Jacked-Up Chicken Scampi
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
This Jacked-Up Chicken Scampi with Linguine is my fresh take on a classic Italian dish. This chicken scampi bursts with mouth-watering flavors like bright lemon, perfectly al dente linguine and cooked down tomatoes.
I wanted to take the time and share with you another one of my many favorite recipes from my cookbook. This jacked-up chicken scampi is my version of the famous Italian dish, one that is traditionally made with shrimp. But I chose to make this with chicken instead to give you guys a more affordable option. Of course, the great thing about this dish is that you make it all in one pot and under 30 minutes, pasta and all.
What Is Scampi?
Usually made with either shrimp or lobster, scampi is considered a delicacy. It doesn’t have just one country where it’s commonly eaten, rather it’s enjoyed through out the Mediterranean all the way to Norway and Iceland. It’s served over top of pasta, typically something twirl-able and slurp-able.
I love sharing dishes from my book with you all and this one is one that is near and dear to my heart because it’s packed full of flavor and is deeply satisfying while simultaneously being nice and light. So let’s get into the world beloved scampi!
Do I Have To Use Linguine?
You don’t have to only use linguine if you have something else lying around the cupboard that you’d like to use up. You can use any long noodle, like fettuccine, bucatini, spaghetti, angel hair, etc. But if you really feel like going out there with it, try using some shaped pastas, either way the end result will be spectacularly delicious.
Ingredients
- Butter – Unsalted butter is preferred today to control the sodium content of our dish.
- Chicken – Breast boneless and skinless cubed into bite sized pieces.
- Onion – We want something that cooks down well like white or yellow.
- Garlic – Use as much or little as you like.
- Spices –Dried oregano and red pepper flakes are going to give us flavor and heat to our dish.
- Liquids – White wine (something like sauvignon blanc or pinot grigio), low sodium chicken stock, and fresh lemon juice.
- Hot sauce – Any kind you prefer to add some heat and dimension to this dish. If you’re not a fan of heat feel free to omit this ingredient.
- Linguine – Keep your pasta uncooked as we are going to cook it in our sauce and allow it to absorb all that great flavor.
- Tomatoes – Cherry tomatoes to cook down beautifully and become little flavor bombs in our dish.
- Garnish – Fresh chopped parsley and freshly grated Parmesan to be sprinkled liberally over top.
How To Cook Chicken Scampi
- Brown the chicken: Melt the butter in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook until no longer pink, about 5 minutes.
- Saute the sauteables: Add the onion, garlic, oregano and red pepper flakes to the pot and cook for 5 more minutes, or until the onion begins to soften and becomes translucent.
- Create the sauce: Add the wine, chicken stock, hot sauce, lemon juice and linguine. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 8 minutes, or until the linguine is al dente. If you feel that more liquid is necessary, add 1/2 cup of chicken broth at a time until the pasta is cooked to your preference.
- Finish the dish: Stir in the tomatoes and garnish with parsley and Parmesan cheese.
How to Serve
This dish is deeply satisfying and delicious all on its own or so I like to believe. But if you’d like to turn this into a complete meal here’s some beautiful accompaniments! I prefer to pair it with a salad so here’s some delicious ones I recommend giving a spin.
- Kale And Quinoa Salad With Lemon Vinaigrette
- Warm Kale Salad With Roasted Butternut Squash
- Summer Salad With Herbed Ricotta And Balsamic Vinaigrette
- Tabbouleh Salad
- Mushroom Arugula Warm Salad
Sensitive To Spice?
This is relatively a very spicy dish so be warned. To reduce the amount of heat just cut down either the amount of red pepper flakes or hot sauce used. Keep a glass of milk handy if you’d like to risk it and go all the way with the heat!
Leftovers
More Incredible Pasta Recipes To Try:
Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.
Jacked-Up Chicken Scampi
Video
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoon butter (unsalted)
- 1 pound chicken breast (boneless and skinless, cut into small cubes)
- 1 onion (chopped)
- 5 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 cup white wine (I used a dry white wine)
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 1 tablespoon hot sauce
- 2 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 12 ounce linguine (uncooked)
- ½ cup cherry tomatoes (halved or quartered)
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley (chopped for garnish)
- ¼ cup Parmesan cheese (grated)
Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook until no longer pink, about 5 minutes.
- Add the onion, garlic, oregano and red pepper flakes to the pot and cook for 5 more minutes, or until the onion begins to soften and becomes translucent.
- Add the wine, chicken stock, hot sauce, lemon juice and linguine. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 8 minutes, or until the linguine is al dente. If you feel that more liquid is necessary, add ½ cup of chicken broth at a time until the pasta is cooked to your preference.
- Stir in the tomatoes and garnish with parsley and Parmesan cheese.
Notes
- This is relatively a very spicy dish. To reduce the amount of heat, just cut down the amount of red pepper flakes or hot sauce used.
- Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Nutrition Information
Notice: Nutrition is auto-calculated for your convenience. Where relevant, we recommend using your own nutrition calculations.
I can’t wait to try this dish! I love shrimp scampi, but that’s not in my budget – this will satisfy my cravings!
I know I’m boring, but I love my grandmother’s recipe for mashed turnip (which is really rutabaga) She boiled the cut up turnip in chicken stock, and mashed it with butter, cream cheese and nutmeg.
the turnip is my favorite Thanksgiving dish
Great “Scampi” recipe & I have now tried it with the chicken as well as a second batch with shrimp! So easy & so special. Thanks for sharing. This recipe is worthy of competition in the great State Fair of Texas culinary competitions. Stay tuned; lol!
About Thanksgiving…love it all but especially the dessert including the Julia Child recipe for her Aunt’s poufy, boozy pumpkin pie.
My all-time favorite Thanksgiving dish was the Oyster Dressing that my late Grandmother used to make. I would love to find a recipe like Grandma’s again!
The dish looks so yum! Thank you for sharing the recipe!
My favorite Thanksgiving recipe is a rhubarb, whole cranberry sauce, ( canned ), chopped walnuts, and a dollop or two of mayonnaise, mixed with strawberry jello (prepared) and poured into a mold (I use the Rubbermaid round mold-easy to get the mole out and easy to clean). Have used this recipe for many Thanksgivings and it is always delicious.M
I love your recipes!! But per instructions; my favorite Thanksgiving dish is…the stuffing! I don’t make it very often, so it is really special. There’s no special avant garde recipe for it – it’s simply made the way my mother made hers. If my family let me get away with adding oysters, I might try that, but they won’t. Thank you for the chance to get your book free.
Just printed your recipe out for the Jacked Up Chicken and it is on my menu for this week. Thank you for the opportunity to enter your giveaway. My hopes are raised that I am chosen as one of your lucky winners.
I know you will enjoy the Jacked Up Chicken Scampi and thanks for giving it a try!
I made the Jacked up chicken scampi.. big , big winner in my house and a keeper.. Good job.
I just made your Jacked-up scampi and, man, was it fantastic! I do have to confess, I made a couple of substitutes, one using wheat angel hair pasta and rotisserie chicken (b/c I’m lazy). Should have stuck w/ the linguine. Ugh, the angel hair cooked WAY too fast, so my pasta was a bit over cooked. Lucky for me, it was still a hit. I’m looking forward to trying more of your one-pot recipes. Love simple and good. I do plane on making this again, but w/ the right pasta.
Glad you liked it, Jennifer!
I adore yam casseroles! And roasted garlic mashed potatoes with gravy! Yum!!
My sister makes the best vegetarian dressing! I don’t care about anything else on the table as long as I have a huge pan of her dressing!
My favorite Thanksgiving dish is turkey, and dressing, and green bean cassarole, and homemade dinner rolls and homemade pies and…and…well, I guess they are all my favorites. 🙂 My favorite is also the love and camaraderie I share with friends and family on this special day.
My favorite dish is stuffing and cranberry sauce. Ok, I guess that is two but if you mix them together it’s only one. 🙂
My favourite thanksgiving dish is the stuffing!
My dad’s stuffing with chorizo. No sweet all savoury and spicy.