If you want to know how to make shrimp scampi, then Dad Got This. This whole dish goes together in about 15 minute using thawed shrimp, under 30 if you have frozen shrimp. Dad's 3 tips will have you making shrimp scampi like a pro.
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This recipe is one of Dad's go to weeknight recipes. Dad always has a bag of shrimp in the freezer in case he needs a meal in a flash. Even though the dish goes together really fast, the flavors pack a punch! Dad loves his garlic, so this dish definitely has garlic in it. Kind of a lot of garlic.
With ingredients like garlic, butter, lemon juice and fresh basil it's kind of hard to image anything shy of a delicious result. Dad's house does not always have wine on hand, so this recipe does not call for it. If you have some feel free to pour a glass and enjoy it as you cook.
TIP NUMBER 1:
Use Fresh Herbs in Your Shrimp Scampi Sauce!
Use fresh herbs if you can. They add a better flavor to the dish. Dad buys his basil at the grocery store, it’s only $4.99 for a whole plant and you get a ton of basil. Plus, if you can keep it alive you get more! Even if it dies you still get a better value than buying the basil leaves they have packaged.
When you use fresh herbs, your shrimp scampi sauce will taste brighter and more flavorful. If you are looking to keep your scampi sauce as easy as possible you can use dried herbs and it will still taste great, just not as great as using fresh herbs.
TIP NUMBER 2:
Use a Stainless-Steel Pan for Better Scampi Sauce!
Use a Stainless-Steel Pan instead of a non-stick pan. It is a bit more work, but a Stainless-Steel Pan will develop a better fond. Fond is just a fancy name for those little bits in the bottom of the pan when you are done sautéing something. You need these bits, as they will become the foundation that our scampi sauce is built on.
A non-stick pan just never really develops these bits, leaving you nothing to deglaze in your pan. A stainless-steel pan will build a more flavorful sauce, trust Dad on this. If you are worried about the cleanup, don't. Dad has a Dad Hack on how to clean a crusty pan that makes it a breeze.
TIP NUMBER 3:
Shrimp are delicate, cook them quickly.
Shrimp do not require a lot of cooking time. Shrimp will quickly become rubbery if you over cook them. All you need is about 2 minutes per side in a pan over medium heat. You will be able to tell when the shrimp are done by the color they turn. Once you get that nice red color all over, the shrimp are done! Nobody wants to eat a shrimp you could bounce off the floor.
How to Make Shrimp Scampi Recipe
Ingredients
- 20 Frozen Shrimp Can use fresh also.
- 3 tablespoon Chopped Fresh Basil Can Substitute Dried (but don't)
- ¼ Cup Lemon Juice
- 1 tablespoon Onion Powder
- 1 tablespoon Garlic Powder
- 2 tablespoon Minced Garlic
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 3 tablespoon Unsalted Butter
- ¼ Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil This is an estimate, you use as much as needed for your pan size.
- ¼ Cup Water
- ½ lb Cooked Pasta
Instructions
- If using frozen shrimp place them in a bowl and cover with cold water. After 20-25 minutes they will be thawed. (If using fresh shrimp, you can skip this step)
- Put a pan over medium high heat. Not too hot or the shrimp will cook too fast or burn.
- Add some olive oil, enough to coat the pan. We are not deep
frying so not too much. - Add your shrimp.
- Add ½ tablespoon of the garlic powder, ½ tablespoon of the onion powder and all of the salt.
- Cook for about 2 minutes.
- Sprinkle half of the spices over the shrimp and then flip them.
- Cook for another minute or 2.
- Stir them well, then remove them from the pan.
- Add the butter, minced garlic, basil and ½ of remaining spices.
- Stir well and scrape the bottom of the pan to get all the “bits”.
- Add the lemon juice and the remaining garlic powder & onion powder.
- Stir well being sure to scrape the pan as you go.
- Add the shrimp back to the pan.
- Add ¼ cup of water.
- Taste and see if you need to adjust the flavors. You can add more water if it is too “strong”.
- Sever over your favorite pasta. Plate and garnish with more fresh basil and grated parmesan cheese. Be sure to serve immediately because the sauce will thicken as it cools.
Video
Nutrition
Now that you know how to cook shrimp scampi...
Head to the store and grab yourself a big bag of frozen shrimp and be prepared to whip up this awesome recipe at the drop of a hat. Never be stuck with a terrible frozen dinner because you forgot to plan something for dinner because, Dad Got This!
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