Healthy Shrimp Scampi

Name: Healthy Shrimp Scampi
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 15 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 1 tbsp. olive oil; 1 lb. large shrimp, peeled and deveined; 1 tsp. sea salt; ½ tsp. black pepper; ¼ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes; 4 cloves garlic, minced; ¼ cup low-sodium chicken broth; ½ lemon, zested; ¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice; 1 lb. zucchini noodles,* spiralized (approx. 2 large zucchinis); ¼ cup Italian parsley, chopped; 2 tbsp. freshly grated parmesan

Lacey Baier Recipes
September 3rd, 2025 5 minute read

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This easy, flavorful, and Healthy Shrimp Scampi recipe comes together in just 15 minutes! Enjoy it with low-carb zucchini noodles for the easiest and most delicious healthy shrimp dinner ever!

Some more of my easy to make and tasty shrimp recipes include my Creamy Garlic Tuscan Shrimp, Spicy Shrimp Tacos, and Crispy Bacon-Wrapped Shrimp Jalapeno Poppers.

I am definitely a girl who likes her lemons. Whether it's in my lemonade, squeezed over some Halibut Piccata With Asparagus, in a Honey Lemon Salad Dressing or even in my glass of ice water, I will love it.

Dustin, however, isn’t usually a big fan of lemon (despite what he’d probably tell you). He likes lemon to play a minor role in a dish, as opposed to having a dish bursting with tart lemony goodness. Therefore, I usually wind up not making many dishes that involve lemon at our house. However, the urge has just been too strong lately. The floodgates have opened.

Fortunately, I have a go-to 15-minute healthy shrimp scampi recipe that never disappoints. Each time I make it, I’m shocked at how quickly it actually comes together.

Great for a weeknight dinner or even an amazing lunch, this healthy shrimp scampi recipe is perfect whenever you need to prep a fast meal for you and your family.

The best thing about this healthy shrimp scampi, besides the fact that it’s a very easy-to-make clean dish, is that I get to enjoy the lemony flavor I love so much.

Ingredients For Healthy Shrimp Scampi

Shrimp: Large, peeled, and deveined shrimp cook quickly and bring a tender, slightly sweet flavor that pairs perfectly with lemon and garlic. You can also swap for chicken breast, if preferred.

Zucchini Noodles: Light and fresh, spiralized zucchini makes a healthy pasta alternative while soaking up the sauce beautifully.

Lemon (Juice + Zest): Bright and tangy, lemon lifts the dish with freshness and balances the richness of the shrimp and parmesan.

Parmesan Cheese: Freshly grated parmesan adds a salty, nutty finish that ties the flavors together.

Step By Step Instructions

Step 1: Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the shrimp, sea salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes, and sauté for 4-6 minutes, until the shrimp begin to brown and are no longer translucent.

Step 2: Add the garlic to the pan and cook for one minute, stirring frequently. Add the chicken broth, lemon zest, lemon juice, and zucchini noodles.

Step 3: Bring to a boil and cook for 1 minute, just until the shrimp are completely opaque and cooked through and the noodles are softened, coated with the garlic-lemon sauce, and warmed through.

Step 4: Sprinkle with parmesan and parsley and serve.

FAQs

Reheating Instructions For Shrimp Scampi

One easy way to reheat shrimp scampi is to pop the entire meal right into the microwave and reheat them for a couple minutes until heated through. You can also toss together in a hot skillet until heated through. The idea is to heat everything through as quickly as possible without overcooking the shrimp and making the zucchini noodles too mushy.

How To Make Shrimp Scampi Without Wine

Traditionally, shrimp scampi is made with wine. However, you can make shrimp scampi without wine very easily if you want.

Here’s how to make shrimp scampi without wine:

Substitute low-sodium chicken broth for wine like I did. This will add extra flavor to the dish and deglaze the pan.
Use water instead of wine or chicken broth, but keep in mind the dish will lack in flavor so maybe add another pinch of sea salt.
Use shrimp stock. To make shrimp stock, all you have to do is simmer shrimp shells in water. Drain and discard the shells and voila, another flavorful way to make shrimp scampi without wine.

Can Shrimp Scampi Be Prepped Ahead?

While this healthy shrimp scampi recipe takes only 15 minutes from start to finish, it can also be made ahead of time, which is awesome.

We have had it as part of our meal prep during the week by storing them in these meal prep containers. Fopr help on finding the right meal prep containers check out my post on the Ultimate Guide To Meal Prep Containers. If you know you’re going to be reheating this shrimp scampi later, try to not cook the zucchini noodles that much because they’ll for sure cook and get tender when reheated.

Is Shrimp Scampi Healthy?

The majority of shrimp scampi out there is, unfortunately, not a very healthy meal. The shrimp is sautéed in quite a lot of butter and salt, and then it's accompanied by a lot of refined pasta. So the short answer to “is shrimp scampi healthy?” is, "Not usually."

But that doesn't mean we can't enjoy a healthy, lightened-up version of shrimp scampi. There are two major ways we transform your typical shrimp scampi into this healthy shrimp scampi recipe, which include:

Replace the high amounts of butter with olive oil (and use less of it!)
Replace the pasta with lower carb, higher fiber zucchini noodles