Red Lobster Shrimp Scampi

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About six months ago, my husband kept going on about this shrimp dish he had at Red Lobster. Went on and on about it for weeks. Finally I told him to stop talking about it and let me try to make it at home.

Turns out it’s stupid easy. Now he doesn’t need to spend forty bucks at a chain restaurant to get his fix.

Why This Recipe’s a Winner

Shrimp cooks ridiculously fast. Like, blink and you’ll miss it fast. Which means you can have this on the table in under thirty minutes including prep.

The sauce is what makes it special though. Lots of butter, garlic, white wine, and lemon. Sounds fancy but it’s really just throwing stuff in a pan and letting it reduce down.

Best part? You only dirty one skillet. Cook the shrimp, take them out, make the sauce in the same pan, throw the shrimp back in. Minimal cleanup is always a win in my book.

What Makes It Taste Like Red Lobster

The secret ingredient is Old Bay seasoning. That’s what gives it that specific flavor you remember from the restaurant. It’s not spicy, just has this seafood-y, slightly herby taste that works perfectly with shrimp.

Without the Old Bay, it’s just regular shrimp scampi. Still good, but not quite the same. Found this out when I forgot to buy it once and used regular Italian seasoning instead. Was fine but my husband immediately knew something was different.

Ingredients You Need

Shrimp – One pound of the big ones. I buy frozen because it’s way cheaper. Just make sure they’re peeled and deveined already or you’ll be there forever.

Old Bay seasoning – Two teaspoons total. This is non-negotiable if you want it to taste like the restaurant version.

Olive oil – Just a tablespoon for cooking the shrimp.

Garlic – Four cloves, chopped up. Could use the jarred minced stuff if that’s what you’ve got.

White wine – Cup and a half. Use something you’d actually drink. Doesn’t have to be expensive but don’t use cooking wine from the grocery store, that stuff’s gross. If you don’t do alcohol, chicken broth works.

Lemon – One whole lemon for the juice. Fresh is way better than the squeeze bottle.

Butter – Half a cup. Yes, that’s a whole stick. Don’t judge, this is why it tastes so good.

Fresh parsley – For sprinkling on top. Makes it look fancy.

Parmesan cheese – Grated, for serving.

Salt and pepper – The usual.

How to Make It

First thing, if your shrimp is frozen, you gotta thaw it. I usually just put it in a big bowl of cold water for like twenty minutes and it’s ready. Don’t skip this step or you’ll have a watery mess in your pan.

Pat the shrimp dry with paper towels. Sprinkle them with salt, pepper, and one teaspoon of Old Bay. Toss them around so they’re coated.

Get a big skillet going over medium-high heat. Add your olive oil and let it get hot.

Throw the shrimp in. They’ll only need about 2-3 minutes per side. You’ll know they’re done when they turn pink and curl up. Don’t overcook them or they get rubbery. Take them out and put them on a plate.

Same pan, no cleaning needed. Toss in your garlic and cook it for about a minute. Just until it smells amazing. Don’t let it burn.

Pour in the wine and lemon juice. Use your spoon to scrape up all those brown bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. That’s flavor right there.

Let it come to a boil, then turn the heat down and let it simmer for about five minutes. It’ll reduce down and get a bit thicker.

Cut up your butter into chunks and add it to the pan along with the other teaspoon of Old Bay. Stir it around until the butter melts into the sauce.

Throw the shrimp back in and give everything a good stir. Taste it and add more salt and pepper if it needs it.

Sprinkle with parsley and parmesan, then serve it up.

What I’ve Learned Making This

Don’t crowd the pan. If your skillet’s not big enough, cook the shrimp in two batches. Overcrowding makes them steam instead of sear.

Watch the garlic. Burnt garlic is bitter and gross. One minute is enough. It cooks fast.

Let the wine reduce. Don’t rush this part. Needs those five minutes to concentrate the flavors and cook off the alcohol.

Use room temperature butter. Cold butter takes forever to melt and can break the sauce. Let it sit on the counter while you prep everything else.

Fresh lemon juice matters. Bottled lemon juice works in a pinch but fresh tastes way better.

Ways to Serve It

We usually make pasta to go with this. Linguine or angel hair, tossed with the shrimp and sauce. Could also do it over rice – the sauce soaks in nice.

My favorite way though? Just serve it in a bowl with crusty bread on the side. Use the bread to soak up all that garlicky butter sauce. Heaven.

Also good with:

• Steamed broccoli or asparagus
• Simple green salad
• Roasted vegetables
• Garlic bread (even though there’s already garlic in the sauce, more is better)

Using Frozen Shrimp

I almost always use frozen shrimp. Fresh shrimp costs like twice as much and unless you live by the ocean, it’s not actually fresh anyway.

To thaw overnight, just move it from freezer to fridge the night before. It’ll be ready the next day.

If you forgot to thaw it, cold water method works great. Put the frozen shrimp in a big bowl of cold water and stir them around to separate them. Should be thawed in 15-30 minutes depending on how much you have.

Don’t thaw in warm water or the microwave. Makes them weird and mushy.

Storing Leftovers

This keeps for about three days in the fridge in a sealed container.

Reheats okay but shrimp gets a little tougher the second time around. Microwave on 50% power for about a minute, checking halfway through. Don’t overheat it.

Honestly though, this is so fast to make that I usually just make it fresh when we want it rather than making extra for leftovers.

Making It Work for You

Basic recipe is great but you can adjust things.

Want it spicier? Add some red pepper flakes with the garlic.

No white wine? Chicken broth works fine. Add an extra squeeze of lemon to make up for the acidity you’re missing.

Could throw in some cherry tomatoes with the garlic for a different take.

My sister adds a splash of cream at the end to make it richer. Not traditional but tastes good.

If you’re watching carbs, skip the pasta and just serve the shrimp with vegetables.

Why We Keep Making This

It’s fast, it’s fancy-feeling without being complicated, and everyone loves it. Kids eat it. Adults eat it. Picky eaters eat it.

Way cheaper than going to Red Lobster. And honestly? Tastes better fresh from your own kitchen.

Make this on a weeknight when you’re tired of the same old chicken dinners. Or make it for date night at home. Either way, you’ll look like you know what you’re doing in the kitchen.