My son is a huge seafood fan, and while it’s not really my favorite, I do try to be a good mom and incorporate things the kids really enjoy into our routine. Shrimp scampi is something he loves. Buttery, garlicky, and Parmesan cheesy…..mmmmmm. It’s kind of hard to disagree.
It just so happens that I am successfully growing red chilies this year, and so I decided to throw together this spicier variation on a bit of a whim. The funny thing is that my usually spice-averse son didn’t feel the heat, but did appreciate the slight change in flavor the chili pepper added. Backyard garden win.
Notes: The heat here is super easy to adjust based on personal taste. I went easy on the peppers, adding just one small little beauty, but if you like it spicier feel free to add an additional pepper (or two!). On the flip side, if you don’t want the spice (or are avoiding nightshades), but still like scampi, just leave it out. It tastes just a delicious without it.
Chili Garlic Scampi
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 3 servings
- Category: Stovetop, Shrimp, Seafood, Pescatarian
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Seafood
Ingredients
- 1 stick (4 oz/ 113 g) salted butter
- 1 small red chili pepper, minced (include the seeds)
- 1 oz (28 g) fresh garlic, minced
- 1 lb (16 oz/ 464 g) shrimp, completely cleaned (no tail, deveined, shelled, etc)
- 1/2 c (4 fl oz/ 118 ml) dry white wine (I used Chardonnay)
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- fresh cracked black pepper, to taste
- 1 1/4 (35 g) grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
Instructions
- In a large skillet, heat the butter over medium until it’s melted and begins to foam a little.
- Add the minced garlic and red chili pepper and sauté for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently, until the garlic is fragrant and golden.
- Add the shrimp to the skillet and cook until they’re starting to turn pink. Be sure to keep it moving so nothing sticks or burns.
- Turn the heat up to medium-high and add the wine. Cook, moving the contents of the skillet continuously, until the alcohol cooks off and the shrimp is cooked through.
- Season with salt, pepper to taste, and then remove from the heat.
- Stir in the cheese and parsley to garnish, then serve hot.
Notes
This is very good, and extra filling, if you stir in some zoodles right at the end to heat through and absorb some of the delicious scampi butter. Adjust the heat by adding or subtracting chili peppers, as desired.
Per serving: 469.3 cal, 24.1 g protein, 35.2 g fat, 6.8 g carbs, 0.3 g fiber, 6.5 g NET carbs
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/3 recipe
Keywords: Shrimp, shrimp scampi, garlic, chili garlic
Molly says
This sounds delicious. I wonder if you could substitute chicken for the shrimp for the non-seafood lovers in the family?
Mandy Pagano says
You sure can! Since chicken doesn’t cook as fast as seafood, I would consider using pre-cooked chicken en cut into very small pieces so that it cooks fairly quickly. That way you don’t have to stand there and cook it so long that your butter cooks down too much.
Robert Arnold says
Where do the carbs come from? Only the wine has any carbs and that typically cooks off?
Mandy Pagano says
All of those ingredients, excepting the butter, salt, and pepper, have carbs. Shrimp is about 1/10 a carb per ounce cooked, cheese has carbs, fresh garlic has carbs, peppers have carbs, parsley has carbs, and so does the wine. The alcohol cooks off, but not the sugar. Sugar tends to concentrate when cooked, not evaporate like alcohol or water content. So, while all these ingredients may not be a lot of carbs individually, they do add up when combined in a dish together.