Description
This recipe for Baked Shrimp Scampi with White Wine is a low-effort shrimp dinner dream! Simply toss jumbo shrimp in a fragrant scampi-style sauce made of olive oil, white wine, fresh garlic and butter, then bake in the oven until the shrimp are tender, succulent, and infused with flavor. A quick shrimp dinner recipe that’s totally hands-off with perfect results every time!
Finish the cooked shrimp with lemon and fresh herbs, and then serve alongside crusty bread or toss the shrimp with linguine noodles for an easy shrimp scampi pasta. Versatile, no-fuss and ready within 30 minutes or less!
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 ½ pounds “extra jumbo” shrimp (16–20 count), peeled and deveined (see Recipe Notes)
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup unoaked dry white wine, such as Bread & Butter California Pinot Grigio
- 6 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated
- optional: up to 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, diced into small pieces
- 1 lemon, zested and juiced
- ¼ cup finely chopped fresh parsley
- kosher salt and ground black pepper, to season
- for serving, as desired: 8 ounces pasta of choice (see Recipe Notes), toasty garlic breadcrumbs (see Recipe Notes), crusty bread, extra virgin olive oil, finely chopped fresh basil or parsley, crushed red pepper flakes, etc.
Instructions
- Marinate the shrimp: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F, ensuring a rack is positioned in the center of the oven. Peel and devein the shrimp, then add them to a large mixing bowl with the olive oil, white wine, garlic, and crushed red pepper flakes (if using). Season with 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt and ground black pepper as desired. Toss to combine well. Set aside to marinate for 15-20 minutes at room temperature while the oven preheats.
- Bake the shrimp scampi: Transfer the marinated shrimp to a large baking dish, spreading the shrimp into an even layer across the dish. Pour any remaining marinade over the shrimp and scatter the diced butter evenly across the dish. Transfer to the oven. Bake 14-16 minutes, until the shrimp is just cooked through – their flesh should have an opaque, pinkish appearance. [gallery columns="2" size="full" ids="41740,41742"]
- Finish the oven-baked shrimp scampi: Squeeze the lemon juice over the baked shrimp scampi and scatter the lemon zest and finely chopped fresh herbs over top. Stir to combine well, then taste and adjust seasoning as desired – add lemon for brightness, extra virgin olive oil for roundness, more herbs for freshness, etc.
- Serve the shrimp scampi as desired. Shrimp scampi pasta is always a good idea (see Recipe Notes, below, for more guidance!), but you could also serve the shrimp over creamy risotto or mashed potatoes – just don’t forget to spoon plenty of the white wine sauce over top! When I’m feeling particularly low-effort, I’ll also happily serve shrimp scampi with a simple green salad and lots of crusty bread to capture all of the sauce – you really can’t go wrong. Enjoy!
Notes
- Serving Suggestions
- Shrimp Scampi Pasta: Shrimp scampi pasta is a classic for a reason! If you’d like to serve your baked shrimp scampi with pasta, bring a large pot of water to a boil while the oven preheats during Step 1 of Recipe Directions. Once boiling, season generously with salt and drop 8 ounces pasta of choice (linguine pictured) – for a perfectly timed meal, plan to drop the pasta shortly after the shrimp goes into the oven. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the pasta reaches al dente. Carefully dip a liquid measuring cup into the pot, reserving about 1 cup of the starchy pasta water, and set aside. Drain the pasta – do not rinse it! – and toss it directly into the baked shrimp scampi after Step 3 of Recipe Directions, above. Toss to combine well, using a little bit of the starchy pasta water to bring everything together. (Learn more ⇢ How to Cook Pasta Perfectly Every Single Time!)
- Easy Add-On ⇢ Toasty Garlic Breadcrumbs: Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Once melted, add ½ cup panko breadcrumbs and ½ teaspoon garlic salt. Stir to combine well. Cook, stirring occasionally, until toasted and golden, 4-5 minutes. Remove from the heat and transfer to a small bowl for serving.
- Ingredient Notes:
- Shrimp count: The bake time in this recipe reflects the use of “extra jumbo” shrimp, about 16-20 count. The “count” number is a measure of size, indicating how many individual pieces make a pound. The smaller the “count,” the larger the shrimp and vice versa (i.e. 16-count shrimp are larger than 25-count shrimp because only 16 individual shrimp make up 1 pound vs 25 pieces). If you cannot find “extra jumbo” or 16-20 count shrimp, feel free to swap them out with the largest shrimp available to you, noting that you will need to decrease cook time to ensure the shrimp do not overcook as they bake.
- Thawing frozen shrimp: The best way to thaw frozen shrimp, or any frozen protein for that matter, is to place them in a zip-top bag and submerge in cool water. The steady, cool temperature of the water creates a really controlled environment for the frozen shrimp to come up to room temperature. This is better from a food safety standpoint, since it limits bacterial growth. Refresh the water every 10 minutes or so, until the shrimp are completely thawed – 25-30 minutes, tops!
- Storage and Reheating: Baked shrimp scampi is best served fresh, though leftovers will keep, stored in an airtight container in the fridge, for up to 2 days. Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop, just until warmed through.