You can make my mom's Stuffed Shrimp Scampi in 35 minutes! You'll love this lobster-like seafood stuffed with bread crumbs, Parmesan and Romano and accented with wine. Dip it in lemon butter for one of the best meals of your life!
Welcome to my mom's signature recipe! Her baked shrimp scampi with bread crumbs is legendary in my family!
This is one of the best dishes on Cooking with Mamma C. I hinted at this amazing colossal shrimp recipe when I first published Baked Cod with Bread Crumbs, which uses the same filling. Now, I'm so excited to share the OG inspiration.
My mom is no longer with us as of March 2025, but she lives on through her spectacular recipes she passed on to me. What a gift to all of us!
Recipe ingredients
Shrimp: You'll need very large shrimp. Super colossal shrimp work best, which means a count of either 2-4 shrimp per pound (labeled "2/4" and sold as scampi) or 4-6 shrimp per pound (labeled "4/6").
You'll have to purchase it at a seafood store or ask the seafood department at your grocery store to order it for you. I bought the CenSea brand, which came nicely cleaned and deveined, with the shell attached but marked "easy to peel."
If you can't find super colossal shrimp, go with colossal shrimp with no more than 13/15 count per pound. Shrimp any smaller will be difficult to stuff.
The shrimp should come with the shells and tails attached. You'll keep the shells on and stuff the surface of the shrimp meat.
Bread Crumbs: Ideally, use plain ones so you can season them yourself. Go with store-bought or homemade bread crumbs.
If you only have Italian seasoned bread crumbs, you can make those work. You may need to reduce the garlic powder in the recipe however, so taste the mixture to see what you think.
Cheese: A blend of Parmesan and Pecorino Romano brings the best flavor and a bit of saltiness to the bread crumb mixture. This was my mom's secret in many of her recipes!
And, yes, in Italy, cheese isn't used with seafood. My mom was from Naples and did it anyway! You have to try it to see how delicious it tastes.
White Wine: I like Sauvignon Blanc here, but you can use another white wine. I haven't tried this with red wine, but you could probably use that in a pinch.
If you need to omit the alcohol, add another tablespoon of lemon juice to the bread crumb mixture.
How to make stuffed shrimp scampi
See the card at the end of this post for the full recipe, but here's an overview.
Prepare the filling and shrimp
- Add bread crumbs, Parmesan, Romano, wine, olive oil, lemon juice, parsley and seasonings to a medium mixing bowl.
- Toss with a fork until combined and all the bread crumbs are damp.
- Stuff each shrimp with the bread crumb mixture and top with pats of butter. Bake until the bread crumbs are golden brown and the shrimp is cooked through.
Prepare the lemon butter
- Melt pats of butter in a microwave-safe container.
- Whisk in lemon juice and serve with the stuffed scampi.
Recipe tips
- Line the baking pan with foil for easier clean-up.
- Dampen your hands with water to help mold the bread crumbs onto the shrimp scampi.
- It's fine if some bread crumbs end up in the pan. After the baked, stuffed shrimp emerges from the oven, you can stir some of the loose stuffing into vegetables. Save those crumbs!
What to serve with it
You HAVE TO try these with green beans! Buy a bag of fresh green beans that you can cook in the microwave. Stir in some of the bread crumb mixture from the baked shrimp scampi and drizzle on some of the lemon butter (or stir in plain butter).
I tried this after being inspired by my mom's green beans with bread crumbs and we were amazed! I bet steamed asparagus would work as well.
You also could serve the stuffed shrimp with basic risotto and a side of Italian carrot salad.
Frequently asked questions
In Italy, scampi refer to a slim type of lobster called langoustines. Due to the difficulty in finding them in America, Italian immigrants began using shrimp instead. Shrimp scampi is an Italian-American dish that usually includes garlic, butter, olive oil, white wine, parsley and lemon juice.
Yes, you can prep the stuffed shrimp one day before you bake it. Clean and stuff the raw shrimp, place a pat of butter on each and store it on a foil-lined baking pan, covered with foil, until the next day.
Thaw frozen colossal shrimp overnight in the refrigerator. Place the bag of shrimp in a bowl or 9x13 pan first so it doesn't leak into your fridge. If the shrimp is still icy when you need to use it, quickly run it under a stream of cool water.
According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), raw shellfish like shrimp can stay in the fridge for just one or two days before cooking it.
More seafood recipes to try
- Jumbo Fried Shrimp
- Broiled Sea Scallops with Parmesan
- Breaded Scallops in the Oven
- Italian Fried Calamari
- Garlic Parmesan Shrimp
- Garlic Lime Shrimp
Enjoy!
If you try this Stuffed Shrimp Scampi recipe, please leave a comment and a rating!
Stuffed Shrimp Scampi
Ingredients
Stuffed Shrimp Scampi
- 2 pounds raw, deveined super colossal shrimp (2/4 or 4/6 count per pound. See notes.)
- 1 cup plain bread crumbs
- ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- ½ cup freshly grated Romano cheese
- 3 Tablespoons white wine
- 3 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice (Plus more for serving; Buy 3 lemons.)
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 Tablespoon fresh, chopped parsley
- ¾ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon paprika (plus more to sprinkle on top)
- 3 Tablespoons salted butter
Lemon Butter
- 6 Tablespoons salted butter
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a sheet pan with foil and grease it with cooking spray.
- Keeping the shells and tails attached, rinse the shrimp and remove any veins or specks of sand. Pat the shrimp dry with paper towels. Place the seafood on the foil-lined pan, with the shells down and the meat up. Wash your hands.
- Grate the Parmesan and Romano, if needed. (I use my blender.) Rise the parsley and pat it dry. Chop up the parsley leaves until you have a tablespoon of them.
- Add the bread crumbs to a medium mixing bowl. Add the Parmesan, Romano, white wine, lemon juice, olive oil, parsley, garlic powder and paprika. Toss with a fork to combine, making sure the bread crumbs are evenly dampened.
- Use a large spoon or scoop to place about ⅓ cup of the bread crumb mixture on top of the entire surface of each shrimp scampi. Dampen your hands with water and mound the crumbs on top of the shrimp (scoop up the bread crumbs from the pan as needed) and pat the topping down so it stays in place. It's okay to have some bread crumbs that stay on the pan during baking. (See notes.)
- Slice three tablespoons of butter into squares and top each stuffed shrimp with at least one pat of butter. (Use all the butter.) Sprinkle on some more paprika and bake, uncovered, for 21 minutes or until the crumb topping is golden brown and the shrimp is white, firm and cooked through.
- Squeeze extra lemon juice over the shrimp and serve with lemon butter for dipping. Store any leftovers in the refrigerator for up to four days.
For the lemon butter
- Cut 6 tablespoons of butter into squares. Place the butter in a microwave-safe bowl and cover it with wax paper. Heat on high for 40 seconds, then stir. If the butter isn't melted yet, you can heat it for another 10 seconds or so as needed.
- Squeeze in a tablespoon of lemon juice and whisk to combine.
Notes
Nutrition
(Recipe Source: My mom, who told me all of the ingredients without any measurements!)
Sonya says
Hi Everyone ,
I made this without the Shells on, I butterflied the Colossal Shrimps instead Halfway and added the Breadcrumbs pressing hard to Hold. I added Capers to My Lemon Butter Sauce . Baked and came out More than Delicious. Great for Special Romantic Occasions Like Valentine Day and Wedding Anniversary and Date Night too. IT IS A KEEPER
Mamma C says
Hi Sonya - I love hearing that! I'm so glad you enjoyed this. Thank you so much for leaving a review! My mom used to butterfly the shrimp like lobster and pull the meat up to sit on top of the shell. I'm planning to add that option with photos the next time I make it.