Try an easier method for a restaurant-quality seafood pasta dish! Shrimp scampi in the slow cooker is effortless to prep and produces gourmet results! The shrimp turns out perfectly tender, and the buttery sauce is zesty and fresh.

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What is shrimp scampi?

Shrimp scampi is a classic Italian-American dish featuring shrimp cooked and served in a buttery garlic wine sauce. It is traditionally served over pasta such as linguine, angel hair, or fettuccine, or with a slice of crusty bread to soak up the sauce.

This slow cooker version of shrimp scampi makes it easy and hands-off compared to stovetop preparation (where you’re constantly watching the shrimp). I was skeptical about the final results with the slow cooker, but it actually cooked the shrimp perfectly and was so simple to make!

What’s To Love About This Recipe

Shrimp scampi gives off a gourmet appeal, but includes basic ingredients, resulting in incredible flavor. With butter, lemon, and wine, you have everything you need to bring out the best in shrimp!
If you’ve been hesitant to cook shrimp or had bad luck on the stovetop before, you’ll love how easy it is to prepare and set this in the slow cooker. It’s a dish with very minimal hands-on cooking.
Shrimp scampi is a great dish for entertaining – impressive yet effortless! It’s simple enough that you could even serve it on a weeknight for a change in your typical menu.
Scampi pairs well with pasta, rice, or bread. Use what you have on hand and easily modify it for gluten-free needs.
This recipe is light but satisfying. It’s a pasta dish that won’t feel overly heavy, and it’s adaptable for any occasion!

Ingredients Needed

Frozen shrimp – Use frozen, peeled, and deveined shrimp (removing the tail is optional). Be sure to look for raw frozen shrimp, not pre-cooked.
Olive oil – Olive oil adds light flavor and richness to the scampi sauce.
Butter – Butter adds luxurious flavor and offsets the acidity of the lemon juice.
White wine – A dry white wine will produce the best results. The wine adds depth and truly ties the whole sauce together.
Garlic – Finely minced garlic adds boldness to the sauce. It’s essential for every good pasta meal!
Salt and black pepper – Keep the seasoning simple with salt and pepper to let the other bold flavors really shine.
Red pepper flakes – You will only need a pinch of red pepper flakes to add a bit of heat to the sauce. It won’t make the sauce spicy at all – just a nice added warmth to the dish.
Lemon juice – Lemon juice makes this dish light and fresh, and the acidity helps tenderize the shrimp while balancing the rich flavors.
Fresh parsley – Another fresh herbal element!
Cooked angel hair pasta or bread – Choose something you’ll enjoy eating while soaking up every bit of sauce. Angel hair pasta keeps the dish from being too heavy, and a crusty artisan bread would also be perfect.

24 oz frozen shrimp, peeled, deveined (tail-off optional) 2 tablespoons olive oil 4 tablespoons butter, sliced into 4 pieces ¼ cup white wine 4 cloves garlic, finely minced ¼ teaspoon salt ⅛ teaspoon pepper Pinch of red pepper flakes 2 tablespoons lemon juice Fresh chopped parsley Cooked angel hair pasta or bread on counter

How To Make Slow Cooker Shrimp Scampi

Add shrimp, olive oil, butter, wine, garlic, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes to the slow cooker.

Shrimp, butter, garlic, and seasoning in slow cooker

Cover and cook on high until the shrimp is fully cooked to 145 ℉ (about 2 hours).
Squeeze lemon juice over the shrimp and give it a stir.

Add shrimp, olive oil, butter, wine, garlic, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes to slow cooker

Top with fresh chopped parsley.

Add shrimp, olive oil, butter, wine, garlic, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes to slow cooker in process of being cooked in slow cooker

Serve over angel hair pasta or with fresh bread.

Pro Tips

Shrimp is fully cooked when it is opaque and pink with an internal temperature of 145 ℉.
Overcooked shrimp becomes rubbery and tough. Watch it closely near the end of cooking, and around 90 minutes if using smaller shrimp.
Use large or jumbo shrimp for better texture in slow cooking.
To thicken the sauce, mix in 1 teaspoon cornstarch and 1 tablespoon water during the last 15 minutes. Let the sauce simmer uncovered slightly before serving.

Recipe Substitutions and Variations

This recipe is pretty straightforward, and I love that you can simply grab a bag or two of frozen shrimp from the store that is ready to go. Just add directly to the slow cooker!

If you do use fresh shrimp, reduce the cooking time to about 1.5 hours (similar to the process of sautéing on the stovetop). Pre-cooked shrimp is not recommended since it will become tough during slow-cooking.

Bring some variety to your shrimp scampi with add-ins, flavors, or toppings!

Add cherry tomatoes, fresh baby spinach, or chopped zucchini for a fresh twist. Increase the spice with red pepper flakes or add Homemade Cajun Seasoning. Vary the toppings with grated Parmesan, basil, or extra lemon juice.

For an alcohol-free recipe, simply swap the wine for chicken broth and add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice.

How To Serve Shrimp Scampi

Serve buttery shrimp scampi over angel hair pasta, spaghetti, linguine, or even zucchini noodles. Crusty French bread, garlic bread, or ciabatta would also be delicious options to soak up every last drop of the sauce.

For a lighter, gluten-free option, you could also serve scampi over fluffy white rice or quinoa, or just serve with veggie sides and a simple salad. Lemon Pepper Roasted Asparagus or oven-roasted cauliflower would be excellent additions!

Slow Cooker Shrimp Scampi with butter being poured on top

Storing and Reheating

Store in an airtight container for up to 2 days in the fridge. Freezing is not recommended, especially if the shrimp was previously frozen.

To reheat on the stovetop, add to a pan and warm gently over low heat with a splash of broth or butter. In the microwave, use short bursts, stirring in between to prevent overcooking.