Keto Shrimp Scampi is made of sweet and tender shrimp nestled in a buttery, garlicy, lemon wine sauce. It's a quick and easy 15-minute entree with only 1g net carbs.
Greetings shrimp lovers.
Today I’m going to show you how to make a simple but delicious Keto Shrimp Scampi. But before we get to the recipe, I've got a few tips and tricks for you.
Is it better to buy fresh shrimp or frozen?
Because 80-90% of all shrimp eaten in the U.S. was caught elsewhere, nearly all shrimp has been frozen before getting to your supermarket. So unless you live in a coastal area, the chances are that the raw shrimp at the seafood counter has actually been frozen and thawed already.
So it’s best to buy individually quick-frozen (IQF) shrimp.
In IQF shrimp, the fish are spread over a conveyor belt and quick frozen while they are still on the boat. All frozen shrimp sold in bags are IQF, although it might not say so on the label. It’s counterintuitive to think that frozen is fresher than fresh food, but in this case, it really is best to buy frozen.
But always read your labels.
Make sure that the only ingredient in the container of shrimp is shrimp. Some manufacturers use a salt additive called STPP to prevent darkening and moisture loss during thawing, but it can lead to a chemical taste, so try and avoid it if you can.
What’s the best way to thaw shrimp?
It’s best to place the frozen shrimp in a bowl, cover it with plastic wrap and store it in the refrigerator overnight to thaw. But if you don’t have that kind of time, you can place the frozen shrimp in a colander and run cold water over it for a few minutes. It should thaw quickly.
Make sure to dry your shrimp before you saute it.
Whether you use fresh shrimp or thawed, you’ll need to dry them completely with paper towels before sautéing them in a skillet. If you don’t, then the moisture will steam the shrimp rather than sauté it.
And cook the shrimp only until it is opaque.
For large shrimp, this should only take 1 minute in a very hot sauté pan. If you cook it any longer, the shrimp will curl up and become tough. So to keep it tender, you should only cook it until it is uniformly pink and opaque.
Here's what you'll need to make Keto Shrimp Scampi: 2 pounds of large shrimp, olive oil, parsley, crushed red pepper, lemon juice, dry white wine, garlic and butter.
You sauté the shrimp, mix up the sauce and toss them together.
And voilà! In less than 15 minutes, you can make yourself a delicious low carb Shrimp Scampi with only 1g net carb. Pour it over zoodles or cauliflower rice, or eat it with a slice of crusty low carb bread. Or skip the pleasantries and just eat the Shrimp Scampi all by itself. No judgement.
Alright, let's get cooking!
PrintKeto Shrimp Scampi
Keto Shrimp Scampi is made of sweet and tender shrimp nestled in a buttery, garlicy, lemon wine sauce. It's a quick 15 minute entree with only 1g net carbs.
- Prep Time: 7
- Cook Time: 8
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 5 servings 1x
- Category: Entree
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Diet: Low Calorie
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 2 pounds large shrimp, peeled and deveined with tail on
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon dry white wine or vermouth
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
- crushed red pepper
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Step 1. Heat a large skillet over High heat for 2-3 minutes until very hot. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil and swirl in the pan to cover the bottom. Add ½ of the shrimp and saute until just opaque, 1 minute. Pour the shrimp into a bowl and set it aside. Return the pan to heat and repeat the process with the remaining shrimp.
Step 2. Return the skillet to the stovetop over Medium-Low heat. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in the pan. Add garlic and cook, stirring constantly until fragrant, 30 seconds.
Step 3. Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in lemon juice and dry white wine. Whisk in the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter. Add parsley. Add crushed red pepper, salt, and pepper to taste.
Step 4. Return shrimp and accumulated juices to the pan and toss to combine. Serve immediately.
Nutrition
- Calories: 291
- Fat: 15
- Carbohydrates: 1
- Fiber: <1
- Protein: 39
Keywords: Keto Shrimp Scampi, Low Carb Shrimp Scampi, Quick Shrimp Scampi
If you liked this low carb seafood recipe, then you might like my recipes for Pan Seared Scallops in Herb Butter Sauce, Keto Fish Sticks or Keto Clam Chowder.
Brenna says
Delightful! And I agree on doubling that sauce - so delish. I served mine over some peppery arugula. Thanks for instructions for a great dinner!!
★★★★★
EmilyKrill says
Sure thing!
Shaban says
I thought seafood in general was too fatty for keto.
EmilyKrill says
No no no, shrimp, and seafood in general, is a very low-fat protein. And at any rate, fatty foods are not to be avoided on the Keto diet. Most of your daily caloric intake comes from fat when you are doing Keto. Here's some more info on how the Keto diet works and what you should and shouldn't eat. https://www.resolutioneats.com/blog/keto-diet-beginners-guide/
Megan M. says
This recipe really just take 15 minutes! After I made the butter sauce, I added some zoodles and cooked them for a couple minutes. Then I added in the shrimp just to heat it up. So good! Next time I think I'll double the butter sauce though so more of it will coat the zoodles. Thanks so much for posting this!
★★★★★
EmilyKrill says
Sure thing! So glad you like it.