Red Lobster shrimp scampi at home is shrimp seared in olive oil, then tossed in a garlicky white wine, lemon and butter sauce with Italian seasoning, finished with parsley and Parmesan. This copycat is ready in 25 minutes and serves 4, over pasta or with crusty bread for the sauce.
How to make it: Sear the shrimp until pink and opaque and set them aside. Sauté the garlic, pour in the wine and lemon juice and boil until reduced by half. Lower the heat, melt in the butter with the Italian seasoning, return the shrimp, season and top with parsley and Parmesan.
Why You’ll Love It
- Restaurant flavor at home: buttery, garlicky and bright with lemon and wine.
- 25 minutes: one skillet from start to finish.
- Plenty of sauce: enough to coat pasta or dunk bread.
- Simple ingredients: shrimp, garlic, wine, lemon, butter and Parmesan.
What’s in Red Lobster Shrimp Scampi?
On the menu, the restaurant describes its garlic shrimp scampi as shrimp served in its signature garlic scampi sauce. Home copycats build that sauce from garlic, white wine, lemon and plenty of butter, which is what this recipe does. The wine reduction gives the sauce body, the butter makes it rich and glossy, and Italian seasoning and Parmesan round it out.
Ingredient Notes
Shrimp: 1 pound of medium shrimp, peeled and deveined. Pat them dry so they sear instead of steaming.
Garlic: 4 cloves, minced.
White wine: 1 1/2 cups of a dry white like Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc. Chicken broth works if you’d rather skip the wine.
Lemon: juice of half a lemon.
Butter: 1/2 cup unsalted, stirred in over low heat for a smooth sauce.
Finishing touches: 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, 1 tablespoon chopped parsley and 1/2 cup grated Parmesan.
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Ingredients
- 1 lb medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 1/2 cups white wine (or chicken broth)
- 1/2 lemon, juiced
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- Salt and pepper, to taste
How to Make Red Lobster Shrimp Scampi
1. Sear the shrimp. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp and cook for 2-3 minutes on each side until pink and opaque (145°F). Remove from skillet and set aside.
2. Cook the garlic. In the same skillet, reduce the heat to medium and add minced garlic. Sauté for 1-2 minutes until fragrant, stirring frequently.
3. Reduce the wine. Increase the heat to medium-high and pour in the white wine (or chicken broth) and lemon juice. Bring to a boil and allow the liquid to reduce by half.
4. Add the butter. Lower the heat to medium-low and stir in the butter. Once melted, add the Italian seasoning and stir to combine.
5. Finish. Return the shrimp to the skillet and toss in the sauce. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with chopped parsley and grated Parmesan cheese before serving.
Which Shrimp Should You Buy?
Medium shrimp are what this recipe uses, and they’re easy to find and quick to cook. Larger shrimp look more like the restaurant plate and are harder to overcook, but they need a minute or two longer per side. Buy them already peeled and deveined to save time, or peel them yourself and leave the tails on for a nicer presentation. Raw shrimp are best; precooked shrimp turn tough when they’re heated again in the sauce. If you buy frozen shrimp, which is how most shrimp are sold, thaw them completely and dry them well before cooking.
Tips for the Best Shrimp Scampi
- Dry the shrimp. Wet shrimp steam and won’t sear.
- Don’t overcook them. Shrimp are done when pink and opaque; they curl into a C. A tight O means overcooked and rubbery.
- Watch the garlic. Cook it just until fragrant; burnt garlic turns bitter.
- Reduce the wine. Boiling it down concentrates the flavor and cooks off the raw alcohol taste.
- Add butter on low heat. Gentle heat keeps the sauce creamy instead of greasy.
Variations
- Old Bay: season the shrimp with a pinch for a seafood-shack flavor.
- Spicy: add red pepper flakes with the garlic.
- Pasta: toss with linguine or angel hair and a splash of pasta water.
- No wine: use chicken broth with an extra squeeze of lemon.
- Lobster: add chopped cooked lobster with the shrimp for a lobster and shrimp scampi.
Storage & Reheating
Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours and eat them within 3 to 4 days. Reheat gently in a skillet over low heat just until warm, so the shrimp don’t turn rubbery and the butter sauce doesn’t separate.
What to Serve With It
Serve it over linguine or angel hair, with crusty bread or garlic bread, rice or a green salad.
More shrimp dinners: garlic Parmesan roasted shrimp, baked shrimp in lemon butter sauce, Cajun shrimp in foil and 20-minute honey garlic shrimp. For a seafood bake, try crab and shrimp casserole, or go all out with a lobster tail.
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s in Red Lobster shrimp scampi?
Shrimp in a garlic butter sauce. This copycat makes it with garlic, white wine, lemon, butter, Italian seasoning and Parmesan.
Can I make shrimp scampi without wine?
Yes. Use chicken broth and a little extra lemon juice.
Can I use frozen shrimp?
Yes. Thaw them in the refrigerator or under cold running water and pat them dry.
How do I know shrimp are done?
They turn pink and opaque and curl into a loose C shape.
What pasta goes with shrimp scampi?
Linguine, spaghetti or angel hair.
Can I add pasta?
Yes. Toss the shrimp and sauce with cooked linguine, adding a splash of pasta water to loosen the sauce.
How long do leftovers keep?
3 to 4 days in the refrigerator.
Final Notes
Dry the shrimp, reduce the wine and add the butter over low heat. If you try it with Old Bay or over linguine, tell me in the comments how it turned out.
Famous Red Lobster Shrimp Scampi
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Ingredients
- 1 lb medium shrimp peeled and deveined
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 1/2 cups white wine or chicken broth
- 1/2 lemon juiced
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley chopped
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp and cook for 2-3 minutes on each side until pink and opaque (145°F). Remove from skillet and set aside.
- In the same skillet, reduce the heat to medium and add minced garlic. Sauté for 1-2 minutes until fragrant, stirring frequently.
- Increase the heat to medium-high and pour in the white wine (or chicken broth) and lemon juice. Bring to a boil and allow the liquid to reduce by half.
- Lower the heat to medium-low and stir in the butter. Once melted, add the Italian seasoning and stir to combine.
- Return the shrimp to the skillet and toss in the sauce. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with chopped parsley and grated Parmesan cheese before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition values are estimates based on the listed ingredients and serving count. Actual values vary with brands, cuts and portion sizes.
