Easy Scampi Sauce for Shrimp

By Diana Rattray

Updated 09/25/18

Easy Scampi Sauce for Shrimp

 The Spruce

Ratings (57)
  • Total: 14 mins
  • Prep: 10 mins
  • Cook: 4 mins
  • Yield: 4 servings
Nutritional Guidelines (per serving)
208 Calories
18g Fat
12g Carbs
3g Protein
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

This easy-to-make warm 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.

This will make enough sauce for about 2 pounds of peeled and cooked shrimp.

Serve this great-tasting shrimp scampi as a first course or appetizer with toothpicks.

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)

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Easy Scampi Sauce for Shrimp ingredients
    ​

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

    Easy Scampi Sauce for Shrimp
     The Spruce

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

    Easy Scampi Sauce for Shrimp
     The Spruce

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

    Easy Scampi Sauce for Shrimp
     The Spruce

What Are Scampi?

Scampi is actually prawns or small lobsters. In American cuisine, scampi usually refers to shrimp cooked in a sauce of garlic, lemon, and butter as in this recipe. 

Scampi Variations

There also are versions for baked shrimp scampi and a similar garlic shrimp that is cooked in a slow cooker, plus a gluten-free scampi with zoodles. This creamy shrimp scampi version is low-carb but definitely not low-fat.

If you can't live without a barbecue in your life, this grilled shrimp scampi might be your thing. And if you want to combine two proteins in one dish, try this shrimp and chicken scampi, but if you want to skip the shrimp entirely, try chicken scampi. For something completely different, shrimp scampi paella fills the bill perfectly.