Lemon Garlic Shrimp Chicken Pasta (Printable)

Tender shrimp and chicken with linguine in zesty lemon-garlic butter sauce

# What You’ll Need:

→ Proteins

01 - 1/2 lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined
02 - 1/2 lb boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces

→ Pasta

03 - 12 oz linguine or spaghetti

→ Vegetables & Aromatics

04 - 4 cloves garlic, minced
05 - 1 small shallot, finely chopped
06 - Zest of 1 lemon
07 - Juice of 1 lemon
08 - 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

→ Sauce & Fats

09 - 4 tbsp unsalted butter, divided
10 - 2 tbsp olive oil
11 - 1/4 cup dry white wine (optional)
12 - 1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth

→ Seasonings

13 - 1/2 tsp salt, plus more for pasta water
14 - 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
15 - 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

→ Garnish

16 - Lemon wedges
17 - Extra chopped parsley

# How-To Steps:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Cook pasta until al dente following package directions. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water before draining.
02 - Pat shrimp and chicken dry with paper towels. Season both generously with salt and pepper.
03 - Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken pieces and cook 4-5 minutes until browned and cooked through. Transfer to a plate.
04 - Add remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil to the same skillet. Cook shrimp 1-2 minutes per side until pink and opaque. Remove and add to the plate with chicken.
05 - Reduce heat to medium. Melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter in the skillet. Sauté shallot and garlic 1-2 minutes until fragrant, being careful not to burn.
06 - Deglaze pan with white wine and simmer 1 minute until reduced. Stir in chicken broth, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Simmer 2 minutes.
07 - Return chicken and shrimp to skillet along with cooked pasta. Toss everything together, adding reserved pasta water as needed for sauce consistency. Stir in parsley and red pepper flakes. Adjust seasoning. Serve hot garnished with lemon wedges and additional parsley.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The lemon garlic butter sauce comes together in minutes but tastes like something you would order at a nice restaurant
  • You get both succulent shrimp and tender chicken in every single bite, making it feel like a treat
  • The entire dish comes together in under an hour, making it perfect for those nights when you want something special without spending all evening cooking
02 -
  • Never skip the step of patting your shrimp and chicken dry, otherwise you will end up steaming instead of searing and miss out on all those beautiful browned bits
  • That reserved pasta water is essential for achieving a silky, cohesive sauce that clings to every strand of pasta
03 -
  • Room temperature shrimp cook more evenly, so take them out of the fridge about 15 minutes before you start cooking
  • Use a microplane for the lemon zest to get only the aromatic outer layer without any bitter white pith
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