Perfect Steak and Shrimp Scampi
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Cozy up at home for your next date night and enjoy this impressive Steak and Shrimp Scampi! Perfectly seared strip steak is topped with juicy shrimp and covered in a buttery garlic scampi sauce for a restaurant quality dish you can make at home in less than 45 minutes.
This post was developed in partnership with the Ohio Beef Council. As always, all opinions are my own.
Date Night Steak and Shrimp Scampi
Table of Contents
My husband and I love going out to eat, but we almost never order steak at a restaurant anymore.
We learned a long time ago that we can make a fantastic, restaurant quality steak at home for half the price (and with very little effort!).
Learning how to cook a great steak at home not only saves you money, but it also saves you from scrambling for a last minute Valentine’s Day reservation. And what partner or date wouldn’t be impressed with a platter like this set before them?
Today, we’re sharing not only a great cast iron strip steak recipe, but also a perfect shrimp scampi to go on top! Our riff on classic surf and turf combines a simple steak and shrimp meal with a buttery garlic and white wine scampi sauce.
The bright lemon in the sauce cuts right through the richness of the steak, making this meal feel fresh, herby, and indulgent all at the same time.
We loved serving this Steak and Shrimp Scampi over pasta, but for folks who love dragging a cheesy biscuit through a bowl of leftover scampi sauce at Red Lobster, you’ll want to try these Copy Cat Cheddar Bay Biscuits.
For veggie sides, we recommend Air Fryer Asparagus with Breadcrumbs, Roasted Broccoli and Cauliflower, or Garlic Green Beans.
Key Ingredients
Neutral cooking oil– Choose a neutral oil with a high smoke point to sear the steaks. Avocado oil, canola oil, and vegetable oil are all suitable options.
Steak– We used New York Strip Steaks, sliced about 1 inch thick for this recipe. You can use any steak you like here. Filet mignon would be fabulous, as would a rich and marbled ribeye steak. For a budget friendly option, use sirloin steak. Learn more about the difference between choice vs. prime grades of beef here.
Butter and olive oil– We use a mixture of butter and olive oil to fry the shrimps for the best flavor that is rich but not too heavy.
Garlic– We want enough to make your breath atrocious for the rest of the day. Use at least 4 large cloves of fresh garlic. (We often use pre-minced, but I highly recommend fresh for this recipe!)
Dry white wine– A dry, not too sweet Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc is a great choice.
Crushed red pepper– Give your scampi just a hint of heat with a couple pinches of red pepper flakes.
Extra large peeled raw shrimp– You can buy shrimp with the tails on or off. We have used both frozen and fresh shrimp, just be sure to thaw frozen shrimp before making the recipe.
Parsley– Lots of herby green parsley brings vibrant color and fresh flavor.
Lemon– Finish the dish with a squeeze (or several) of fresh lemon juice. We also like to serve the steak and shrimp scampi with extra lemon wedges on the side.
Pasta– Serve the dish over the pasta of your choice. Pictured here is bucatini, but this would also be fabulous with spaghetti, linguine, or even angel hair pasta.
How to Make Steak with Shrimp Scampi
Step 1: Season the steaks. Remove steaks from the fridge. Sprinkle both sides evenly with Kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper. Let sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes.
Step 2: Sear the steaks. Heat oil in a large cast iron skillet over high heat. When the oil is shimmering, add steaks. Sear for 3-4 minutes or until a browned crust has formed. Flip, and sear another 2-3 minutes. Remove to a plate and tent with foil.
Step 3: Make the scampi sauce. Add butter and olive oil to the skillet. Add garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add wine, salt, red pepper flakes, lemon zest, and black pepper and bring to a simmer. Cook about 2 minutes, or until wine is reduced by half.
Step 4: Add shrimp. Add shrimp and sauté about 1 minute, flip, and cook another 1-2 minutes until pink.
Step 5: Top and serve. Remove from heat, stir in the parsley and lemon juice, and serve over steak and pasta.
Expert Tips for the Perfect Steak and Shrimp
- We always recommend seasoning steak in advance and allowing it to sit at room temperature for anywhere from 20-40 minutes. This allows the salt to melt into and infuse the steak with flavor, and allows for quick and even cooking.
- Use a cast iron skillet to make a great seared steak indoors. Check out our Cast Iron Ribeye with Mushrooms for another option! If you don’t have a cast iron skillet, choose another sturdy pan, preferably one that’s not non-stick.
- Use a meat thermometer to cook your steak to the perfect doneness every time! We prefer our steak medium rare to medium or a temperature between 135 and 140 degrees, with a 10 minute rest. Take the temperature by inserting the thermometer horizontally into the thickest part of the steak.
- Shrimp doesn’t take long to cook at all! You only need 3-4 minutes to cook large raw shrimp, so keep a close eye, and remove it from heat as soon as the shrimp is pink and opaque.
- We prefer to use raw shrimp over pre-cooked for this recipe.
- Wondering what wine to pair with your meal? You can, of course, finish off the bottle of dry white wine you used for the scampi, but what if your sweetie prefers a red? Check out this handy pairing guide from the Ohio Beef Council to find your perfect match.
Timing Your Meal: Your Guide to Getting Everything Hot at the Same Time
There is nothing that irks me more than watching a steak get cold while I’m waiting for the rest of the meal to finish, particularly if it’s for a special occasion. Here’s the trick to getting the pasta, steak and shrimp scampi all done at the same time!
- Remove the steak from the fridge first. Let sit at room temperature for 20 minutes. During this time, you can prep the rest of your ingredients.
- Bring the pasta water to boil when you start searing the steak.
- Add pasta to the boiling water when you take the steak off to tent.
- Make the shrimp and scampi sauce while the steak rests and the pasta cooks.
- The shrimps will be done around the exact same time as the pasta finishes. Plate everything together for a piping hot, delicious meal!
Storage and Reheating
- Stove leftover steak and shrimp in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- There’s certainly nothing wrong with eating leftover steak straight from the fridge, but if you prefer it hot, reheat in a hot skillet with a little oil until warmed through.
- Leftover pasta can be reheated in the microwave.
More Date Night Dinners
Looking for more excuses to stay home and treat yourself? Here are a few more of our favorite recipes for date night in!
- Slow Cooker Steak Bites
- Steak Gorgonzola Pasta
- Steak and Scallops (Surf and Turf Recipe)
- Creamy Sun Dried Tomato Chicken Pasta
- Creamy Shrimp Pappardelle
- Giant Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs
- Seafood Mac and Cheese
For even more beef recipes, nutrition facts, and cooking tips visit www.OhioBeef.org, and follow the Ohio Beef Council on Facebook and Instagram. Use #OhioBeef to share photos of your favorite beef recipes!
Steak and Shrimp Scampi
Ingredients
- 16 oz strip steak (cut in half)
- Kosher salt and cracked pepper
- Neutral oil (to coat)
- 8 ounces bucatini
- 2 Tablespoons butter
- 2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 4 garlic cloves (minced)
- ½ cup dry white wine or chicken broth
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- Generous pinch crushed red pepper
- Zest of ½ lemon
- Fresh cracked pepper
- 1 pound large raw peeled shrimp
- ¼ cup chopped parsley
- Freshly squeezed juice of half a lemon (plus more for serving)
Instructions
- 20-30 minutes before you’re ready to start cooking, remove the steaks from the fridge. Sprinkle both sides evenly with Kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper. Rest at room temperature.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
- Heat the neutral oil in a large cast iron skillet over high heat. When the oil is shimmering, add the steaks. Sear for 3-4 minutes or until a browned crust has formed. Flip, and sear another 2-3 minutes. Remove to a plate and tent with foil.
- Add the pasta to the boiling water. Set a timer according to the al dente instructions on the box.
- Eeturn the same cast iron skillet to the stove over medium heat. Melt butter and olive oil. Add garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add wine or broth, salt, red pepper flakes, lemon zest, and plenty of black pepper and bring to a simmer. Cook for about 2 minutes, or until wine is reduced by half.
- Add shrimp and sauté about 1 minute, flip, and cook another 1-2 minutes until pink. Remove from heat, then stir in the parsley and lemon juice.
- Drain the pasta, then plate it with the steak and shrimp on top. Drizzle extra scampi sauce over the steak and pasta. Serve with fresh lemon wedges.
Notes
- The strip steak could be substituted with a filet mignon, ribeye, or even sirloin, for a more budget friendly option.
- If using frozen shrimp, be sure to thaw it before proceeding with the recipe.
- Substitute the bucatini for spaghetti or linguine if you prefer.
- Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 5 days.
