Scampi-Style Chicken

Tuesday, January 9, 2024
Chicken Scampi-Style is an alternative for those allergic to seafood, featuring a fabulous wine sauce and a chicken substitute.

The chicken is seasoned, sautéed, and coated in a buttery wine-and-lemon sauce that complements this dish perfectly.

A versatile style scampi that can be served just as it is or with any of the many suggestions I have below listed.

If you love the bright, buttery flavors of classic shrimp scampi, you are going to love this Chicken Scampi Style version.

Tender pieces of chicken are cooked until golden, then coated in a luscious sauce made with garlic, butter, lemon, and herbs.

It is simple enough for a weeknight dinner but flavorful enough to serve when company comes over.

If you love these flavors on seafood, you will love how delicious this wine sauce is on the sauteed boneless chicken breast.

All my seafood lovers can still certainly make the original recipe we love called Seafood Scampi or recipes from our Christmas Eve Seafood Roundup.



this is chicken scampi in a large Italian bowl with pasta in the bottom and lemons on top




this is an Italian bowl with chicken scampi on top of linguine pasta, a whole lemon and a glass of Pinot Grigio


Why You Will Love This Chicken Scampi Style Perfect Alternative to Seafood

  • Quick and Easy: The entire meal comes together in under 30 minutes, making it perfect for busy weeknights.
  • Bold Flavor: A combination of fresh garlic, butter, white wine, and bright lemon juice creates a velvety, savory sauce
  • All-in-One Meal: Tossing tender chicken and the rich sauce right over al dente pasta gives you a complete, comforting dinner
  • Shellfish Alternative: It delivers the classic scampi experience without any seafood, making it safe for anyone with a shellfish allergy
  • Versatile: You can easily swap the pasta for rice, zucchini noodles, or potatoes, or add your favorite vegetables like bell peppers or broccoli.

this is sauteed chicken in a wine sauce called scampi


Chicken in Scampi Sauce Flavor Boosters

  • A splash of dry white wine
  • Freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • Extra minced garlic
  • Red pepper flakes
  • Fresh parsley
  • Fresh basil 
  • Italian seasoning
  • A little lemon zest
  • A splash of chicken broth
  • Sautéed mushrooms
  • Baby spinach
  • Sliced bell peppers 
  • Sun-dried tomatoes

this is seasoned cubed chicken frying


Tips for Chicken in Scampi Sauce

  • Don't overcrowd the skillet. Cook the chicken in batches if necessary so it browns instead of steaming.
  • Season the chicken well. Proper seasoning makes a big difference in the finished dish.
  • Use fresh garlic and lemon whenever possible. They provide much more flavor than bottled alternatives.
  • Don't overcook the chicken. Chicken breast can become dry if cooked too long.
  • Scrape up the browned bits. Those little pieces left in the bottom of the skillet add tremendous flavor to the sauce.
  • Taste before serving. Add another squeeze of lemon, a pinch of salt, or more pepper if needed.
  • Reserve a little pasta water. If serving with pasta, a splash of starchy pasta water can help loosen and emulsify the sauce.

this is the wine going into chicken scampi


Serving Suggestions for Chicken in Scampi Sauce



this is the sauce for chicken scampi with lemon and wine


Questions and Answers

  1. Can I use chicken thighs? Yes. Boneless, skinless chicken thighs are delicious in this recipe and tend to stay especially juicy.
  2. Can I make Chicken Scampi without wine? Absolutely. Chicken broth works very well in place of wine, or you can simply use additional lemon juice and a little broth to build the sauce.
  3. Can I make this ahead of time? You can prepare the chicken ahead, but the sauce is best when made fresh. If preparing in advance, gently reheat everything together just before serving.
  4. What pasta goes best with chicken scampi? Linguine and angel hair are especially good choices because the sauce coats the pasta beautifully. Spaghetti and fettuccine are also excellent.
  5. What Makes This Chicken Scampi Different? The secret is keeping the sauce bright and balanced. It should be rich from the butter but never heavy, garlicky without overpowering the chicken, and finished with enough lemon to wake everything up. The browned chicken also adds another layer of flavor that you don't get from simply simmering chicken in the sauce. Those golden edges combined with the lemon-butter garlic sauce are what make this dish so irresistible.


this is raw chicken cut into cubes and the seasoned flour it will go into


More Recipes To Try


Bundt Pan Chicken
Chicken Fried Chicken
Baked Beer Chicken


this is a collage on how to make chicken scampi


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this is a huge Italian bowl of linguine with chunks of chicken scampi on top


Fast and Easy Recipe



If you love easy recipes this Chicken Scampi is super simple and between the sauteed chicken and sauce cooking time is around 35 minutes.

The buttery wine sauce is perfect poured over any pasta, rice, and even on a baked potato.

For all my seafood lovers who love scampi, do try this recipe using chicken you will have a new favorite go-to recipe in your collection!


chicken with wine sauce, Chicken recipes, chicken scampi, Italian chicken scampi, scampi sauce, wine and lemon sauce for chicken or fish,
Italian, French, American
Yield: 6
Author: Claudia Lamascolo
Chicken Scampi

Chicken in Scampi Sauce

This is a classic scampi normally made with seafood. For those who are allergic to seafood, this is the perfect alternative to using chicken. The sauce is buttery with garlic and perfect over pasta, rice, or even potatoes.
Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 35 MinTotal time: 45 Min

Ingredients

  • 1 package linguine pasta cooked to package instructions in saltwater in drained
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon granulated garlic powder
  • 1 pinch red pepper flakes or more to taste
  • 1 pinch kosher salt and freshly ground pepper or more to taste
  • 1/2 cup dry white wine
  • 1 fresh lemon, juiced
  • 4 tablespoons butter
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley leaves and more for garnish
  • 1 lemon sliced for garnish is optional
  • Canola or vegetable oil to saute chicken
  • 3 boneless chicken breast cubed
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon dried parsley
  • 1 teaspoon granulated garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
  • 1 /2 teaspoon salt, pepper, or more to taste
  • 1 ziplock bag or pie plate
  • Place the flour, herbs, and spices in a plastic bag or pie plate for coating the chicken in then set aside.

Instructions

  1. Coat the chicken in either a pie plate with the above herbs and spices or in a plastic bag to coat.
  2. Heat the oil to medium heat to 1 inch deep.
  3. In a large deep fry pan, saute the coated floured chicken and brown on both sides.
  4. Place the fried chicken on paper towels to drain.
  5. In the same pan add all the rest of the ingredients and simmer for around 2 minutes scraping any bits left in the pan and stirring.
  6. Place the cooked chicken back into the scampi sauce and simmer until the sauce thickens just a little around 2 minutes.
  7. Cook the pasta in salt water to package instructions, drain, and place in a large pasta bowl.
  8. Pour the chicken scampi on top of the pasta.
  9. Garnish with lemon slices, more parsley, and red pepper flakes if desired.
  10. Note: if the sauce gets too thick you can add pasta water or more chicken broth heated to the sauce.

Notes

Other Meats

  1. Any Seafood
  2. Pork tenderloin
  3. Boneless Steak
  4. Venison
  5. Cube Steaks


Serving Suggestions


Tips

  1. coat the chicken first and saute before adding to the sauce
  2. use only fresh lemon
  3. use a wine that you would drink and taste great
  4. cook the pasta and reserve some of the pasta water in case the sauce is too thick
  5. add more red pepper and spices to taste
  6. check out our Amazon Store Front Page ("paid affiliate link" see privacy policy disclaimer)


Nutrition Facts

Calories

734.19

Fat (grams)

21.8 g

Sat. Fat (grams)

8.37 g

Carbs (grams)

90.31 g

Fiber (grams)

4.7 g

Net carbs

85.61 g

Sugar (grams)

3.08 g

Protein (grams)

38.67 g

Sodium (milligrams)

469.85 mg

Cholesterol (grams)

93.17 mg

The default measuring system for this website is US Customary. Unit conversions are provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. While we strive to provide accurate unit conversions, please be aware that there may be some discrepancies.



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this is a sauteed chicken with garlic over linguine pasta


Recipes To Try


Chicken Francese

Bake Chicken Zucchini Tomato Casserole

Oven Smoked Chicken Breasts