Quick and easy Chicken Scampi is lightly breaded chicken pieces cooked to golden brown perfection and combined with pasta in a lemon garlic butter sauce with freshly grated Parmesan. This refreshing dish is the chicken version of shrimp scampi. It pairs well with a simple garden salad, roasted asparagus, or steamed broccoli.
What Is Chicken Scampi?
Though scampi commonly refers to sautéed shrimp, you can cook other seafood and poultry in the same refreshing manner. Scampi sauce is made with butter, garlic, white wine, lemon and parsley. Scampi dishes are easy enough to prepare during a weeknight yet elegant enough for company.
Easy Ingredients – Great Chicken Scampi
- All-purpose flour
- Seasoning: Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, fresh parsley, salt, and black pepper
- Chicken: boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- Butter: salted or unsalted
- Garlic: Fresh, of course
- White wine: a dry one like sauvignon blanc or pinot grigio
- Pasta: like angel hair, thin spaghetti, or spaghetti
- Lemon juice: fresh is best
- Parmesan: freshly grated
How to make Chicken Scampi
- Combine the flour and Italian seasoning and dredge the chicken pieces in it.
- Brown the chicken in a skillet on the stovetop in a bit of olive oil. Transfer the chicken to a plate.
- Cook the garlic on the stovetop over low heat. Add the red pepper flakes and wine. Reduce by half.
- Cook the spaghetti al dente according to package directions.
- Stir in the lemon juice. Add the chicken back to the skillet to warm
- Serve the chicken and sauce over the cooked spaghetti. Sprinkle with fresh parsley and grated Parmesan cheese.
Beth’s Recipe Tip
Cut the chicken into thin, bite-size uniform pieces so they cook evenly and quickly.
What to serve with Chicken Scampi
- Pasta – preferably thin spaghetti, spaghetti, or angel hair pasta.
- Salad – a simple garden salad or an Italian salad
- Bread – French baguettes with sweet cream butter or cheese garlic bread.
- Vegetables – roasted asparagus, steamed broccoli, or air fryer brussels sprouts.
- Wine – sauvignon blanc, chenin blanc, or pinot grigio
Storage and Reheat
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. They can be reheated in the microwave at reduced power or on the stovetop over low heat.
Freeze in a sturdy, airtight container for up to 2 months. Defrost in the refrigerator overnight and reheat in the microwave at a reduced power.
Chicken Scampi
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 ½ lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts cut in bite size pieces
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 tablespoon butter
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- ¾ cup dry white wine sauvignon blanc is a good choice
- ⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 12 ounces thin spaghetti
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- ¼ cup chopped parsley
- ⅔ cup grated Parmesan Cheese
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Whisk together the flour and Italian seasoning. Dry the chicken pieces real well with paper towels. Dredge the pieces in the flour mixture.
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the chicken pieces in a single layer and cook until browned on the bottom. Flip and cook until browned on the other side. The chicken should be cooked through. Transfer the chicken pieces to a plate.
- Melt the butter in the same skillet over medium low heat. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute while stirring continuously. Carefully add the wine and red pepper flakes. Return the heat to medium and cook until it is reduced by half scraping the bottom of the pan to get the brown bits off.
- Meanwhile bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the spaghetti according to package directions. Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water. Drain well.
- Remove the skillet from the heat and whisk in the lemon juice. Add the chicken back to the skillet cooking for just a minute to warm it up. Add the drained pasta to a large serving bowl and pour the sauce and the chicken over the top. Sprinkle with parsley and freshly grated Parmesan cheese and toss to coat. If the pasta becomes dry simply add a little of the reserved pasta water. Season with salt and pepper to taste. For best results serve promptly.
Notes
- Cut the chicken into thin, bite-size uniform pieces so they cook evenly and quickly.
- Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. They can be reheated in the microwave at reduced power or on the stovetop over low heat.
- Freeze in a sturdy, airtight container for up to 2 months. Defrost in the refrigerator overnight and reheat in the microwave at a reduced power.
Nutrition
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Pat
I only have a little bit of Riesling left in the bottle. What could I substitute for white wine?
Beth Pierce
Do you have any other wine? If not 1/2 cup chicken broth will work.