Home > Main Course > Chicken Scampi Pasta Recipe (VIDEO)

Chicken Scampi Pasta has a garlic butter sauce that is light, vibrant, and so satisfying. It was inspired by our Shrimp Scampi Pasta and the family licked their plates clean with this one.

My kids loved the lemon flavor and went back for refills, and so did my husband. It’s the best feeling when the whole family is so pleased with dinner.

Chicken Scampi served over pasta in a bowl

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We love chicken pasta recipes from Chicken Alfredo to Lemon Chicken Pasta and let’s not forget Chicken Tetrazzini. If you are a pasta lover, this Chicken Scampi Pasta is a must-try.

Chicken Scampi Video Tutorial

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What makes a dish scampi?

In the US, most people think of Scampi as being the Italian-American concept of Shrimp Scampi, but scampi by itself is a dish that is served in a sauce made of butter, garlic, and dry white wine. You can make all kinds of scampi including lobster, scallops, and chicken scampi.

Chicken cooked scampi style in a skillet

Ingredients for Chicken Scampi

  • Pasta – use 12 oz spaghetti and salt the water
  • Chicken Tenders – the easiest and most forgiving chicken to work with
  • Salt, Pepper, Flour – to dredge the chicken
  • Olive Oil, Butter– to cook the chicken and make sauce (do not skimp on the butter)
  • White Wine – use a dry wine such as chardonnay or sauvignon blanc
  • Garlic – 4 cloves, or 1 Tbsp minced garlic
  • Lemon – you’ll need 1 tsp of zest and 1/4 cup lemon juice from 1 large or 2 medium lemons
  • Parsley – finely chopped and added at the end
Ingredients for chicken scampi with chicken tenders, pasta, lemon, parsley, garlic and white wine

How to Make Chicken Scampi

  • Prep – before firing up the stove, chop, zest and juice your ingredients. Season chicken tenders and dip in flour, dusting off the excess.
  • Cook Pasta in salted water until al dente, reserve 1/2 cup pasta water then drain and tranfer to a serving platter.
  • Saute Chicken – while pasta is cooking, sautee chicken in butter and oil for 2 minutes per side (or until 165˚F on a thermometer) then transfer to a plate.
How to make chicken scampi step by step photos
  • Make Sauce – Deglaze the pan with 3/4 cup white wine and cook 5 minutes to reduce down to 1/4 cup liquid. Add butter then garlic and simmer 30 seconds. Off the heat add lemon juice, zest, parsley and salt to taste.
  • Combine – return chicken to the pan and turn to coat in sauce. Spoon extra sauce over the pasta and toss. Top the pasta with chicken and any remaining sauce.
How to make scampi sauce and pasta

Pro Tip: Use some of your reserved pasta water to deglaze the empty pan then drizzle that over your pasta to get all of the tasty sauce in your dish.

Common Questions

Can I use chicken breast?

You can substitute with boneless, skinless chicken breasts that have been trimmed of fat and cut into strips (1-inch thick).

How to reheat pasta?

You can reheat leftover pasta and chicken over low heat on a skillet just until warmed through. If the pasta seems dry, you can drizzle with water and a little more butter. For a boost of flavor, squeeze in fresh lemon juice and serve with freshly chopped parsley and grated parmesan cheese.

Can I use cooking wine?

You can use an inexpensive dry white wine, but I highly recommend only cooking with a wine that you’d drink. Avoid using “cooking wine,” which contains preservatives, sweeteners, and salt that can ruin a dish.

Can I substitute the pasta?

You can make the chicken scampi with sauce and serve it over Mashed Potatoes or White Rice. It’s also yummy on cooked buckwheat.

Up close tender pieces of chicken scampi served over a bed of pasta

Serve with

Chicken scampi pasta is such a hearty and satisfying dinner. All it needs is a simple veggie side dish or salad to complete the meal. We love to serve pasta with:

Chicken Scampi main course served over spaghetti

Make Chicken Scampi for your next pasta night. It comes together fast and everyone loves this easy 30-minute meal.

More Pasta Dinners

If you enjoyed this Chicken Scampi Pasta, you will love these comforting and family-approved pasta recipes:

Chicken Scampi Pasta Recipe

4.97 from 236 votes
Author: Natasha Kravchuk
Chicken Scampi served over spaghetti
Chicken Scampi Pasta has a lemon butter sauce that is light, vibrant, and so satisfying. We served this with roasted asparagus which complimented this dish perfectly.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients 

Servings: 6 people
  • 12 oz spaghetti
  • 1 1/2 lbs chicken tenders
  • 1 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil, divided
  • 6 Tbsp unsalted butter, divided
  • 3/4 cup dry white wine, chardonnay or sauvignon blanc
  • 4 garlic cloves, (1 Tbsp minced)
  • 1 tsp lemon zest, from 1 lemon
  • 1/4 cup lemon juice, from 2 lemons
  • 1/3 cup parsley, finely chopped
  • Parmesan, freshly shredded to serve

Instructions

  • Prep: chop, zest, juice, and mince all of your ingredients before you start cooking. Season chicken tenders with salt and pepper then dredge in flour.
  • Cook pasta: Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add 2 Tbsp salt. Cook pasta according to package instructions until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta cooking water then drain the pasta and return pasta to the pot. Partially cover to keep warm.
  • Sautee chicken: While pasta is cooking, cook the chicken. Heat a large skillet over medium/high heat. Add 1 Tbsp oil and swirl in 1 Tbsp butter. Sauté chicken 2 minutes per side or until golden and cooked through to 165˚F on a thermometer. Remove to a plate. Add another Tbsp of oil and 1 Tbsp butter and sauté the second batch of chicken then transfer to a plate and cover to keep warm.
  • Make sauce: Carefully add 3/4 cup white wine. Return to medium/high heat and scrape the bottom of the pan to deglaze. Cook about 5 minutes or until reduced to about 1/4 cup liquid. Add 4 Tbsp butter and stir to melt. Add garlic and simmer 30 seconds until fragrant. Remove from heat and add 1/4 cup lemon juice, 1 tsp lemon zest, and 1/4 cup parsley. Stir to combine and season with 1/2 tsp salt or to taste.
  • Combine: Return chicken to the pan and turn to coat in sauce. Transfer drained pasta to a large serving bowl then tilt the pan and spoon extra sauce over cooked spaghetti. Toss spaghetti lightly with sauce then top with chicken and drizzle remaining sauce over the pasta*. Serve garnished with more parsley and freshly shredded parmesan.

Notes

Pro Tip: For a saucier pasta, deglaze your pan with some of the reserved pasta water then drizzle over the pasta to get all of the pan flavorings in your dish.

Nutrition Per Serving

551kcal Calories53g Carbs33g Protein20g Fat9g Saturated Fat2g Polyunsaturated Fat7g Monounsaturated Fat1g Trans Fat103mg Cholesterol722mg Sodium622mg Potassium2g Fiber2g Sugar667IU Vitamin A11mg Vitamin C36mg Calcium2mg Iron
Nutrition Facts
Chicken Scampi Pasta Recipe
Amount per Serving
Calories
551
% Daily Value*
Fat
 
20
g
31
%
Saturated Fat
 
9
g
56
%
Trans Fat
 
1
g
Polyunsaturated Fat
 
2
g
Monounsaturated Fat
 
7
g
Cholesterol
 
103
mg
34
%
Sodium
 
722
mg
31
%
Potassium
 
622
mg
18
%
Carbohydrates
 
53
g
18
%
Fiber
 
2
g
8
%
Sugar
 
2
g
2
%
Protein
 
33
g
66
%
Vitamin A
 
667
IU
13
%
Vitamin C
 
11
mg
13
%
Calcium
 
36
mg
4
%
Iron
 
2
mg
11
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: chicken scampi, chicken scampi pasta
Skill Level: Easy
Cost to Make: $$
Calories: 551
Natasha's Kitchen Cookbook

Natasha Kravchuk

Welcome to my kitchen! I am Natasha, the creator behind Natasha's Kitchen (established in 2009), and I share family-friendly, authentic recipes. I am a New York Times Best-Selling cookbook author and a trusted video personality in the culinary world. My husband, Vadim, and I run this blog together, ensuring every recipe we share is thoroughly tested and approved. Our mission is to provide you with delicious, reliable recipes you can count on. Thanks for stopping by! I am so happy you are here.

Read more posts by Natasha

4.97 from 236 votes (166 ratings without comment)

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Recipe Rating




Comments

  • Jenuineme
    November 23, 2024

    Last night for three of my buddies and we all just loved this dish and it’s not that hard to make at all. Thank you for the recipe.

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      November 23, 2024

      I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us!

      Reply

  • Geri
    October 6, 2024

    Hi Natasha,
    Can I use cooking white wine and get as good results as using white wine?

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      October 7, 2024

      You can use an inexpensive dry white wine, but I highly recommend only cooking with a wine that you’d drink. Avoid using “cooking wine,” which contains preservatives, sweeteners, and salt that can ruin a dish.

      Reply

  • Tammi Albert
    September 10, 2024

    Is there any way to make this dish without the wine? Any substitutes? We are a dry house hold with zero alcohol or wine!

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      September 10, 2024

      Hi Tammi! You can use broth in its place but it won’t have the classic scampi taste from the wine which is a star ingredient in this dish.
      If you’re concerned about alcohol, most of it cooks off during the process leaving behind its flavor.

      Reply

  • Liz Richetti
    July 30, 2024

    I added some sun dried tomatoes and capers to the sauce and poured it all over the pasta and laid the chicken on top. Very tasty

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      July 30, 2024

      I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for the wonderful review, Liz!

      Reply

  • Maribel Rodriguez
    July 17, 2024

    Love it! The only thing I did different was coat the chicken in zesty Italian salad dressing recipe mix before coating in flour. The entire family loved it!!

    Reply

  • Karen Ridgeway
    July 16, 2024

    My favorite dish!
    We doubled the recipe for our crew of five.
    Added chopped fresh spinach and sliced grape tomatoes and 2 heads of garlic because we are keeping the vampires away and love garlic lol

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      July 16, 2024

      I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Karen!

      Reply

  • Gail
    June 12, 2024

    I don’t think I’ve ever made such a delicious pasta! The garlic, butter, wine and parsley work together to make a wonderful, rich, flavourful sauce that soaks into the chicken and pasta. I couldn’t find chicken tenders, so used sliced chicken breasts and they worked great.

    Reply

  • Sara
    May 25, 2024

    Hi,
    In chicken scampi recipe,Is there any substitute of white wine?

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      May 25, 2024

      Hi Sara, You can use broth in its place. It won’t have the same flavor but it will work. If you’re concerned about the alcohol content, we don’t drink wine either but use it to cook. Most of the alcohol burns off during the cooking process leaving behind the flavor.

      Reply

  • Pam
    May 17, 2024

    This looks delicious.what are your thoughts about using zoodles instead of pasta?

    Reply

    • Natasha
      May 18, 2024

      HI Pam, I haven’t tried that but it does sound like a delicious and healthy option! Let me know if you give it a try!

      Reply

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