Sriracha Shrimp Scampi

If you love the big, bold taste of sizzling gambas, then this Sriracha shrimp scampi is for you!

Spicy and garlicky, both dishes make awesome appetizers and are equally delicious served with steamed rice or over buttered noodles. But while minced Thai chili peppers give the gambas their signature heat, a healthy dose of Sriracha chili sauce along with a generous splash of white wine and lemon juice kick this scampi version up a notch.

See that sauce the shrimps are swimming in? Flavor, my peeps, a whole lot of flavor you can sop up with crusty bread or spoon over hot steamed rice!

Ready in 20 minutes and with a just a handful of pantry ingredients, this Sriracha shrimp scampi is perfect for weeknight family dinners yet fancy enough for company.  It’s the perfect starter for any holiday festivities!

I like to serve the shrimps on a sizzling  plate with a hefty pile of toasted baguette slices on the side for guests to enjoy bruschetta style and the delightful combination never fails to impress!

I usually use the colossal U/15 shrimps when I am serving the shrimps as tapas (appetizer) but feel free to swap with a smaller size if you’re serving the dish as a dinner meal. Just adjust your cook time accordingly as the best way to ruin this scampi is to overcook the shrimps. Remember they will continue to cook in their residual heat, especially if you’re serving them on a heated sizzling platter, so take them off the stove as soon as their color changes.

This Sriracha shrimp scampi is indeed one of the easiest and quickest seafood dishes you can make. Here are a couple of simple tips to note:

• The dish requires quick, high heat cooking so add equal parts of vegetable oil to the butter. The butter will impart flavor and the oil will keep it from burning in the high heat. Use a wide pan to allow enough space for the shrimps to cook. Don’t overcrowd the pan as you don’t the shrimps to overcook in their steam.
• Garlic is an important component to the success of shrimp scampi. To get the most out of your garlic, add it just when the butter begins to melt. By adding it while the oil is still warm (NOT hot!) and cooking it gently for a minute or two before raising the heat, you draw out the full flavor without burning!

I hope you’ll give this Sriracha shrimp scampi a try and let me know what you think. It’s one of the many holiday recipes and meal inspirations I will be sharing with you as we head to Christmas so please stay tuned for more deliciousness to come.

This holiday season is going to be super special for me because, you guys, I am going for a vacation to the Philippines next month! It will be the first Christmas and New Year I will be spending in the Philippines since I left for the U.S. twenty-six years ago and I can’t be more excited! 26 years! Puto bumbong here I come!