Baked Shrimp Scampi

Apr 06, 2023

This is the best Baked Shrimp Scampi I have ever had. I have made this a few times before and I love it more every time. It is scrumptious. It is easy. You can make it ahead of time and it always looks impressive.

This recipe is an Ina Garten recipe, so you know that if you follow it, it will work. Her recipes are fool-proof, if you ask me.

It can be cooked all year long but I think it is a great festive season meal. I made this for Christmas dinner a few years ago and it was so perfect for the holiday. I am not a turkey-for-Christmas kind of girl. I make something different every year and this year I wanted something easy and special at the same time. I wanted to enjoy Christmas morning with my babies and not worry about having to make a big dinner later in the day.

Ingredients //

The Shrimp and Marinade:

2 lbs peeled and deveined shrimp
3 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp white wine
salt and pepper

The Garlic Butter:

1 1/2 sticks room temperature butter
3 minced garlic cloves (or more to taste)
1/4 cup minced shallots
3 tbsp fresh minced parsley
1 tsp fresh minced rosemary
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp lemon zest
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 large egg yolk (I left this out)
2/3 cup panko crumbs

How To Make // the Steps

Step 1: Put all of the garlic butter ingredients except for the panko crumbs in the food processor.

Step 2: Process the butter until smooth. Transfer to a bowl.

Step 3: Mix in the panko crumbs.

(This is what it looks like all mixed together.)

Step 4: You can take out a little bit of the butter before you add the panko to use for something else if you are not going to use the full 2 pounds of shrimp. More on that in a minute.

Step 5: I was making dinner for 3 people so I only used a little over a 1 1/4 pounds of shrimp.

Step 6: They were already peeled and cleaned so all I had to do was butterfly them so that they would sit all pretty like they do. Just cut a small slit in the bottom of the shrimp and fan out the pieces a little so that it will stand up with its tail curled over like this. I told you that it looks fancy!

Step 7: Mix together the olive oil, wine, and salt and pepper for the marinade.

Step 8: Let them sit for a bit in the marinade. Since there is no citrus in this marinade I think that you can get away with a few hours before you use them. I let them sit in the fridge for about 2 hours before I assembled them and let them sit again for another 2 hours.

Step 9: Arrange the shrimp in either a 14-inch gratin dish or in single serving dished, like so. Place the cut side down and let the tails curl over and arrange the shrimp in a circular shape.

Step 10: Preheat the oven to 425°F. Carefully spread the butter mixture over the top of the shrimp. You may have to do a little tail rearranging. Pour the remaining marinade over the shrimp. At this point, I put them back in the fridge until I was ready to bake them off. About 2 hours or so.

Step 11: Bake the shrimp in the oven for about 10 to 12 minutes or until they are hot and bubbling and the shrimp have turned pink. I wanted my butter mixture to get a little color so I put them under the broiler for a minute or so also.

What To Serve With Shrimp Scampi //

I cooked some pasta and tossed it in some of the leftover garlic butter, a glug (that is a technical term obviously) of white wine, and a few squeezes of lemon juice. Gave it a good sprinkling of salt and pepper and served it on the side with some lemon wedges. I also steamed some asparagus (which is divine dipped in the garlic butter after the shrimp are gone) and had some crusty bread to sop up the rest of the butter. Not a light meal by any means, but a good one. Thanks again, Ina!

Can I Prepare the Ingredients Ahead of Time? //

Yes, you can. This is what I did for my Christmas dinner a few years back: I made the butter the day before and I had all of the other parts of the dinner prepped and waiting for me. Late in the afternoon, I marinated my shrimp and then assembled it and kept it in the fridge until I was ready to bake it off. I did one big casserole dish that day, but for this go-round, I put the shrimp in individual dishes and everyone got their own.

FAQs //

What if I don’t have a food processor?

You can also do it in a bowl and just mash with a fork, you know me, I am lazy.

Where did you get your white single serving dishes?

Most likely, World Market. I am almost positive they came from there.

Do you think it would work to prep the entire dish the day before and take it out of the fridge 1 hour before baking? I’m having a dinner party for 12 with many courses.

I would be afraid to do it a day ahead because the lemon might cook the shrimp, but a few hours would be just fine.

Is the butter salted or unsalted?

It doesn’t really matter, but unsalted.

How To Store Shrimp Scampi //

Let the shrimp scampi cool completely before storing it in an airtight container. Once done, you can put it in the fridge if you plan on eating it within the next 4 days. You can also freeze the shrimp scampi. Put it in an airtight container or a freezer-safe resealable bag. To cut down on freezer burn, try to eliminate as much air in the bag as possible. The meal should last 3 months. When you’re ready to eat, let the shrimp scampi thaw in the fridge overnight then reheat in the microwave or in a pan.