Simple Shrimp Scampi Without Wine is a lovely weeknight dinner that will be enjoyed by the whole family. Loaded with garlic, olive oil, and parsley, with just a splash of lemon, it's best served over pasta or with crusty bread to soak up the sauce.
You might remember this recipe - I originally posted it back in January 2018 as "Santa Barbara Garlic Shrimp". It was essentially the same recipe, but I thought people might be more likely to make it as a shrimp scampi without wine! It's my speciality to reinvent classic recipes without using alcohol, and this one is no different. I'll include edits in the recipe, which has you use a sliced red jalapeño pepper for a little bit of heat.
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Why Shrimp Scampi Without Wine?
This recipe is part of my new reintroduction series that helps people on an elimination diet reintroduce foods, one by one. For this recipe, lemon is the ingredient that can be introduced, but you can also easily leave it out while maintaining the integrity of the flavors. What remains consistent here is not using white wine, which is common in many shrimp scampi recipes.
It's said that alcohol gets cooked off during the process, but in reality if something is simmered for 15 minutes, 40% of the alcohol still remains. You'd actually have to cook this recipe for 3 hours to eliminate all of the alcohol, a recipe for very rubbery shrimp!
On top of that, sulfites become more concentrated when a wine sauce is simmered. They do not burn off like alcohol does. By reducing a wine sauce, you're concentrating sulfites in a smaller surface area, which can be more potent for people who are sensitive.
You'll love this shrimp scampi recipe without wine because:
- This recipe contains no alcohol or sulfites.
- It's ready in just 5-10 minutes, with all the ingredients prepared ahead of time.
- This shrimp scampi is gluten free and easily edited to dairy free.
- It can be served in a variety of ways! Place over pasta, serve with asparagus and crusty bread, or make this a low carb shrimp scampi by pairing with roasted mashed cauliflower.
Tips for Buying Shrimp
Peeled and Deveined - What will save you a lot of time is buying peeled and deveined raw shrimp. The do not contain the outer shell, and they will have the little digestive tract of the shrimp removed. It's essential to remove this because not only is it gross, but also can leave a gritty texture. It takes about 15-20 minutes to devein a lot of small shrimp, so this will save you a lot of time when you need a quick dinner. Tails are completely optional, but I like to keep mine on for presentation.
Shrimp Sizing - Generally I like to go with jumbo to extra large shrimp for this recipe. You may see a number on the bag like U15, 16/20, 21/25. This indicates how many shrimp are in a pound. So the lower numbers will indicate the shrimp are much larger, therefore you're getting less shrimp per pound.
Shrimp Types - This recipe works well with lots of different types. The only important factor is that you buy them raw, not cooked. I've used gulf shrimp, wild shrimp, and Argentine shrimp, which are reddish in color and sweeter. It doesn't matter if you purchase "fresh" or frozen as most grocery stores use previously frozen shrimp in the seafood cases anyway. For those with histamine sensitivity, you may do better buying them frozen and defrosting yourself.
Sodium Tripolyphosphate and Sodium Bisulfite - This is often put into shrimp to help retain water and increase the weight or to preserve the color. I recommend avoiding both for those with a sulfite sensitivity.
Defrosting Shrimp - Either place in a bowl overnight in the fridge or into a large bowl with cool water, changing out the water every so often till fully defrosted. This should take about 15-20 minutes. Make sure to fully dry the shrimp with a towel before cooking.
Ingredients
- Shrimp
- Vegetable Broth - I recommend making your own or using Trader Joe's Hearty Vegetable, or a low-sodium alternative.
- Olive Oil - An essential flavor, I like to use this for the bulk of the dish rather than butter.
- Garlic - This wine free shrimp scampi contains a lot more garlic than other recipes, but I prefer to slice the garlic thin rather than crushing it. This is similar to a Spanish style dish called gambas al ajillo where the garlic really adds to the dish without being overpowering. It seems like a lot, but the larger slices almost become sweeter when cooked this way.
- Parsley - Lightens the dish giving it a brighter flavor.
- Lemon - Lemon juice also brightens the sauce. This recipe is delicious without it, but it definitely makes this a more traditional scampi sauce.
- Butter - Adding chilled butter at the end makes this sauce more creamy. If you're dairy sensitive, either omit it or substitute with Earth Balance Pressed Oils.
Step by Step Process
Step 1 - Heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil over medium high heat in a large nonstick pan or cast iron pan. Add shrimp and lightly season with salta and pepper, cooking for about 2 minutes. Flip halfway through and cook another 2 minutes, or until the shrimp are opaque and no translucent spots remain. Once done, remove from pan and set aside. Don't overcook the shrimp or they will have a rubbery texture.
Step 2 - Add remaining olive oil to the same pan, along with garlic. Cook over medium low heat till just softened, about 2-3 minutes, stirring often so they do not burn or get dark brown.
Step 3 - Add the broth and turn heat up to high, stirring often. Simmer until it has reduced by about half its volume.
Step 4 - Turn down the heat to low, and stir in lemon juice and butter till just combined. Add back in shrimp and stir, topping with parsley and seasoning with salt and pepper to taste.
What to Serve with Wine-Free Shrimp Scampi
Classic shrimp scampi is not served as a pasta so I really hate when recipes automatically put them together, but they do pair well together. Here are a few options:
- Toss everything with cooked pasta for a full meal.
- Roast asparagus spears with olive oil, salt, and pepper at 400 degrees F for 10-15 minutes.
- Green beans, broccoli, or a side salad with basil vinaigrette.
- Warm, crusty bread.
- Trader Joe's microwavable rice packets - brown or a wild mix would be my choice.
- For a low carb option, try this mashed roasted cauliflower.
How to Store Leftovers
This shrimp scampi without wine will store well for up to 3 days in an airtight container in the fridge. I've never actually frozen it, by I imagine you could and it would reheat well.
Gently reheat over the stove on medium low heat so the shrimp don't overcook, or microwave in 30 second increments till warmed through. Microwaving may result in texture changes.
Frequently Asked Questions
To make a dairy free shrimp scampi, substitute the butter with ghee (if tolerated) or Earth Balance Pressed Oils. This would also make this recipe paleo and Whole30 friendly.
A lot of recipes will recommend chicken broth as a substitute for white wine, but I like to use vegetable broth which doesn't overpower the shrimp and garlic flavors. It does need some acidity that you miss from using wine, so I recommend either lemon juice or a splash of white vinegar. I would not recommend using all vinegar instead of white wine or the shrimp scampi sauce would be too acidic.
You could easily substitute the shrimp for equal amounts of langoustine, lobster, or scallops.
Classic Wine-Free Recipes
I have lots of great recipes without wine you might enjoy! From chicken "marsala" to a hearty beef stew, don't miss out on these options. You might also love this Grilled Italian Shrimp.
If you make this, tag me #thedizzycook or @thedizzycook on Facebook and Instagram. And if you love the recipe, please leave a review below! Follow along on my Pinterest for more great recipes.
Shrimp Scampi Without Wine
Ingredients
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1½ lbs white jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 10 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced thin lengthwise
- ½ cup vegetable broth
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice *can be substituted with 2 teaspoons distilled white vinegar
- 1 tablespoon butter, chilled
- ¼ cup chopped Italian parsley
- kosher salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat in a large cast iron or non-stick skillet until hot. Add peeled and deveined shrimp, lightly salt and pepper the shrimp, and fry about 2-4 minutes until opaque and cooked through, flipping halfway. Remove shrimp from the skillet and set aside.
- To the same skillet, add the remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Add sliced garlic and cook about 2 minutes over medium heat, stirring often so it doesn't get dark brown or burn. Once the garlic has softened and become fragrant add vegetable broth, turning heat to high till boiling. Reduce the broth by about ½ it's amount - it will begin to thicken a bit into a sauce after about 1-2 minutes.
- Turn the heat to low and whisk in lemon juice and butter till smooth. Stir in the cooked shrimp until well-coated. Taste and adjust with salt and pepper.
- Sprinkle with parsley and serve warm with crusty bread or one of the suggestions in the post..
Notes
- This recipe is a part of my reintroduction series. Lemon is not allowed in the initial elimination phase. It can easily be omitted from the recipe, but I recommend adding some acidity with vinegar or about ½ teaspoon sumac.
- Lightly salt the shrimp when cooking, and taste to adjust at the end. I find shrimp naturally more salty, so like to leave it to personal preference.
- To make the original chili garlic shrimp recipe, sauté 1 sliced red jalapeño pepper along with the garlic cloves. Also add 2 more tablespoons of chilled butter at the end.
Charlene Lombardo says
hello! I only have precooked frozen shrimp, will that work? thank you!
Alicia says
Hey! It won't be quite as good but it will still work if that's all you have. You just need to defrost them and warm them with the sauce.
Cindy says
This was so delicious! Loved all of the garlic. Definitely will be making this again and again.
Donna says
This recipe is definitely worth the try! It was easy and delicious! It took me awhile to find the courage to try some lemon, and so glad I did. I had the meal two days in a row, without symptoms. I will continue to try things now with lemon. I added spinach pasta to this recipe and it was amazing! my husband and I probably ate too fast bec it was so yummy! Thank you Alicia!!!
Alicia says
Thank you, Donna!!
Ann Larner says
We make this recipe often and its a family favorite. So quick and easy. Thank you!