Garlic Butter Shrimp
by Sommer Collier — last updated on Sep 24, 2025 
This quick and easy scampi-style Garlic Butter Shrimp recipe makes the most succulent and flavorful shrimp cooked in an irresistible butter, garlic and white wine sauce. It’s the perfect simple yet impressive dish to serve with pasta or your favorite sides in only 20 minutes!
Sommer’s Recipe Notes
I’m a sucker for all things garlic and butter – and who could blame me?? These two simple yet fragrant ingredients are the foundation of so many fabulous recipes, like Garlic Butter Noodles, Roasted Parsnips, Steamed Potatoes and Slow Cooker Garlic Butter and Potatoes.
Here we’re elevating a classic garlic butter sauce recipe by adding white wine and shrimp to the mix to make an incredible scampi-style dish. I guarantee it will turn any skeptic into a bona fide seafood lover!
Why You’ll Love This Easy Garlic Butter Shrimp Recipe
- Simply Decadent – The combination of white wine, butter, and garlic tastes incredibly lux, without breaking the bank!
- 20 Minute Meal – This elegant dish is ready to serve in as little as 20 minutes for a fast yet refined dinner.
- Serve Your Way – Enjoy plump, garlicky shrimp by themselves for a low-carb meal. Or serve over pasta, mashed potatoes, or toasted slices of bread for a heartier dish!
From date night to casual dinner parties, and everything in between, this lovely “scampi” garlic butter shrimp recipe is a perfect all-occasion dish. Give it a try, we know you will think so as well!
Ingredients and Tips
- Raw shrimp – Use large, peeled and deveined, either fresh or previously frozen and thawed shrimp.
- Butter – Unsalted butter is best when cooking, so you have total control over the seasoning.
- Garlic – Use freshly minced garlic or minced from a jar.
- Parsley – This adds a nice pop of fresh flavor that balances the rich butter and strong garlic flavors.
- White wine – The best wine for shrimp scampi is something light and not too sweet, like a Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc.
Variations & Dietary Swaps
- Scallop scampi – Yes, you absolutely can make this dish with scallops!
- Non-dairy – Use your favorite plant-based butter that melts smoothly to make this seafood recipe without dairy.
- Without alcohol – There is not much wine in the recipe, but you can use chicken broth instead for a nonalcoholic dish.
How to Make Garlic Butter Shrimp
Tip for Success – For perfectly cooked shrimp, you want them to cook into nice pink and slightly opaque Cs, not Os. Remember, O is for overcooked!
Find the full Garlic Butter Shrimp Scampi recipe with detailed instructions, storage tips, and a video tutorial in the printable form at the bottom of the post.
Storage Notes
- Storing Leftovers – Seafood is typically best enjoyed freshly prepared. However, leftovers can be kept in an airtight container and stored in the fridge for a day or two.
- Reheating – Lightly reheat the shrimp in a skillet on the stovetop, or very briefly in the microwave at 50% power.
Serving Suggestions
Serve zesty shrimp in a light garlic butter sauce as-is, or with your favorite carbs like mashed potatoes, pasta, or with a side of bread to soak up the buttery goodness! The best pasta to pair with shrimp scampi is angel hair pasta, in my opinion.
The garlicky shrimp are also delicious with veggie sides to lighten things up… Pair them with tender air fryer asparagus, roasted or steamed broccoli, or Brussels sprouts.
Frequently Asked Questions
Basically, yes. At least how we’re doing it… Shrimp scampi is a classic seafood dish where the shrimp is cooked in butter and white wine. Garlic butter shrimp is a classic seafood dish where the shrimp are cooked with, of course, garlic and butter. But since we are also adding white wine here, this recipe is essentially a scampi.
The white wine does mostly cook off, leaving just the crisp flavor with very little alcohol remaining. In other words, no, shrimp scampi will not get you tipsy. (Sorry.)
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Garlic Butter Shrimp Pasta (Easy)
Video
Ingredients
- 2 pounds large raw shrimp cleaned and deveined
- 8 tablespoons butter
- 8 cloves garlic minced
- 4 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley
- ½ cup white wine or chicken stock
- Salt and pepper
Optional Toppings –
Instructions
- Set out a large sauté pan or cast-iron skillet. Place the butter, minced garlic, and 2 tablespoons of parsley in the skillet. Set over medium-low heat. Once the butter has melted, sauté the garlic and parsley for 2-3 minutes to soften and sweeten the garlic.
- Raise the heat to medium. Pour the wine into the pan and add 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon of cracked black pepper. Simmer for 3-4 minutes to reduce and thicken the sauce.
- Carefully add the shrimp. Gently toss and cook the shrimp for 4-5 minutes, making sure all the shrimp have a turn at the bottom of the pan. For perfectly cooked shrimp, you want them to cook into nice pink, Cs not Os. Remember, O is for overcooked.
- Sprinkle the tops with the remaining chopped parsley. Then add Parmesan cheese and crushed red pepper if you so desire.
- Serve as-is with a loaf of crusty bread, or serve as a main dish over mashed potatoes, or tossed with pasta.
Notes
- Storing Leftovers – Seafood is typically best to enjoy freshly prepared. However, leftovers can be kept in an airtight container and stored in the fridge for a day or two.
- Reheating – Lightly reheat the shrimp in a skillet on the stovetop, or very briefly in the microwave at 50% power.
Just made this today. Excellent!! I added a little anchovy paste to sauce and doubled the amount of sauce. Served it over angel hair. It was more delicious than a local expensive restaurant and so easy to prepare!! Family loved it.
I love how quick this recipe comes together. It’s perfect for a busy weeknight but still feels like a special meal – my family loved it!
Fast, easy, and tastes like something from a fancy seafood restaurant. We served it over linguine and everyone went back for seconds!
Absolutely delicious! The garlic butter sauce was so flavorful, and the shrimp cooked perfectly in just minutes. This one’s a keeper!