Chicken Scampi Recipe

If you’re looking for all the goodness of scampi without the seafood, this chicken scampi recipe is perfect for you. If you’ve ever had Olive Garden’s chicken scampi and want to recreate it, give this a try!

In the last four years, grocery shopping has changed dramatically. I used to base my meal plan on Aldi’s weekly sales flyer, and then adapt based on markdowns I found once in store. Needless to say, groceries, in general, were a lot more budget-friendly.

But, no longer can we assume that Aldi – or any other store in our areas, at least – will have a good sale on meat every week.

One of the few proteins I can still consistently find marked down, though, is chicken. Usually, it’s boneless, skinless chicken thighs, and sometimes it’s chicken tender breasts. This makes me happy because those are three of the most versatile proteins to meal plan with!

You can make so many different delicious dinner dishes that they never get old. One of my easy favorites is slow cooker chicken tacos. My kids really love gluten-free chicken and dumplings, We all enjoy skillet coconut lime chicken with rice, and I love using it to make home-canned chicken soup as a sort of homemade convenience food. My husband’s favorite is probably the tangy pepperoncini chicken, which, I have to admit, has excellent flavor and a delicious sauce.

This chicken scampi might take the cake, though. You’re probably familiar with the classic shrimp scampi, and while we do love gluten-free shrimp scampi, there’s no denying that shrimp is more of a treat than a budget-friendly meal.

Chicken scampi, as you can probably guess, is very similar but more economical. This makes it much more accessible, and it’s a lot more kid-friendly for those of us whose kids prefer not to eat seafood (I have one with chicken tender taste buds and one who is bougie).

I enjoy the down-home comfort food vibes the chicken gives to this chicken scampi recipe.

Pro tip: Use gluten-free pasta to make this a gluten-free recipe easily.

Ingredients for Chicken Scampi

• Chicken. I use chicken breasts. Chicken tenders are also good and cut down on your prep work.
• Flour – all-purpose flour or gluten-free
• Italian Seasoning
• Salt
• Pepper
• Oil – I use olive oil
• Bell peppers
• Red onions
• Angle hair pasta – you can also use regular spaghetti or even fettuccini, as you prefer
• Shallots
• Garlic
• Dry white wine such as sauvignon blanc or chardonnay
• Chicken broth
• Lemon juice
• Parsley
• Crushed red pepper

As this ingredient list shows, this chicken scampi recipe is packed full of flavor. One thing I think that often gets overlooked is the role of fresh parsley.

It’s such a mild herb it’s often seen as skippable. But I think it’s incredibly underrated. I first noticed it when I happened to have some parsley from my garden and made gluten-free shrimp scampi. When I added the parsley to the sauce, I realized that that was the ingredient that really made scampi taste like scampi.

How to Make Chicken Scampi

It’s going to look like a lot of steps, but don’t worry, this recipe keeps things simple!

Note: While you’re preparing the scampi, prepare your angel hair spaghetti al dente, drain, and reserve one-half cup of pasta water for later. 

1. Cut chicken breast into half-inch thick strips
2. In a small bowl, combine flour, salt, and pepper
3. Dredge chicken in flour to coat all sides, shake off excess flour, and set aside
4. In a large skillet, heat one tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat
5. When hot, add sliced bell peppers and onions, and saute until vegetables are soft – about 5 minutes
   
6. Remove vegetables from pan, and set aside
7. Add a second tablespoon of oil to the skillet and turn the heat down to medium
8. Arrange flour-coated chicken in a skillet, and cook on one side for 4-5 minutes, until golden brown and chicken loosens easily from pan with lifted
9. Flip, and cook on the second side, until chicken is done through
   

   

10. Remove chicken from the pan, and add a tablespoon of butter
11. When butter is melted, add diced shallot, and sauté about 2 minutes until softened
12. Add garlic, and sauté, stirring, afor nother 30 seconds
13. Add chicken broth, lemon juice, and red pepper flakes to skillet, and bring to a simmer, stirring to scrape and deglaze the bottom of the pan
14. Add white wine, and bring to a simmer
    
15. Turn the heat off, and add cooked pasta, parsley, and optionally, 1/2 cup of pasta water
16. Toss pasta and parsley with sauce to evenly coat. Pasta will absorb much of the sauce
17. Stir in the peppers and onions you set aside earlier, then add chicken and serve

What to do with leftovers:

If you have leftovers, let them cool completely, and then store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

The leftovers will have excellent flavor as the pasta absorbs the seasonings but can become dry as it also absorbs the moisture in the sauce.

So, to reheat, add some extra chicken broth and/or white wine to the bottom of a skillet or saucepan with a lid. Put your leftover scampi in the skillet, cover, and heat over low-medium, heat, stirring occasionally until hot.

Or to reheat in the microwave, add a little chicken broth and white wine (or water) to the bowl and heat for 20 seconds at a time until hot. Toss pasta with the added liquid when hot.

Other recipes you’ll enjoy:

• Coconut Lime Skillet Chicken
• Baked lemon-garlic chicken thighs
• How to can chicken soup

• Easy Skillet Pepperoncini Chicken

• Gluten Free Egg Noodles

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