This Miso Shrimp Scampi is an easy weeknight situation that everyone will get hype for. A traditional seafood dish that’s elevated with the addition of umami-packed miso. The scampi sauce is flavor-filled with tons of garlic, butter, white wine, lemon juice, and more for glossy, saucy decadence. Serve with crusty bread to sop up the sauce as an appetizer or pair with your favorite pasta for a damn-good meal!
Happy new month of April, friends! I feel like the whole month of March was an absolute blur, ha! But Spring has most definitely sprung hasn’t it. I went a little wild at the farmer’s market the other day and bought one too many flowers. I mean, the tulips were tulip-ing, and they were so dang gorgeous in almost every single color…can’t stop, won’t stop. Listen, today we’re discussing this miso shrimp scampi and I’m so essited because look at how scrumptious!!
Miso Shrimp Scampi, Y’all 😋
Shrimp scampi is a classic Italian-American dish that has been around for many years. It’s made of cooked shrimp, garlic, butter, white wine, lemon juice, and fresh parsley. It’s simple, it’s light, and it’s insanely delicious. I’ve taken all of those same classic elements of shrimp scampi, but added some miso paste to the dish and boom. The touch of miso adds an umami flavor bomb that provides huge savoriness. Seriously, I could guzzle the sauce on its very own.
The perfectly cooked, sautéed shrimp soaks up the equally perfect miso scampi sauce that’s rich in flavor. The two come together to make one cohesive dish that you can enjoy in a variety of ways. Serve alongside crusty bread (sopping up that sauce, chef’s kiss!), put this saucy shrimp over rice, or toss with pasta for an epic meal. The sauce is buttery, garlicky, and so swoon-worthy! 👅
What You’ll Need For This Recipe
(Note: the full ingredients list, including measurements, is provided in the recipe card directly below.)
- Shrimp: Because we can’t make shrimp scampi without shrimp. You can use fresh or thawed frozen shrimp. I recommend large shrimp for this recipe as well as shrimp that’s been peeled + deveined. Keep the tails on or remove it.
- Cajun seasoning: This type of seasoning is a blend that contains salt, red pepper, black pepper, garlic, and more. Brands such as Slap Ya Mama or Tony Chachere’s, stay in my kitchen pantry. Use seasoned salt as a sub.
- Olive oil: We’ll use this to marinate/sauté the shrimp.
- Butter: A definite must for shrimp scampi is butter. We’ll use a good amount for sautéing and developing a rich and robust sauce.
- Shallot: Love the sweet, delicate flavoring of a shallot.
- Garlic: Listen, a sh*t-ton of garlic is used here and I ain’t mad at it one bit. In fact, my miso shrimp scampi calls for 8 cloves of garlic. Trust me, the scampi sauce is all the better because of it. Garlic is LIFE!
- Red pepper flakes: Adds a little touch of heat, totally optional.
- White wine: A nice dry white wine adds some acidity, flavor, and depth. White wine options like a sauvignon blanc or chardonnay or pinot blanc.
- Lemon juice: Fresh squeezed lemon juice for a lil’ zippy zing! 🍋
- Chicken broth: To develop the sauciness and adds more flavor.
- Miso paste: Yum, we’ll chat more on the magic that is miso further below.
- Parsley: Herbs add a nice fresh punch to dishes, check.
Why This Miso Shrimp Scampi Recipe Works ♡
Here’s some main highlights about this shrimp scampi recipe, y’all:
- Simple yet elegant…This dish has restaurant-quality flair, but is actually so incredibly easy and simple. In just a literal set of minutes does this entire recipe come together. I love how it looks so elegant yet so very effortless. A true low-effort, high-reward dish that sings like a canary!
- BIG flavorrr…Okay, she’s simple and quick but don’t you dare think she’s not coming with the big-time flavor! The best part of this miso shrimp scampi recipe is the flavor-filled depth. The miso paste adds huge umami goodness to the buttery, slick, and robust scampi sauce. Believe when I tell you that everyone will be licking their vessels clean mmkay, ha!
- Quick & versatile…You can whip up this easy shrimp scampi recipe whenever you’re entertaining, want something fast and tasty, or save it for special events like date night at home, anniversaries, or birthdays. It’ll be on the table in under 30 minutes and you can serve it up in many ways. We love this dish with warm crusty bread or tossed with pasta, yummo.
⇢ Just like my salmon rice bowls & creamy lemon herb butter ravioli & coq au vin blanc; this miso shrimp scampi is decadent but straightforward for a quick and scrumptious meal. I know how much BBR readers love dishes like this! 🙌🏾
Ingredient Spotlight: Miso!
What is miso? Great question! Miso is a fermented soybean paste, and a traditional Japanese seasoning that is considered a staple. It has a pungent, richly flavored taste that is routinely common in a lot of Asian food culture. You can almost surely find it in many of their soups, sauces, and dressings. Additionally, there are different types of miso as well. There’s white miso (labeled light or mellow miso) and also dark miso (labeled red or brown miso).
White miso tends to have a more mild flavor with mellow sweetness to it. While the latter, dark miso, is much more concentrated with a robust, nutty, and saltier flavor profile. I love the use of white miso within the scampi sauce for this shrimp-centered recipe. White miso pairs exceptionally well with delicate proteins like shrimp, adding a layer of umami-rich flavor, delish…👌🏾
⇢ You can typically find miso paste (in the refrigerated section, often near the tofu) at any Asian grocery market, and also other big box grocers.
How To Make This Miso Shrimp Scampi:
(Note: please see the recipe card directly below for the complete written instructions.)
- Prep & marinate shrimp: Pat the shrimp dry with paper towel. Season the shrimp with cajun seasoning, to taste. Then drizzle the shrimp with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Toss the shrimp and let sit for at least 30 minutes.
- Cook shrimp: In a large skillet, heat remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the shrimp in a single layer. Cook the shrimp for 1 1/2 minutes on each side, until the flesh is pink and opaque. Then transfer all the sautéed shrimp to a clean plate and set aside while you make the miso scampi sauce.
- Make the scampi sauce: Add the butter and shallot into the skillet and sauté until the shallot becomes translucent and lightly caramelizes, about 2-3 minutes. Then add in the garlic, stirring often until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the red pepper flakes (if using).
- Pour the white wine and lemon juice into the skillet to deglaze, scraping up any bits collected along the bottom. Let this mixture come up to a gentle simmer, about 2-3 minutes.
- Add the broth and stir in the miso paste. Continue cooking until the miso paste has fully incorporated in the sauce, stirring often, another 2-3 minutes. Then add the sautéed shrimp back into the pan with 1 tablespoon of fresh chopped parsley. Gently toss to coat shrimp in sauce and cook for 1 more minute. Remove skillet from heat.
- Serve: Garnish miso shrimp scampi with remaining 1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley. Serve immediately with warm, crusty bread on the side, over rice, or toss well with cooked pasta. Enjoy!
Tips + Tricks, FAQs & More
You may have additional questions about this miso shrimp scampi recipe. Like other recipes, I always advise sticking to the recipe as it is written in the recipe card directly below. However, here’s some extra info you might find helpful:
- Is there a sub for wine?: If you need an alcohol-free alternative, simply replace the white wine in this recipe with chicken broth.
- Marinate the shrimp: Try not to skip this step! Marinating the shrimp allows for more flavor to build. Marination is key!
- Don’t overcook the shrimp: Listen, overcooked shrimp is the absolute worst, y’all. It ends up all tough and rubbery, oof. Perfectly-cooked shrimp takes only about 3 minutes. Look for your shrimp to have curled into a C shape (instead of a very tightly curled O), and have a uniform pink/opaque color.
- Pairing with pasta?: For this option, I like to reserve a bit of the starchy pasta water to incorporate in the sauce mixture for a slightly glossier consistency. And I recommend cooking about 8-ounces of long-cut pasta for this recipe like spaghetti, bucatini, linguine, or fettuccine. Short-cut pasta is fine, too!
There’s so much deliciousness going on with this Miso Shrimp Scampi, peeps! So very easy and so much flavor, whew. Be sure to tag @butterbeready in your BBR recipe creations, I sure love to see it when you do. Until next time! 🤟🏾
Don’t miss these other crazy-good recipes:
- Jamaican Oxtail Stew
- Cumin Beef Stir Fry
- The Best Crab Cakes
- Chicken Adobo (Filipino-style)
- Sticky Toffee Pudding
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Easy Miso Shrimp Scampi
5 Stars4 Stars3 Stars2 Stars1 Star5 from 7 reviews
- Author: Quin Liburd
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: Appetizers & Snacks, Main Dishes
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian-American Fusion
Save Recipe
Description
This Miso Shrimp Scampi is an easy weeknight situation that everyone will get hype for. A traditional seafood dish that’s elevated with the addition of umami-packed miso. The scampi sauce is flavor-filled with tons of garlic, butter, white wine, lemon juice, and more for glossy, saucy decadence. Serve with crusty bread to sop up the sauce as an appetizer or pair with your favorite pasta for a damn-good meal!
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 lb fresh (or thawed frozen) large shrimp, peeled & deveined
- Creole Cajun Seasoning– homemade or store-bought
- 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 small shallot, finely chopped
- 8 cloves of garlic, minced or pressed
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes- optional
- 1/2 cup dry white wine, such as sauvignon blanc
- 2 tablespoons fresh-squeezed lemon juice
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons white miso paste
- 2 tablespoons fresh chopped flat-leaf parsley, divided
- For serving: crusty bread or cooked pasta- optional
Instructions
- Pat the shrimp dry with paper towel. Transfer the shrimp into a medium bowl. Season the shrimp with Creole Cajun seasoning to personal preference. Then drizzle the shrimp with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Toss the shrimp to evenly coat and let sit for at least 30 minutes to marinate.
- In a large skillet, heat remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add the shrimp in a single layer- careful not to overcrowd the pan, work in batches if needed. Cook the shrimp for 1 1/2 minutes on each side, until the flesh is pink and opaque. Then transfer all the sautéed shrimp to a clean plate and set aside while you make the miso scampi sauce. Note: at this stage, feel free to remove and discard the shrimp tails if still on- totally optional.
- Add the butter and shallot into the skillet and sauté until the shallot becomes translucent and lightly caramelizes, about 2-3 minutes. Then add in the garlic, stirring often until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the red pepper flakes (if using).
- Pour the white wine and lemon juice into the skillet to deglaze, scraping up any bits collected along the bottom. Let this mixture come up to a gentle simmer, about 2-3 minutes.
- Add the broth and stir in the miso paste. Continue cooking until the miso paste has fully incorporated in the sauce, stirring often, another 2-3 minutes. Then add the sautéed shrimp back into the pan along with any residual juices and 1 tablespoon of fresh chopped parsley. Gently toss to coat shrimp in sauce and cook for 1 more minute. Remove skillet from heat.
- Garnish miso shrimp scampi with remaining 1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley. Serve immediately with warm, crusty bread on the side, over rice, or toss well with cooked pasta (see notes below). Enjoy!
Notes
- For wine replacement: Simply replace white wine with chicken broth (totaling 1 cup for this entire recipe).
- Pairing with pasta?: For this option, I like to reserve a bit of the starchy pasta water to incorporate in the sauce mixture for a slightly glossier consistency- def optional!And I recommend cooking about 8-ounces of long-cut pasta for this recipe like spaghetti, bucatini, linguine, or fettuccine. Short-cut pasta is fine, too!
- Please read blog post in its entirety for more tips + tricks.