You'll love this version if you've been hunting for a Shrimp Scampi Recipe without Wine! Made with fresh herbs, shrimp, and a creamy butter sauce, this easy shrimp scampi recipe will quickly become a family favorite. It's decadent, slightly spicy, and tangy!
Whether you prefer dishes without wine due to personal preferences or because you have picky eaters in the house, you’ll enjoy this shrimp scampi recipe without wine. Sans wine, you’ll still find a delicious acidic flavor created with chicken broth and fresh lemon juice.
This dish is packed with lean protein and carbs, making it a deliciously satisfying recipe. If you want additional nutrients and fiber in your meal, pair it with sides like my Goat Cheese Salad with Arugula, Kale Crunch Salad Recipe, or Panera Greek Salad.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Creamy – Although this recipe does not include heavy cream, it's still creamy and rich due to the butter and chicken stock sauce.
- Easy – This recipe is great for beginners since it uses minimal kitchen tools.
- Flavorful – The fresh herbs, seasoning, and chicken broth help create a delightful flavor for this shrimp scampi recipe without wine.
- No wine – Unlike most shrimp scampi recipes, you do not need wine for this version.
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Shrimp: Typically, tails are left on for presentation but they can be removed before cooking; use U20-25 shrimp (aka jumbo shrimp) or bigger if you can find them. Fresh shrimp is ideal for this recipe. However, you can also use frozen shrimp to create a quick, easy shrimp scampi recipe with frozen shrimp.
- Kosher Salt: All of my recipes are tested with Morton kosher salt unless noted otherwise. It is the best salt for everyday cooking because of its size and flavor. If using table salt, the amount should be reduced. I highly recommend picking up some kosher next time you are at the store!
- Red Chili Flakes: You can omit if sensitive to spice. Or, if you prefer a spicier flavor, you can add more red pepper flakes to taste.
Complete list of ingredients and amounts is located on the recipe card below.
How to Make Shrimp Scampi Without Wine
Quick Overview
- Season shrimp.
- Bring water to a boil.
- Pan-fry shrimp.
- Remove shrimp.
- Sauté the aromatics.
- Deglaze the skillet.
- Cook pasta.
- Toss shrimp, pasta, and sauce.
Step by Step Instructions
Reserve a cup of pasta water.
Step 1: In a large bowl, toss the shrimp salt, garlic, and pepper together. Bring a large pot of well salted water to a boil while you cook the shrimp.
Step 2: Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil.
Step 3: Arrange the shrimp in a single layer across the pan. Cook for 2-3 minutes per side. Remove the shrimp and set aside.
Step 4: Reduce the heat to medium-low. Add 1 Tablespoon of butter to the skillet.
Step 5: Add the shallot and sauté for 3-4 minutes or until softened.
Step 6: Add the garlic and chili flakes. Sauté for 1-2 minutes or until fragrant.
Don’t overcook the pasta, or it can become mushy.
Step 7: Deglaze the skillet with the chicken broth, scraping all of the brown bits off the bottom of the pan. Reduce the chicken broth by half. Reduce the heat to low. Add the lemon juice and zest.
Step 8: Boil the angel hair pasta according to the package instructions. I usually boil the pasta for the shortest time instructed. Reserve some pasta water. While the pasta boils, stir in the remaining cold butter. The sauce should be glossy.
Step 9: Toss the pasta in the sauce. Add pasta water if needed to loosen the sauce. Gently toss in the shrimp and fresh parsley.
Recipe Serving Suggestions
While you can enjoy this shrimp scampi recipe without wine on its own, it also works well with vegetable or bread side dishes. Try making one of the following dishes alongside this shrimp scampi for a more filling meal.
- Garlic Bread in the Air Fryer
- Dinner rolls
- Parmesan Rosemary Bread
- Green salad
- Brown Sugar Honey Glazed Carrots
- Instant Pot Southern Green Beans
Expert Tips
- Pat the shrimp dry. Minimizing the moisture ensures the shrimp for this shrimp scampi recipe without wine cook evenly in the pan. Starting with dry shrimp also helps create a golden color and better texture as you sear them.
- Salt the pasta water. Salting the pasta water helps keep the noodles from sticking together/clumping. Avoid adding oil to the boiling water, as it will make the sauce slide off the cooked noodles.
- Use cold butter. Cold butter helps emulsify the delicious shrimp scampi sauce as it cooks, helping to create a thicker sauce.
- Set a time for the pasta. Angel hair cooks fast, so it’s best to set a timer. Overcooked pasta can become gummy/mushy quickly. Aim to cook your pasta until it’s al dente, as leftovers will hold up better in the fridge.
- Add pasta water to loosen the sauce. The starch in pasta water helps thin the sauce until you reach the desired consistency. Slowly add in pasta water until it’s fairly thin. Avoid adding too much water, which will make the sauce overly liquidy.
Additions & Variations
- Gluten-free – Use gluten-free angel hair pasta instead of regular pasta.
- Vegan – Swap out the shrimp for artichoke hearts, butter for a non-dairy option, and vegetable stock.
- Chicken – If you prefer poultry over seafood, you can use chicken to replace shrimp. You’ll need to extend the cooking time and use a meat thermometer to check that the chicken is fully cooked.
- Dried Herbs – Fresh parsley works best for this recipe. However, you can use dried parsley in a pinch to create a similar flavor. Start with ½ the amount noted in the shrimp scampi recipe without wine ingredients list, as dried herbs have a more concentrated flavor.
Recipe FAQs
You can use chicken stock if you want to create a shrimp scampi recipe without wine. Add a small amount of lemon zest and juice to create a similar acidity as white wine.
Shrimp scampi with pasta typically has a thinner, butter-based sauce. You can leave out the pasta water if you prefer a thicker sauce. Or, you can add heavy cream for a more decadent, thicker sauce.
For my creamy shrimp scampi recipe, you'll use butter, chicken broth, lemon juice, and aromatics to create a deliciously creamy sauce. Some versions of garlic butter shrimp scampi also use parmesan cheese and cream to create a creamy consistency.
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Easy Shrimp Scampi Without Wine
Ingredients:
- 1 pound shrimp, peeled & deveined*
- 1 teaspoon Morton kosher salt*
- 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
- freshly ground black pepper
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 4 Tablespoons salted butter, cold
- 2 small shallots, finely diced
- 8-10 cloves garlic, finely minced
- ¼-1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes*
- ½ cup vegetable or chicken broth
- 1 lemon, juiced & zested
- ¼ cup finely chopped fresh parsley
- 8 ounces angel hair pasta
Instructions:
- In a large bowl, toss the shrimp, salt, garlic, and pepper together. Bring a large pot of well salted water to a boil while you cook the shrimp.1 pound shrimp, peeled & deveined*, 1 teaspoon Morton kosher salt*, 1 teaspoon granulated garlic, freshly ground black pepper
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil.2 Tablespoons olive oil
- Arrange the shrimp in a single layer across the pan. Cook for 2-3 minutes per side. Remove the shrimp and set aside.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low. Add 1 Tablespoon of butter to the skillet.4 Tablespoons salted butter, cold
- Add the shallot and sauté for 3-4 minutes or until softened.2 small shallots, finely diced
- Add the garlic and chili flakes. Sauté for 1-2 minutes or until fragrant.8-10 cloves garlic, finely minced, ¼-1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes*
- Deglaze the skillet with the chicken broth, scraping all of the brown bits off the bottom of the pan. Reduce the chicken broth by half. Reduce the heat to low. Add the lemon juice and zest.½ cup vegetable or chicken broth, 1 lemon, juiced & zested
- Boil the angel hair pasta according to the package instructions. I usually boil the pasta for the shortest time instructed. Reserve some pasta water. While the pasta boils, stir in the remaining cold butter. The sauce should be glossy.8 ounces angel hair pasta
- Toss the pasta in the sauce. Add pasta water if needed to loosen the sauce. Gently toss in the shrimp and fresh parsley.¼ cup finely chopped fresh parsley
Notes:
- Shrimp: Typically, tails are left on for presentation but they can be removed before cooking; use U20-25 shrimp (aka jumbo shrimp) or bigger if you can find them. Fresh shrimp is ideal for this recipe. However, you can also use frozen shrimp to create a quick, easy shrimp scampi recipe with frozen shrimp.
- Kosher Salt: All of my recipes are tested with Morton kosher salt unless noted otherwise. It is the best salt for everyday cooking because of its size and flavor. If using table salt, the amount should be reduced. I highly recommend picking up some kosher next time you are at the store!
- Red Chili Flakes: You can omit if sensitive to spice. Or, if you prefer a spicier flavor, you can add more red pepper flakes to taste.
- Pat the shrimp dry. Minimizing the moisture ensures the shrimp for this shrimp scampi recipe without wine cook evenly in the pan. Starting with dry shrimp also helps create a golden color and better texture as you sear them.
- Salt the pasta water. Salting the pasta water helps keep the noodles from sticking together/clumping. Avoid adding oil to the boiling water, as it will make the sauce slide off the cooked noodles.
- Use cold butter. Cold butter helps emulsify the delicious shrimp scampi sauce as it cooks, helping to create a thicker sauce.
- Set a time for the pasta. Angel hair cooks fast, so it’s best to set a timer. Overcooked pasta can become gummy/mushy quickly. Aim to cook your pasta until it’s al dente, as leftovers will hold up better in the fridge.
- Add pasta water to loosen the sauce. The starch in pasta water helps thin the sauce until you reach the desired consistency. Slowly add in pasta water until it’s fairly thin. Avoid adding too much water, which will make the sauce overly liquidy.
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