Keto Shrimp Scampi is light and delicious, with plenty of protein from the shrimp and healthy fats from the olive oil and butter. It’s the perfect dish for a keto diet, to keep your meal carb-free and tasty.
» For more low-carb seafood recipes you might try Pan-Fried or Baked Blackened Salmon or
The shrimp, especially if you use jumbo shrimp, pair so well with the garlicy sauce and with a spritz of lemon juice, it’s brightened just the right amount. Serve it with cauliflower rice or just on its own, for a super decadent low-carb meal.
Ready in less than 30 minutes, this recipe is as convenient to make as it is tasty. Since there are no carbs in shrimp, it’s always a great choice for a meal. Try this easy keto shrimp salad or Thai coconut curry shrimp also. To make it extra irresistible, I love to douse it in this delicious buttery, garlicy sauce.
🍤🍤 HAVE YOU TRIED SEA-TO-TABLE? Get high-quality seafood – responsibly-caught from healthy oceans – delivered directly to your house, no matter where in the United States you live.
Join today and get $20 OFF any order over $149 with our coupon code: FLK20
Ingredients in Keto Shrimp Scampi
- Shrimp: The main ingredient for this dish is shrimp. Shrimp is available in both fresh and frozen, and in many different sizes. I always try to go for jumbo shrimp or 16/20 size that is substantial, but you can use smaller shrimp if you need to. If you are using fresh shrimp, make sure to peel and devein/clean them first.
- Olive oil: Olive oil is widely used for is healthy fats. Since the oil is being used for more than just a cooking oil – it adds flavor and richness – I wouldn’t suggest substituting it for another oil.
- Garlic: Garlic brings in an intense garlicky flavour. You can’t do without it in this recipe.
- Red pepper flakes: Add as many red pepper flakes as you like, as it brings the heat. If you don’t want it to be spicy, leave the red pepper out.
- Chicken broth: The chicken broth is used in place of wine for this recipe. You can use vegetable or shrimp stock as well. If you don’t have stock, use bouillon cubes dissolved in water.
- Lemon juice: It will bring a refreshing and tangy flavour. You need the acid from the lemon juice to balance the fat from the butter and olive oil.
- Butter: The butter adds a nice richness at the end of the cooking process and it helps to thicken the sauce.
- Parsley: Fresh parsley will add a freshness and herbaceous flavour. If you don’t like parsley, you can use cilantro.
How to Make Shrimp Scampi Without Wine
Typically shrimp scampi is made by adding a dry white wine to the sauce. The wine gives is a subdued sweet acidity that builds an incredible amount of flavor. If you don’t want to use wine, you just need to replace it with chicken stock and lemon juice, which will give some of the flavor that the wine does.
Here is how you can make delicious shrimp scampi.
Step 1: Start by marinating the shrimps. Add them to a large bowl. Add olive oil, garlic and salt. Toss and let them sit for 15 to 20 minutes.
Step 2: In a frying pan, add oil and place it on medium heat. Once the oil heats up, add marinated shrimp and cook for two minutes or until they turn pink. Take the shrimp out of the pan, leaving the juices behind.
Step 3: Add garlic and red pepper flakes to the pan and cook it for 30 seconds. Pour broth or white wine, and add lemon juice.
Step 4: Cook the mixture for 5 minutes or until it is reduced to half. Add butter and stir until it melts and the sauce starts to thicken up.
Step 5: Add the cooked shrimp back to the pan and toss it in the sauce. Then add the chopped parsley. It’s ready to serve right away. You don’t want to let it sit in the pan at all, or the shrimp will continue to cook and will become dry and rubbery.
How Many Carbs in This Dish?
There are no carbs in this dish. Yay! What a celebration. We’ve finally found a delicious meal that contains absolutely no carbs. That’s why this Keto Shrimp Scampi should be on your regular rotation.
Questions About Shrimp Scampi
Can you make shrimp scampi without wine?
If you don’t have a dry white wine on hand or don’t wish to use it, you can still make delicious and buttery shrimp scampi. You will need to replace the wine with chicken or shrimp broth and lemon juice.
Can I use frozen shrimp?
Yes, you can use frozen shrimp for this recipe. You don’t have to defrost before cooking, however it will add some extra water to the pan and will take a little bit longer to cook through. Once the shrimp is fully cooked, pour out the excess water before adding the chicken broth, so your sauce is not watered down.
What to serve shrimp scampi with?
You’re going to quickly see that shrimp scampi can be enjoyed all on its own. You might even want to tip the plate up to slurp the sauce. However, if you’re wanting to make a more substantial meal of this but still keep it keto friendly, shrimp scampi goes very well over cauliflower rice or served alongside steamed or roasted broccoli.
Tips to Make the Best Shrimp Scampi
- Since the shrimp cook so quickly, you’ll want to have all of your ingredients at the ready before you start the process. Set everything out and be ready to pour it into the pan, so the shrimp don’t over cook.
- You may be wondering why you use both olive oil and butter in this recipe. The olive oil infuses flavor into the shrimp as it marinates and it has a higher smoke point than butter, so it won’t burn as you’re cooking the shrimp. The butter is then added at the end to thicken the sauce. This is why you should use high-quality olive oil only for this recipe.
- Wild-caught shrimp is the always the way to go with shrimp. Skip the farmed stuff. You’ll also find that this recipe is best when you use large shrimp (16/20 size) or prawns – not the smaller shrimp.
YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE
Pin it! If you liked this recipe please share it on Pinterest so others can find it too. We always appreciate your support! Follow us on Pinterest and Facebook to keep up on what we’re cooking up.
Keto Shrimp Scampi
Ingredients
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 pound shrimp peeled and deveined
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1/2 cup chicken broth or dry white wine
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1/4 cup parsley chopped fine
Instructions
- In a bowl add shrimp, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 2 cloves of garlic minced and salt. Toss to coat and let sit for 20 minutes.
- Heat remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat, add shrimp and cook 1-2 minutes per side until shrimp are just pink. Remove shrimp with a slotted spoon to leave liquid in the pan. Set aside.
- To the skillet add remaining garlic and red pepper flakes, cook until fragrant about 30 seconds. Add broth or water and lemon juice and cook until reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Add butter and cook until melted and the sauce thickens. Add parsley and shrimp to warm. Serve over cauliflower rice.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Other Low-Carb/Keto Shrimp Recipes To Try
Click for Even More Shrimp Recipes
Read More About a Low-Carb Lifestyle
PIN IT FOR LATER
Laura is dedicated to a low-carb lifestyle after losing 52 pounds on the keto diet. As many of us do, she struggles with her weight and has found that one of the only diet lifestyles that allows her to maintain a healthy weight is a low-carb diet. She shares her favorite low-carb recipes here that are both easy to make and full of flavor, so you don’t even miss the carbs.
Wow those shrimp look fantastic its right up my alley of deliciousness to make ASAP!!!
Wow, shrimp scampi looks totally inviting! Love your detailed explanation on how to make this dish absolute gorgeous!!!
This is my kind of dish! I love the easy to follow steps to making this as well!
What a delicious looking recipe! I can’t wait to try it. Do you think these shrimp would be good cool/leftover? Thanks.
Hi Luci, I think they would be great as leftovers. If you are going to heat them up be careful. You don’t want them to get rubbery.
This is such a delicious shrimp recipe! My family enjoyed it!