the sauce richer.