Baked shrimp scampi is a dish I’ve made forever—it’s easy, delicious, and has a fun twist! Tender shrimp bake in a lemon garlic butter sauce with white wine. Instead of traditional breadcrumbs, I’ve topped it with crunchy almonds and fresh parsley. A splash of Amaretto (optional) adds subtle depth, complementing the buttery richness. This recipe is quick enough for a weeknight yet elegant for a dinner party. In just 30 minutes, you'll have a foolproof, flavor-packed dish that makes its own luscious sauce
Lemony buttery baked shrimp scampi is one of my go-to shrimp recipes. After a short marinade at room temperature, bake for about 10 minutes and you've got a terrific shrimp dinner with built-in buttery sauce. Super easy!
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Why You'll Like This Recipe
- A easy recipe and fast to make.
- Tastes like a dish a restaurant would serve.
- Good for busy weeknights and entertaining too for rave reviews.
- Marinate shrimp for 20 minutes and bake for 10.
For another easy shrimp recipe, try Italian-style spicy Shrimp Fra Diavolo.
Recipe Ingredients
- Shrimp: Look for wild shrimp versus farmed (see tips below), either thawed at the seafood counter or frozen to thaw ahead of time. Different sizes work, smaller ones bake faster. Go with 13-15, 16-20, or 21-25 size. This refers to the average number of shrimp per pound.
- Butter: Use unsalted butter so you control the salt levels. If dairy sensitive, ghee works too, or use a plant butter.
- Wine: Dry white wine, such as sauvignon blanc, pinot grigio, or chardonnay, use the little airline size bottles instead of opening a big bottle.
- Almonds: Slivered almonds or sliced almonds.
- Oil: Extra virgin olive oil, along with the butter for terrific rich flavor.
- Amaretto liqueur: This is optional but it adds such nice flavor and complements the almonds. It makes it a little different and special than regular shrimp scampi.
- Lemon: For the bright acidity and wonderful flavor, fresh lemon juice. Save the lemon zest for garnish or freeze for other recipes.
- Garlic: Fresh cloves are best, but a tube of paste or puree works well too.
- Fresh herbs: Use fresh parsley for garden flavor and color.
Please see recipe card for measurements.
Chef's Tip: When choosing the best shrimp for baked shrimp scampi, use either fresh or frozen shrimp. If shrimp are frozen, thaw overnight in a sealed plastic bag or a covered flat baking dish. To quick-thaw frozen shrimp in a hurry, seal frozen shrimp in a plastic bag and press out the air. Place the bag in cold water, changing the water every 30 minutes. Depending on the size, shrimp should thaw in an hour or less. Shrimp are highly perishable, so cook them within 24 hours of purchase or thawing.
Substitutions and Variations
- Instead of the Amaretto make it a white wine sauce with all wine.
- If you don't like almonds, leave them out.
- If omitting the Amaretto, use ¼-1/2 teaspoon of almond extract to replace the almond flavor.
- For shrimp scampi without wine, try unsalted vegetable broth or ver jus (unfermented pressed grape juice).
- Want a little savory finish? Sprinkle with freshly grated parmesan cheese. Italian cooks would never do this but it's good!
Chef's Tip: No need to buy a big bottle for a small amount of wine, spirits, or liqueurs to cook with. Buy the little airline size at the grocery or liquor store.
Recipe Instructions
If you are serving baked shrimp scampi with pasta, get your pasta water started, adding a couple teaspoons salt.
Step 1: Make the marinade
Melt the butter then stir in lemon juice, white wine, olive oil, almonds, garlic and parsley to create a savory marinade for shrimp. Adding almond flavored Amaretto liqueur is a flavorful option if you like to cook with spirits.
Step 2: Clean and devein the shrimp
With your fingers, peel off the shell and legs leaving the last tail segment intact. With a sharp paring knife, gently slice along the curved back of the shrimp. Remove any veins (its the digestive tract) by rinsing under cool water. Set cleaned shrimp aside on paper towels to dry.
Step 3: Marinate the shrimp, then bake
Arrange the shrimp in a single layer in a baking dish or casserole dish and pour the butter mixture over the top. Allow the shrimp to marinate for 20-30 minutes. Pre-heat the oven to 400°F while you are waiting. Cooking times depends on the size of the shrimp. Bake until shrimp turn pink, about 10 minutes.
If you have really large jumbo shrimp you may need to turn them while baking so sides are evenly baked, another minute or two.
Serving Suggestions
Toss a green salad with easy homemade Italian dressing while shrimp are baking. Serve baked shrimp scampi over rice, angel hair pasta or spaghetti noodles (regular or gluten-free), zucchini noodles, cauliflower rice, or even spaghetti squash noodles.
Try this cauliflower rice with parmesan and herbs. It's a great option with this easy shrimp scampi recipe. Spoon the sauce over each dish before serving.
- Give the top a sprinkle of red pepper flakes for a kick or black pepper.
- Serve with a lemon wedge for more lemon flavor.
- Add a little more chopped parsley for the color.
- Garlic bread or garlic toast is another nice addition.
Need a little dessert for company? Something lemony is just the answer. Try this homemade lemon ice cream, or a lemon olive oil cake.
Tips for Buying Shrimp
If time is short, purchase cleaned and deveined shrimp. For more information on buying shrimp, check out this Sustainable Shrimp Guide from Seafood Watch.
Choose wild shrimp with the shell on and clean them yourself for the best flavor and texture. Read this article about farmed shrimp and you will know why I only buy wild.
Recipe FAQs
Shrimp scampi is not a dish you can make ahead of time, but it is so easy you don't have to. To save time, be sure your shrimp are cleaned and ready to go, and make the marinade. With your prep work done, the dish goes quickly as shrimp bakes fast, in about 10 minutes. No time to marinate the shrimp? Skip it and just bake. It's still terrific. Have it ready in about 10 minutes.
It is best to devein shrimp as it removes the digestive tract, which can be gritty (black) or gooey (orange). There are two ways to devein shrimp. One is to expose the back up by gently slicing along the curved back with a paring knife just enough to remove the vein and pull it out. The second way is insert a tooth pick at the second joint from the tail end a little way into the shrimp flesh and lift. This partially pulls out the vein, which you can completely pull out.
Shrimp tell you when they are done by their color and texture change. They turn from translucent gray or blue to an opaque white and pink. When done, shrimp will be firm but not hard. Don't over cook them. They cook quickly so keep and eye on them. If they are very large shrimp, you may need to turn them over once while cooking so they are pink on both sides and evenly cooked.
More Shrimp Recipes
Shrimp is easy to cook in a variety of ways, no wonder it's the best-selling seafood in America. Try some of these additional shrimp recipes. If you are grilling shrimp, here are 25 terrific side dishes for serving with grilled shrimp.
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📖 Recipe
Lemon Garlic Shrimp Scampi
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds large shrimp peeled and deveined
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter ghee or plant-based butter
- ½ cup dry white wine
- ⅓ cup slivered almonds or sliced almonds
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2-3 tablespoons Amaretto liqueur optional
- 1 large lemon juiced
- 2 large garlic cloves chopped fine
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt to taste
- ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoons fresh chopped Italian parsley plus extra for garnish if desired
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Instructions
Prep shrimp
- Peel and devein shrimp if not already done. Peel off legs and shell sections up to the tail, leaving the tail section on. It makes for nice presentation and a little handle. On the outward curved side of the shrimp, cut a shallow slit with a sharp paring knife and gently rinse any debris with cold water. Dry shrimp on paper towels.
Make marinade
- Melt butter in a large glass microwave-proof measuring cup, then stir in wine, almonds, olive oil, liqueur (if using), lemon juice, garlic, salt, pepper, and parsley. Arrange shrimp in a single, flat layer in a large glass or ceramic baking dish. Pour butter mixture over the top of the shrimp. Marinate shrimp for 20-30 minutes at room temperature.
Bake shrimp
- Pre-heat oven to 400°F degrees. Place the shrimp in the oven and bake just until shrimp turn pink, about 10 minutes, depending on the shrimp size and your oven. Note - If you're using big jumbo shrimp, you may need to turn them once half way through for even baking.
- Remove shrimp from the oven. Serve over rice, pasta noodles, or zucchini noodles with the sauce spooned over the top. Sprinkle with more fresh chopped parsley if desired.
Notes
Substitutions and Variations
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- Try a splash of cognac instead of the amaretto or simply use all white wine.
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- If you don't like almonds, leave them out and skip the amaretto.
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- If omitting the amaretto, use ¼-1/2 teaspoon of almond extract to replace the almond flavor.
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- For no scampi without wine, try unsalted vegetable broth or ver jus (unfermented pressed grape juice).
Nutrition
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Lisa L says
I have made this several times. It’s a great dish for company and easy to follow for a someone with basic skills, like me.
Sally Cameron says
Thanks for the comment Lisa and letting others know how easy it really is.
Lisa Foto says
Hi Sally, The shrimp dish and the rice were delicious. I served it with just fresh sliced tomatoes and paired it with a Sauvignon Blanc too. My husband LOVED it. Thanks for the awesome recipes time and time again. I enjoy both your blog and photos of your food both here and on Facebook. Keep up the strong showing. We LOVE it!
Chef Sally says
Hi Lisa. Thanks for the comment. I appreciate your feedback. Recipes will often say "through" instead of writing out a long list of ingredients. I've listed butter "through" almonds meaning everything listed between butter and almonds. Will make a note to add a basic rice recipe to the archives, then provide a link. Good suggestion and glad you and your boyfriend enjoyed it!
Lisa in Northern VA says
Dear Chef Sally,
I am a novice cook - think "paint by the numbers" in the kitchen. This is a great dish. I would revise the directions. The only ingredients for the marinade that you mention are the butter and almonds. I realized after I set the shrimp to marinade that I didnt add the amaretto, garlic, wine, and oil, so I went back. I find it really helpful if the directions mention every ingredient, quantity (even water for the rice) and provide “how to” tips. Maybe even wine pairings? I made this for a special occasion with my boyfriend, pulled out the good china, and served mixed vegatables and a bottle of Cakebread Sauvignon Blanc. He was impressed. Thanks!
Stephanie Weaver says
Sally,
I LOVE Meyer Lemon. Do you think this would work with tempeh instead of shrimp? I might try renovating it and let you know. Great meeting you at Food Blogger Camp!
Stephanie
Chef Sally says
Hi Stephane! Great to meet you too! I'm looking forward to checking out your blog. I'll bet it would work with tempeh and maybe regular firm tofu. You might try cooking it in a grill pan or searing it in a hot non-stick skillet. If you do renovate it, please let me know how it comes out. I can them make an additional note for readers wanting a vegetarian or vegan option. Thanks!