Get my Cookbooks! Chicken Scampi
Learn how to make this EASY Chicken Scampi recipe at home with angel hair pasta in a garlic butter sauce with white wine and fresh lemon! (Or make it without wine and use chicken broth instead!)
Be sure to serve this with a side of garlic bread with cheese and try my chicken spaghetti recipe next!
Chicken Scampi
This is the most flavorful, restaurant-worthy Chicken Scampi recipe that will ever come out of your kitchen!
What makes this recipe the best, you ask? Not only is angel hair pasta tossed in a garlic butter sauce with white wine (or chicken broth), but it’s made even more flavorful by combining pasta water with freshly squeezed lemon juice and a blend of Parmesan and Asiago cheese. That’s the restaurant-quality touch that puts this recipe high above the rest.
Oh, and that’s not to mention parsley, freshly diced tomatoes, lemon wedges, red pepper flakes, and simple seasonings. Here’s what you need to know to make this recipe:
How to Make it
See recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.
Season diced chicken with salt, pepper, Italian seasonings, and lemon pepper seasoning. Add flour and toss to coat. Sauté in butter/olive oil until golden brown and cooked through. Set aside.
Cook garlic in butter in the same skillet for 1-2 minutes.
Add white wine and reduce by half. Add more butter followed by the cooked chicken, red pepper flakes, and roughly chopped parsley. Toss to coat, then swirl in 1 Tbsp. cold butter over low heat.
Boil angel hair pasta until al dente. Drain and reserve 1/2 cup pasta water. Combine pasta water with lemon juice, Parmesan, and Asiago cheese.
Add drained pasta to skillet and pour pasta water mixture on top. Toss to coat. Garnish with diced tomatoes and serve with Garlic Bread with Cheese and a side of lemon wedges.
White Wine Substitute
- Chicken broth can be used as a substitute for the white wine in this recipe. (The white wine does add more flavor, but either way works!)
How to Thicken Scampi Sauce
- This recipe uses a technique called “monter au beurre”, which is a finishing technique where you add cold butter at the end for gravies and sauces. This adds a smooth, velvety finish and also helps to thicken it.
- Additionally, the flour on the chicken helps to thicken it even more as the chicken simmers in the buttery garlic sauce.
Pro Tips
- Shred the cheese from a block for superior flavor. Packaged cheese doesn’t taste as good or melt as well. I use Belgioioso Parmesan and Asiago cheese.
- Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio are good dry wines to use for cooking. It doesn’t have to be super expensive but should be something you would want to drink. (Chicken broth may also be used in lieu of wine if needed.)
- I prefer to use high-quality butter (not generic or a store brand) for this recipe such as Cabot or Land O’ Lakes.
- Use freshly minced garlic, the fresher the better. Garlic that isn’t fresh can turn blue when combined with acidic ingredients like white wine and lemon juice.
- Fresh lemon juice is much more flavorful and ideal for this recipe (vs. bottled).
- Set a timer when you cook the angel hair. It typically only takes 4 minutes to cook and you want the right consistency so that it holds up when you toss it with the sauce.
- Using Shrimp: Be sure to check out my Shrimp Scampi recipe as well!
- This recipe is in The Cozy Cookbook on page 148!
Storage
- Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Tools For This Recipe
(Amazon affiliate links)- Check out all of my kitchen essentials here.
- Garlic Twister– Fresh garlic is key in this recipe. This garlic twister minces it quickly. It’s easy to clean and takes up very little space.
- 14-inch nonstick pan. -Ample space for tossing the pasta with the chicken and sauce. This one is also oven safe which is perfect for making recipes like my skillet lasagna.
- Box Cheese Grater- Always shred cheese yourself from a block for better taste and meltability.
- Chef’s Knife– This one is great and is affordable. I use it all the time.
- Pasta Strainer
Try These Next
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- Linguine with Clams
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- Penne Alla Vodka
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- Chicken and Gravy
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- Roasted Red Pepper Pasta
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- Angel Hair Pasta with Chicken
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- Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole
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Chicken Scampi
Ingredients
For the Chicken
- 1 lb. Chicken breast, diced
- Salt/Pepper, to taste
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon lemon pepper seasoning
- 3 Tablespoons flour
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 2 Tablespoons salted butter
Pasta & Sauce
- 8 oz. angel hair pasta
- 6 Tablespoons salted butter, separated
- 5 cloves fresh garlic, minced
- ½ cup dry white wine, see notes
- 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ½ cup freshly diced tomatoes
- ¼ cup roughly chopped parsley
- 2 Tablespoons lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- ½ cup pasta water
- ½ cup Parmesan Cheese, shredded from a block
- ½ cup Asiago Cheese, shredded from a block
- Salt/Pepper
Instructions
- Before you begin: Measure out all ingredients so that they’re ready to go before you start, as this recipe goes quick! Time the boiling water so that it’s ready for the pasta at the end. It will only take about 4 minutes to cook the angel hair. Remember to reserve ½ cup of the pasta water.
- Pat the chicken completely dry. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Add 1 tsp Italian seasoning and ½ tsp lemon pepper seasoning. Sprinkle with flour and toss to coat.
- Heat 2 Tbsp. olive oil and 2 Tbsp. butter over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and sear for 3-4 minutes per side, until golden and cooked through. Remove and set aside, tent with foil to keep warm.
- Decrease heat to medium and melt 1 Tbsp. butter in the same pan. Add the garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes.
- Carefully add the white wine and cook for 3 minutes or so, until reduced by half and no longer smells of alcohol. While it simmers, use a silicone spatula to clean the chicken remnants from the pot. This is called "fond" and will give the sauce more flavor.
- Melt 4 Tbsp. butter in the pot. Add the cooked chicken, red pepper flakes, and chopped parsley. Toss to coat. Reduce heat to low. Swirl in 1 Tbsp. cold butter.
- Boil the pasta and reserve 1/2 cup water.
- Take a covered jar or Tupperware container and add ½ cup pasta water, lemon juice, Parmesan, and Asiago cheese. Cover and shake to combine.
- Add the drained pasta to the skillet with the chicken and pour the pasta water mixture on top. Use kitchen tongs and toss to coat. Season with additional salt/pepper if desired and garnish with diced tomatoes.
- Serve with garlic bread with cheese and a side of lemon wedges. Garnish with freshly grated cheese and extra parsley/red pepper flakes.
Notes
- Shred the cheese from a block for superior flavor. Packaged cheese doesn't taste as good or melt as well.
- Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio are great dry wines to use for cooking. It doesn’t have to be super expensive but should be something you would want to drink.
• If possible, use high-quality butter (not generic or a store brand) for this recipe such as Cabot or Land O’ Lakes
• Use freshly minced garlic, the fresher the better. Garlic that isn’t fresh can turn blue when combined with acidic ingredients like white wine and lemon juice.
• Fresh lemon juice is much more flavorful and ideal for this recipe (vs. bottled). - Using Shrimp: Be sure to check out my Shrimp Scampi recipe as well!
- This recipe is in The Cozy Cookbook on page 148!
Nutrition
When I was fixing this I was thinking, oh man, I’m not sure about this. But wow, my fav chicken scampi I’ve had! I thought the jar thing was crazy but good grief, that worked great! Thanks for a great recipe!
You’re very welcome Teri, sounds like you nailed it!!🙌 I’m so happy it was such a success, thank so much for taking the time to leave a review!!
It was delicious but didn’t use tomatoes!
I’m so glad that you loved it Barb! Thank you so much for the review!!
Was totally delicious. Might add some red peppers next time but would definately make this again. Thanks for sharing.
I’m sooo happy that you loved it, red peppers would be a fantastic addition! Thank you so much for the review!
Can you use Sherry wine cooking wine instead of white wine?
Hi Mark, I haven’t tried it with sherry and I do think the flavor would be a bit stronger, but I suspect that it’ll still be really good! I’d love to hear what you think if you give it a go!
Yummy! Made it tonight! Thank you!
That makes me so happy!! My husband loves this dish. You actually just reminded me, I’m due to make it again soon. Thanks so much for the review Kelly!❤️
Can you use white cooking wine??
If that’s all that is available to you, that should work fine!
I recently made this yummy Chicken Scampi, it was delicious! I did sauté some onions and 1/2 red and orange bell pepper s and didn’t add the tomatoes. It was wonderful!❤️😊
Nice work Pam! I’m so happy you enjoyed it, thanks so much for the great review!!!💖
We LOVE this Recipe! Well done and thank you!
I want to make this the day before our dinner party. I was going to put it in a casserole dish, refrigerate and reheat in the oven. Should I have a reserve sauce to keep it moist or would a little chicken broth do or be needed? What would you suggest for day before prep and reheat?
I’m so happy that you love it Bev!! 🙂 If you pan on making this a day ahead of time, I would reserve extra pasta water to toss a little bit with the pasta to moisten it and loose it up a bit as it reheats. The best way to reheat it would be over a makeshift double boiler on the stovetop. This is typically used to melt chocolate but I use it to reheat pasta as well, it does wonders for alfredo! Be sure not to overcook the chicken and I would also undercook the pasta by a minute or so! Enjoy!