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Easy Shrimp Scampi Recipe: Famous Red Lobster Copycat

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This Red Lobster shrimp scampi copycat recipe is so easy and so delicious!


It’s one of the easiest shrimp recipes you will ever make. 

Seasoned shrimp, garlic, white wine, butter, and zesty lemon give this dish a ton of flavor! 

There is a white plate with a small shallow bowl with four large cooked shrimp resting in a pool of light yellow sauce. There is grated white cheese and chopped green parsley on top of the shrimp. There is a pile of leafy salad greens and a biscuit on the plate. There are three pieces of garlic cloves, a sprig of green leafy parsley, and a dark gray cloth napkin in the background. Items are on a white marbled surface.

Made with simple ingredients, you can have dinner on the table in 20 minutes with this easy recipe which is great any day of the week!

Ingredients For Famous Red Lobster Shrimp Scampi

There is a large white bowl with raw shrimp in it. There are cloves of garlic, a lemon cut in half, a small clear bowl with olive oil in it, a stainless steel measuring cup with white wine, a small clear bowl with grated white cheese, a small rectangular plate with slices of butter on it, a large wooded spoon with dry red ground seasoning and ground pepper on it, and sprigs of green leafy parsley. Items are on a white marbled surface.

Large Shrimp: This recipe calls for large or jumbo raw shrimp. Fresh shrimp is very delicious, however frozen shrimp tastes just as good. You can usually find raw deveined shrimp at your local grocery store.

Seafood Seasoning: Old bay seasoning is used in this recipe to enhance the flavor of the shrimp. You can make your own seafood seasoning using dry or fresh herbs.

Red Pepper Flakes: If you like a little heat, add a pinch of red pepper flakes to this delicious sauce. Completely optional

Oil: This ingredient is used for cooking the shrimp and garlic. Use a high-quality extra virgin olive oil to add to the distinctive flavor of this shrimp dish.

Garlic: Aside from the shrimp, this is the most important ingredient. Fresh minced garlic is the key to the rich nutty shrimp scampi sauce.

I love garlic and use a lot. You can adjust it to your personal taste!

Dry White Wine: This is another star of the shrimp scampi dish! I love to add a splash of pinot grigio but use whatever is your favorite or what you have on hand. (see FAQ’s)

Lemon Juice: Freshly squeezed lemon juice adds a zesty kick to the famous garlic butter sauce. A lot of people use lime juice in this dish. Use whichever makes your taste buds happy!

Butter: Unsalted butter enhances the flavorful sauce that coats the succulent shrimp.

Grated Parmesan Cheese: A little parmesan on any Italian dish is perfect so go ahead and grate some over the whole dish!

Fresh Parsley: Every great shrimp scampi needs to be topped off with chopped fresh parsley.

Copycat Red Lobster Shrimp Scampi Recipe

There is a large shallow white bowl with large cooked shrimp resting in a pool of light yellow sauce. There is grated white cheese and chopped green parsley on top of the shrimp. There is a plate of biscuits in the background. Items are on a white marbled surface.

Helpful Equipment and Tools

  • Cutting board
  • Large bowl
  • Sharp kitchen knife
  • Large skillet or cast iron skillet
  • Measuring cups
  • Measuring spoons
  • Garlic press
  • Handheld citrus juicer
  • Wooden spoon or silicone rubber spatula

How To Make Shrimp Scampi

There is a large white bowl with raw peeled shrimp in it there is a large wooden spoon in front of the bowl that has dry ground red seasoning and ground pepper in it. Items are on a white marbled surface.
  • Prep shrimp if needed: Thaw, peel, devein, rinse, and pat dry.
There is a large white bowl with raw peeled shrimp tossed in dry seasonings. There is a gray rubber spatula resting in the bowl. Bowl is on a white marbled surface.
  • Season shrimp and gently stir until the shrimp are completely coated. 
  • Let the shrimp season for a few minutes.
There is a small clear glass bowl with minced garlic in it. There is a small white bowl with finely chopped green parsley in it. Bowls are on a white marbled surface.
  • Mince the garlic.
  • Finely chop the fresh parsley.
There is a large dark cast iron skillet with large shrimp and minced garlic cooking in it.
  • Heat a large skillet and add olive oil.
  • Add the shrimp and cook for a couple of minutes on each side. (see Recipe Tip)
  • Once the shrimp is no longer translucent, remove from the pan and set aside.
There is a large dark cast iron skillet with a light brown sauce cooking in it. There are bits of garlic in the sauce.
  • Lower the heat and add the minced garlic to the skillet. 
  • Cook for a couple of minutes, until fragrant. Stir constantly to keep it from burning.
  • Pour in the wine and lemon juice.
  • Deglaze the pan by scraping any bits stuck in to the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon.
There is a large dark cast iron skillet with slices of butter melting in a light brown sauce.
  • Add the butter.
  • Bring the scampi sauce to a boil.
  • Lower heat to simmer until the sauce reduces, stirring often.
There is a large dark cast iron skillet with shrimp cooking in a buttery sauce.
  • Add the shrimp back to the pan. 
  • Allow the scampi to cook for a couple more minutes.
There is a large shallow white bowl with large cooked shrimp in it. There is a gray cloth napkin in the background. The corner of a dark cast iron pan can be seen in the background. Items are on a white marbled surface.
  • Transfer the shrimp to serving dishes.
There is a large shallow white bowl with large cooked shrimp resting in a pool of light yellow sauce. There is a dark gray cloth napkin laying next to the dish. There are two white smalls in the background. One bowl with chopped green parsley in it and the other has white grated cheese in it. Items are on a white marbled surface.
  • Spoon sauce over the shrimp. 
There is a large shallow white bowl with large cooked shrimp resting in a pool of light yellow sauce. There is grated white cheese on top of the shrimp. There is a dark gray cloth napkin laying next to the dish. There is a small white bowl with chopped green parsley in it in the background. Items are on a white marbled surface.
  • Sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese.
There is a large shallow white bowl with large cooked shrimp resting in a pool of light yellow sauce. There is grated white cheese and chopped green parsley on top of the shrimp. There is a dark gray cloth napkin laying next to the dish. Items are on a white marbled surface.
  • Top with fresh chopped parsley.

Exact measurements and times are in the recipe card below.

Serving Suggestions

Serve Red Lobster Garlic Shrimp Scampi by itself as an appetizer or with any type of pasta.

Toss shrimp with angel hair pasta and serve with a fresh green salad for a complete meal.

Warm crusty bread or Red Lobster’s cheddar bay biscuits are great to dip in the buttery sauce. 

Other great side dishes are steamed broccoli or crispy Brussels sprouts.

Recipe Tip

The cooking time of the shrimp may vary depending on the size of the shrimp you use. 

Medium-sized shrimp will take about 2-3 minutes per side, larger shrimp can take 3-4 minutes per side. 

Shrimp are cooked when they are no longer translucent and are light pink. 

There is a large shallow white bowl with large cooked shrimp resting in a pool of light yellow sauce. There is grated white cheese and chopped green parsley on top of the shrimp. There is a fork laying next to the bowl. There is a plate of biscuits in the background. Items are on a white marbled surface.

Frequently Asked Questions

What type of shrimp should I use to make shrimp scampi?

In my opinion fresh shrimp are the best but you can definitely use frozen shrimp.

Most grocery stores offer fresh, frozen, peeled, tails on, tails off. It’s totally up to you. 

For this recipe you want thawed, peeled and deveined shrimp.

How do you thaw frozen shrimp?

Frozen shrimp is very convenient especially when they are already peeled and deveined. This means a faster prep time!

To thaw, toss the bag of shrimp in the fridge overnight, and it’ll be ready by dinner time.

You can also place the frozen shrimp in a large bowl of cold water for about 10-15 minutes. If they need a little longer to thaw, drain the water and refill the bowl with cold fresh water. 

What can I use instead of white wine in shrimp scampi?

White wine can be replaced with cooking wine, chicken broth, chicken stock, or vegetable broth in shrimp scampi.

How do you store shrimp scampi?

If you have any leftovers, although I don’t think you will, allow the shrimp to completely cool. Not semi cool but cold. Transfer to an airtight container and store in the fridge for 2 to 3 days.

Are you a seafood lover?

Check out more fabulous recipes you will love!

Yield: 4 servings

Easy Shrimp Scampi Recipe: Famous Red Lobster Copycat

There is a white plate with a small shallow bowl with four large cooked shrimp resting in a pool of light yellow sauce. There is grated white cheese and chopped green parsley on top of the shrimp. There is a pile of leafy salad greens and a biscuit on the plate. There are three pieces of garlic cloves, a sprig of green leafy parsley, and a dark gray cloth napkin in the background. Items are on a white marbled surface.

This red lobster shrimp scampi copycat recipe is so easy and so delicious! It's one of the easiest shrimp recipes you will ever make. 

Seasoned shrimp, garlic, white wine, butter, and zesty lemon give this dish a ton of flavor! 

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 pound large or extra large shrimp, peeled and deveined.
  • 2 teaspoons seafood seasoning such as Old Bay Seafood Seasoning
  • A pinch of red pepper flakes - optional
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 cup dry white wine
  • 1/2 juiced fresh lemon
  • 4 tablespoons of butter, unsalted and softened
  • 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • Finely chopped fresh parsley - garnish

Instructions

  1. Place peeled and deveined shrimp (see FAQ's) in a large bowl with seafood seasoning.
  2. Gently stir until the shrimp are completely coated. Let the shrimp season for 3-5 minutes.
  3. Mince garlic.
  4. Chop fresh parsley.
  5. Heat a skillet on medium-high heat.
  6. Add olive oil and let it heat up.
  7. Add the shrimp and cook for 2 to 3 minutes per side. (see Recipe Tip)
  8. Once the shrimp is no longer translucent, remove from the pan and set aside.
  9. Lower the heat and add the minced garlic to the skillet. Cook for 1-2 minutes until fragrant. Stir constantly to keep it from burning.
  10. Pour in the white wine and lemon juice.
  11. Deglaze the pan by scraping bits stuck in to the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon or silicon spatula.
  12. Add the butter and let melt.
  13. Bring the scampi sauce to a boil.
  14. Lower heat and simmer until the sauce reduces by half, stirring often.
  15. Add the cooked shrimp back to the pan. Allow the dish to simmer for 1-2 minutes.
  16. Transfer the shrimp to serving dishes, spoon sauce over the shrimp. 
  17. Sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese and fresh chopped parsley.

Notes

Recipe Tip

The cooking time of the shrimp may vary depending on the size of the shrimp you use. 

Medium-sized shrimp will take about 2-3 minutes per side, larger shrimp can take 3-4 minutes per side. 

Shrimp are cooked when they are no longer translucent and are light pink. 

Serving Suggestions

  • Serve Red Lobster Garlic Shrimp Scampi by itself as an appetizer or with any type of pasta.
  • Toss shrimp with angel hair pasta and serve with a fresh green salad for a complete meal.
  • Warm crusty bread or Red Lobster's cheddar bay biscuits are great to dip in the buttery sauce.
  • Other great side dishes are steamed broccoli or crispy Brussels sprouts.

Helpful Equipment and Tools

Cutting board

Large bowl

Sharp kitchen knife

Large skillet or cast iron skillet

Measuring cups

Measuring spoons

Garlic press

Handheld citrus juicer

Wooden spoon

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© Laura @ Join me in the Kitchen
Cuisine: Italian / Category: Seafood

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