Shrimp and Chicken Scampi

What to do when He likes chicken, but She likes shrimp?

Why, serve them both. In the same dish!  This is an especially easy breezy summery dish to make once it warms up.  And let Him pick out the shrimp, haha!

Yes, I know it sounds a little weird, but stick with me here.  We combine them both in Jambalaya or Paella, so why not in this classic dish?  This way everyone is happy at the same time.

What is a Classic Scampi Sauce?

As a word, scampi is actually Italian for certain small lobsters, langoustines or prawns.  So to call it ‘Shrimp Scampi’ is really rather redundant. And yet this is what we do!  In our English case I think we are now referring to the way we prepare shellfish with this combination of flavours.  And it is this sauce that we can use for both shellfish (shrimp, lobster etc), and serve it over chicken as well.  The idea of Shrimp Scampi being served over pasta is a North American twist on this dish.

We are looking at lemon, garlic, butter and vermouth to create the distinctive flavours of this dish. Each of these ingredients has a pop of flavour, put them all together in the same dish, and wowza, instant gratification! With very little effort.  And yes, you read that correctly.  Dry white Vermouth is an even better choice than white wine for this sauce, thanks to Serious Eats for teaching me this. It gives such presence, depth of flavour.  But of course, if you only have white wine it will be good too. You may find the sauce just a touch less rounded though.

Prepping the Chicken

There really is so little effort needed for this dish.  You will slice the chicken breast(s) into thin strips.  Then sprinkle them with salt and pepper.  Then toss them in a little flour- just add the flour to the bowl with the chicken strips and toss to coat, no need to have a separate dish to dredge the chicken in.  They will be sautéed in a combo of butter and olive oil till just golden on each side.  Since we are working with breasts, they will cook through in no time.  Set them aside in a bowl.

Prepping the Shrimp

You want to use a good sized shrimp for this dish.  My preference is the 16-20 per pound size. But one size smaller is fine as well.  Picking up the easy peel is good in a pinch, save yourself the time of shelling and deveining if at all possible to keep this an easy dish to prep.  Here is a tip I learned from Serious Eats: Give them a toss in baking soda and let sit.  The baking soda will tenderize the shrimp and give them a wonderful texture as they sauté up.  Just rinse the baking soda before popping them into the pan. Once they are cooked through, about 3 minutes total, add them to the chicken. 

Scampi Sauce

This is a simple but deliberate sautéeing of minced garlic and red pepper flakes in olive oil.  Hand mince ( using a microplane etc will make the garlic too intense at the heat we are using).  Once the garlic is just turning golden, add a dry white Vermouth (it has an even better presence than white wine in this sauce) to scrape up any brown bits.  Once it has reduced by about half, add the butter and stir constantly to help it emulsify into the oil and vermouth.  Remove from the heat and add the lemon juice and and salt.  Back on the heat.  If for some reason the sauce separates, whisk in a little bit of water and till emulsified again.

Assemble

At this point you can add the chicken and shrimp, along with the lemon zest, and fresh chopped herbs like parsley, chives, basil, even marjoram.  Once coated with the sauce, you can serve as is for a great appetizer, accompanied with crusty bread.  If you want to serve this over pasta, make sure the pasta is cooked to al dente, drained, saving some of the pasta water, and then toss it in the pan along with the chicken, shrimp and sauce.  Use some of the pasta water to help the sauce spread smoothly into the pasta.

Final Thoughts

Of course, if you want to make this an all-chicken or all-shrimp dish, just double the amounts of either the chicken or shrimp to get the needed amount for the full recipe.  This recipe even tastes fine at room temperature.  I would hazard a guess and say it could even travel for a picnic. You may just want to choose a pasta shape that is easier to eat with a bamboo fork while balancing the plate in your lap!

*Have all your proteins sliced and prepped.  Have the fresh garlic minced, butter cubed, herbs chopped, and lemon zested and juiced.  Once you start this dish, it will come together quickly, so you don’t want to be scrambling to get everything ready as you go.  

This dish is really all about the scampi sauce. Feel free to make just the sauce, and serve it over pasta, rice, orzo, even smashed roasted potatoes! Having this in your arsenal means that so many dishes are at your fingertips.

Other great summery shrimp dishes: Shrimp Pil Pil, Mango and Avocado Salad with Shrimp, Bloody Ceasar Shrimp Chorizo and Rice Pilaf, Spicy East Coast Shrimp Rolls

5 from 3 votes

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Chicken and Shrimp Scampi

Easy, breezy, and full of flavour, this dish combines both chicken and shrimp for the best of both worlds. The bright and versatile sauce gets a little more depth of flavour thanks to vermouth! Feel free to serve this classic sauce on its own over rice, orzo, even roasted potatoes!

Course Main Course

Cuisine Italian, North American

Keyword butter, chicken breast, garlic, lemon, pasta, shrimp

Prep Time 15 minutes

Shrimp Resting time, optional 1 hour

Servings 4

Ingredients

• 1/2 lb (225g) large shrimp, peeled and split down the back, veins removed
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 lb (225 g) chicken breasts, sliced into thin strips, about 3/4 inch wide by 2-3 inches long.
• kosher salt and cracked black pepper
• 1 tbsp all purpose flour, or gluten free replacement
• 2 tsp butter, for chicken
• 4 tbsp (60ml) extra-virgin olive oil, divided, plus more as needed
• 4 tsp (25g) minced garlic (4 to 5 medium cloves)
• Pinch red pepper flakes
• 1/2 cup (120ml) dry vermouth
• 3 tbsp (45g) unsalted butter, cut into tablespoon-size pieces
• 1 tbsp (15ml) fresh juice and 1 teaspoon (4g) grated zest from 1 lemon
• 1 tbsp (9 g) minced fresh parsley, basil, chives, marjoram, etc using more than one brings more flavour to the finished dish
• 1 lb 450 g long pasta like spaghetti or linguini
• lemon wedges for garnish

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, toss together shrimp with 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt and baking soda until evenly coated. Let stand for at least 10 minutes and up to 1 hour. Rinse the shrimp of the baking soda in a sieve, under cold water, before placing in the skillet.

2. Place the chicken into a large bowl, and toss with 1/4 tsp each of salt and pepper, and flour. Make sure strips are coated evenly.

3. Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the 2 tsp of butter, along with 1 tbsp olive oil and sauté the chicken strips till golden brown, about 3-4 minutes per side, turning when needed. Transfer to a plate. Use a piece of paper towel to wipe out the pan of any bits that could scorch during the next step.

4. Increase the heat to medium-high, heat 2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil over high heat until shimmering. Add the shrimp in an even layer and cook, stirring and turning shrimp occasionally, until just cooked through, and just starting to turn golden in spots, about 2-3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, or tongs, transfer shrimp to the plate with the chicken. Repeat with remaining shrimp if they didn't all fit in one batch, adding more oil if necessary.

5. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon (15ml) olive oil to skillet, along with garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring constantly to keep the garlic moving, until it is just starting to turn golden, about 45 seconds or so; lower heat if necessary to prevent scorching.

6. Add the vermouth and boil it all over high heat, stirring and scraping up any browned bits, until raw alcohol smell is mostly gone, and vermouth has reduced by about half, about 3 minutes.

7. Reduce the heat back to medium high. Add the cubed butter and cook, stirring and swirling pan rapidly as butter melts to create a silky, emulsified sauce. Remove from heat, add lemon juice, and season with salt. Reduce to medium heat and bring to a simmer, constantly stirring the lemon juice into the butter sauce. (If sauce breaks apart, whisk in a teaspoon or two of water until sauce emulsifies again.) Taste the sauce to see if it needs more salt.

8. Return the chicken and shrimp to skillet, add herbs and lemon zest, and toss until the chicken and shrimp are coated in sauce and warmed through. It can be served as is, as a great appetizer with crusty bread.

To Serve with Pasta:

1. Cook linguine or other long noodles until al dente, as per the package directions, reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water and drain the pasta.
2. Toss the pasta in the pan with shrimp and sauce, adding pasta-cooking water (2 tbsp at a time) as needed to bind it all together.
3. Serve immediately, with lemon wedges if desired, as well as more fresh herbs.

Recipe Notes

Feel free to use all chicken or all shrimp. Just double and cook as directed.
This dish can be served at room temperature as a salad of sorts, just use an easier to manage pasta like rigatoni, macaroni, or orzo.