This recipe takes shrimp scampi to a whole other level but swapping out the shrimp and subbing in deliciously fried chicken cutlets in a garlic butter sauce (scampi sauce) with fresh lemon juice. When I say it's amazing, it really is.
Some of the best recipes come from old family recipe boxes, and this one is no exception. I have made this easy chicken scampi recipe so many times I lost count, with variations along the way.
With all of my trials and tweaks to my mom's (and grandma's) recipe, I've developed the most DELICIOUS chicken scampi recipe and you're going to absolutely love it.
Recipe at a Glance:
- Cook Level: This recipe is super simple, easy, approachable, and great for anyone to make. No culinary school required.
- Taste: Crispy, juicy chicken cutlets atop a bed of scampi sauce soaked pasta. Buttery, tender, and insanely flavorful.
- Cooking Time: From start to finish, this recipe will take you all of 30-40 minutes to make and have on the table.
- Best For: I always serve this as a dinner, especially for special occasions like a birthday, an anniversary, or for a dinner party.
- Pairing Ideas: One of my favorite ways to make this a complete meal this is with garlic bread, a fresh salad or a caesar salad, and for dessert, a classic Tiramisu or brown butter chocolate chip cookies.
Where does "scampi" come from?
There are a few variations of this, but traditionally, scampi actually refers to a smaller Prawn or langoustine, however, the scampi sauce refers to an Italian sauce comprised of garlic, butter, lemon, and white wine.
In my recipe, I have tried using cooking wine, dry white wine, and have also omitted it entirely. The choice is up to you to use wine or not, but read below about why it's important to use regular white drinking wine versus cooking wine. You can also learn more about scampi here.
Jump to:
Tips, Tricks, and Key Reminders
- Watch the chicken as it cooks in the frying pan. The breaded chicken breast will cook quick, so be sure to keep an eye out for it getting golden brown on the sides, then flip for an additional 1-2 minutes.
- In previous tests, I've diced the chicken breast ahead of time, and dipped the chicken into the egg and then into the breadcrumbs and fried each individual piece. It's a lot of work to prep, time consuming, and can get very messy very fast. I recommend making classic chicken cutlets (like my infamous recipe), and then dicing it up to throw into the scampi sauce and pasta.
- Don't forget to season the chicken before breading. A little salt and pepper help to bring out the flavor of the chicken and also give more juiciness to the chicken as it fries.
- If you have one, fry in a cast iron skillet. Cast iron skillets tend to heat more evenly than a regular large skillet. Either works fine, and I've done both, but the cast iron really makes a difference.
- Scrape all of those delicious browned bits from the bottom of the skillet when making the scampi sauce. It adds way more flavor and gives a little brown pop of color to the sauce.
Important Ingredients
- Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts: Thinly sliced chicken breasts are a lot easier than filleting a chicken breast yourself. if you can buy pre-sliced and thinly sliced chicken breasts, that's the way to go. This will give you that juicy, crispy, tender chicken you're aiming for.
- Eggs: A few eggs are used to add to the dredge for the chicken cutlets. My rule of thumb is one egg for every two chicken breasts, so if you do six chicken breasts, I suggest using three eggs.
- Bread Crumbs: You could also swap for panko breadcrumbs if you are gluten free, but I would recommend buying pre-seasoned breadcrumbs and use enough to fully cover and coat the chicken.
- Pasta: Of course, your choice of shaped pastas is entirely to you, but I always prefer to use a long noodle for scampi sauce like a bucatini, linguini, spaghetti, or even a fusilli lunghi bucati or malfadini.
- Garlic: Garlic cloves are super important in the scampi sauce as it's one of the main ingredients in building the sauce. You can either mince, slice or finely dice the garlic.
- Butter: I love butter, and so does this recipe. I've tried using less than a stick of butter for this in the past, but you really do need the entire stick. The sauce will get absorbed by the pasta and the chicken, so you want to make sure that delicious sauce is plentiful.
- Lemon: I add in a squeeze of a half of a larger lemon, and then throw in a few slices into the sauce as it simmers. Top the entire dish off with an additional squeeze for more acidity.
Be sure to read the recipe card below for the full recipe, breakdown of ingredients and measurements, and important notes to make this dish perfect.
Making the Chicken Scampi
Bread the Chicken
Pat dry the chicken breast, then season with salt and black pepper. Create an assembly line of egg mixture, breadcrumbs.
Dip the chicken into the egg then directly into the breadcrumbs, coating all sides. Repeat until all the chicken has been breaded.
Fry the Chicken Cutlets
In a large cast iron pan or large skillet, heat the olive oil on a medium heat. Add 2-3 chicken cutlets at a time to the pan. Cook the chicken for 2-3 minutes per side or until the sides get golden brown.
Place the cooked chicken on a plate with paper towels or a cooling rack to absorb any extra oil. Repeat until all the chicken has been cooked.
Make the Sauce
In the same pan, melt the butter and the garlic and lemon slices.
Add the Pasta
Bring a large pot of water to a boil, then cook the pasta to al dente. Strain, then add the cooked pasta directly to the scampi sauce, then toss to combine.
Top with Chicken
Last, place whole or sliced chicken strips on top of the pasta, then toss to combine with the pasta and the sauce.
Sprinkle fresh parmesan cheese, fresh chopped basil or fresh parsley, and serve.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I really need to use wine?
No, the white wine does not need to be added and is not a necessary ingredient. If you are going to add wine, you can use a pinot grigio or sauvignon blanc. Pour yourself a glass to go along with it, if you'd like!
Can I use zoodles instead of regular pasta?
Absolutely feel free to use zoodles instead of pasta if you are looking to cut carbs. The zucchini will likely get a little watery but you can pat dry then zoodles before adding to the sauce.
What do I do about storing and saving leftovers?
You can add any leftover chicken scampi to an airtight container and place in the fridge for 4 days. If you want to freeze, add the remainder to a freezer-friendly container and place in the freezer for up to one month.
Do I have to use pasta? What else could I make with this chicken pasta dish?
You can easily make garlic mashed potatoes, roasted rainbow potatoes, sautéed green beans, or you can make the chicken scampi with the scampi sauce and throw it all over rice.
Hungry for More?
You're going to absolutely love these other pasta and chicken-forward recipes!
Did you love this recipe? ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ If you're just as in love with this recipe as I am, please share a comment below and rate it! Better yet, share this recipe with family and friends!! Thank you!
Easy Chicken Scampi with Pasta Recipe (NO Wine!)
Equipment
- cast iron skillet or frying pan
- tongs
- plates
- paper towels
- large pot
Ingredients
- 6 large Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts thinly sliced
- 1 cup Bread Crumbs
- 3 large Eggs whisked
- ½ cup Olive Oil for frying chicken
- 4 cloves Garlic thinly sliced
- 1 stick Butter 8 tbsp
- 2 tablespoon Lemon juice Squeeze of half a lemon
- 1 whole Lemon sliced
Instructions
- Pat dry the chicken breast, then season with salt and black pepper. Create an assembly line of egg mixture, breadcrumbs. Dip the chicken into the egg then directly into the breadcrumbs, coating all sides. Repeat until all the chicken has been breaded.
- In a large cast iron pan or large skillet, heat the olive oil on a medium heat. Add 2-3 chicken cutlets at a time to the pan. Cook the chicken for 2-3 minutes per side or until the sides get golden brown. Place the cooked chicken on a plate with paper towels or a cooling rack to absorb any extra oil. Repeat until all the chicken has been cooked.
- In the same pan, melt the butter and the garlic and lemon slices.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil, then cook the pasta to al dente. Strain, then add the pasta directly to the scampi sauce. Toss to combine and coat the pasta evenly.
- Last, place whole or sliced chicken on top of the pasta, then toss to combine with the pasta and the sauce. Sprinkle fresh parmesan cheese, fresh chopped basil or fresh parsley, and serve.
Jason says
Just perfect. It was a great recipe to make for my wife for our anniversary. She and I both devoured it. Cannot wait to make this again as a tradition, thank you!
david franke says
I don't have enough words to describe how good this is. I made this for my mom for her birthday, and we all really loved it. It's so special it is your mom's recipe too. I will be making this again and again!
Arleen says
I absolutely loved this recipe . It was so flavorful and the chicken just absorbed all of that lemon and garlic it was to die for. Will make this again for my in laws when they visit this week. Thanks for the recipe !