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.
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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.
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
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.
- 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.
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
You can substitute with boneless, skinless chicken breasts that have been trimmed of fat and cut into strips (1-inch thick).
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.
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.
You can make the chicken scampi with sauce and serve it over Mashed Potatoes or White Rice. It’s also yummy on cooked buckwheat.
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:
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 Lasagna
- Baked Feta Pasta
- Stuffed Pasta Shells
- Baked Ziti
- Spaghetti and Meatballs
- Creamy Shrimp pasta
Chicken Scampi Pasta Recipe
Ingredients
- 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
Nutrition Per Serving
Filed Under
I fixed Chicken Scampi tonight. A great dish that was easy to prepare and serve. I definitely will make it again. It was delicious.
So glad you loved it, Cindy!
Hi Natasha,
I love this recipe, I follow what you do exactly:) I’m only missing one thing when I make this: I sure would like to get the pasta bowl you use in this recipe:) Can you tell me where to purchase one like you have?? Love You and all these Wonderful Recipes-Your Kids too!!!!
Great to hear that, Melinda. You can find the kitchen tools that I use here on my my Amazon Affiliate Shop.
It was indescribably delicious! I made the recipe just as written and it turned out great. I would not change a thing. The sauce is superb! Thank you!
I’m so glad you loved it, Barbara! Thank you for the wonderful feedback.
This was just delicious, Natasha. We really enjoyed it and look forward to the leftovers. Thanks so much.
You’re so welcome! Glad that you loved it, I hope you’ll enjoy all of the recipes that you will try.
I made this last week, and will again tonight. Hubby turned up his nose at first, but after he ate it all, said, I have to admit, that was pretty good. That’s high praise from him!! I have used many of your recipes, all have been winners!!
That’s wonderful, Sandy! Thank you for sharing.
Outstanding! BTW, boneless skinless chicken thigh, cut into bite-sized pieces, works great as well. I also increased the garlic by about 50% (because of course I did!) and it did not unbalance the dish. Definitely a keeper.
Sounds great, we’re glad that you loved our Chicken Scampi Pasta Recipe!
I made this to tonight and I have to say it was delicious. So easy to do.
Hi Rae! That’s wonderful! I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe.
Sounds delicious and I’m anxious to try the recipe. When do you add the reserved pasta water?
Hi Cindy! See the note at the bottom of the recipe card.
Love your recipes but I cannot have any alcohol in my food
What’s a substitute for the wine??
Dietary restrictions!
Many thanks
Sarah
Hello Sarah, one of our reades shared this comment “I usually use dry vermouth in place of wine in my cooking. We don’t drink wine and the vermouth keeps well after it’s been opened. It seems to work well for us.” I hope that helps.
THanks for replying but I cannot have any alcohol at all so I’m thinking apple cider vinegar??? Or maybe just broth or plain water
I have not tried this with vinegar to advise. You could use broth in its place. It won’t quite taste the same since it’s missing the unique flavor from the wine, but it will still be great. Also, if you are concerned about the alcohol content, most of it cooks off during the cooking process leaving behind its flavor.
Hi! I’ve made this recipe many times and I always replace the wine with chicken broth or stock. It’s delicious.
This was absolutely delicious!!!! Pretty easy to make also.Followed recipe as written, except I didn’t have was parsley and lemon zest.
Hubby says it’s a “Keeper” I will be making this often.
Thank you for a great dinner.
You’re welcome, Vel! I’m happy you and your husband enjoyed the recipe.
I usually use dry vermouth in place of wine in my cooking. We don’t drink wine and the vermouth keeps well after it’s been opened. It seems to work well for us.
Thank you for sharing. Nancy!
I love all of your recipes, especially the chicken ones, would love a Chicken Lasagne recipe all the ones I’ve tried are so bland thx Sue
Thanks Sue, so glad that you’re loving them. This is my Chicken Lasagna recipe. I hope you’ll love it too!
I love ALL your recipes and definitely want to try this one! I enjoy following your blog and can’t wait to get my copy (already ordered) of your cookbook!
Hi Donna! Thank you for ordering my cookbook. That means so much to me. I’m glad you are enjoying the recipes.
This was supper tonight and it was delicious. What made it even better was how easy it was and how it doesn’t call for a bunch of ingredients you have to go shopping for. Will be making it again for sure.
Hi Kim! Thank you for trying the recipe. I’m so glad you found one that you love.
Hi
My husband is an alcoholic. What can I replace the wine with
You can use broth in its place but it won’t quite taste the same. When you are using wine, most of the alcohol cooks out and leave the flavor.
I must say that I always substitute any alcohol for either chicken stock, beef stock or vegetable stock according to what I’m cooking and I’ve always been satisfied with the substitute.
Sounds great, Shirley! 🙂
This was SO amazing! My family devoured it! I thought the lemon was spot on, not overpowering, and I did not have wine so replaced it with chicken broth. The sauce came out creamy garlicky lemony perfect! Also, I used thin chicken cutlets, and would again, just perfect! Oh, and angel hair pasta. Winner winner chicken dinner! Ty!!
Perfect! Thank you for your good comments and review of this recipe. We’re so glad that you loved it!
Can you please tell how to make extra sauce. I like alot of sauce.
Hi BL, You’re welcome to add more sauce/ double the sauce ingredients. I’d love to know how it works out if you experiment!
I made this wonderful recipe last night, So simple and oh so yummy. Your recipes are so good. The family raved about how delicious it was. Served with your roasted asparagus and garlic bread, keep those great recipes coming. I have not been disappointed with any of your recipes, thank you!!!!
That’s wonderful, David! I’m so glad you loved the recipe. Thank you for sharing.
First I love your Recipes and YouTube Videos! You make cooking fun and funny! I’ve been making Shrimp Scampi for years and would never have thought of Chicken Scampi! This recipe is delicious! Will definitely make again! Thank you!
Hi Cheryl! You’re very welcome. I’m so glad you love the recipe. 🙂
Another wonderful recipe, made this last night. Yum.I have a question, when i change number of servings the ingrediants change,but the instruction amounts doesn’t. No big deal , am i doing something wrong. Just curious. Thank you for all your great recipes.
Hi Dave! Thank you, I’m glad you’re loving it. Only the ingredient list changes, unfortunately there is not a feature to change the instruction section at this time. 🙂