Chicken Scampi (Easy, High-Protein Dinner Idea)

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This Chicken Scampi recipe is a light, flavorful weeknight pasta dinner that’s high-protein and comes together in under 30 minutes.

Chicken Scampi

This easy Chicken Scampi is my high-protein spin on classic shrimp scampi—made with juicy chicken breast, garlic, lemon, and a buttery white wine sauce tossed with whole wheat angel hair and spinach. I actually developed this while testing recipes for Skinnytaste Simple, but it didn’t make the cut since it has more than 7 ingredients. Still, it was too good not to share here!

Why You’ll Love This Chicken Scampi Recipe

On weeknights when I don’t have the time or energy to cook, I love whipping up a quick pasta dish. I love this one because it’s kid and husband approved, and since I am trying to hit my protein goals, it’s Gina approved too!

Quick: Ready in under 30 minutes
High Protein: 47g protein per serving and lighter than traditional scampi recipes
Kid-Friendly: Easy dinner the family will love!

Not in the mood for pasta? More chicken breast recipes with no pasta you might also enjoy, try this Chicken Piccata or my popular Chicken Parmesan Recipe.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Here’s what you’ll need to make this recipe, see recipe card for exact measurements.

Chicken: Boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into small cubes for quick cooking.
Garlic: Thinly sliced for classic scampi flavor.
Butter: Just enough to give the sauce richness.
Dry white wine or broth: For deglazing the pan and building flavor. Broth can be used if you don’t drink wine.
Crushed red pepper flakes: Optional, but a pinch adds warmth.
Lemon juice: Brightens up the sauce.
Spinach: Stirred in at the end for color and added nutrients.
Whole wheat angel hair pasta: I love using Delallo for its texture and taste. You can use plain or gluten-free pasta if you wish!

How to Make Chicken Scampi

Here’s the step-by-step directions for making this easy chicken dinner. See recipe card for printable directions.

Boil the pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
Cook the chicken: Cut into ½-inch cubes and season. Brown in batches over high heat for a quick sear, then set aside.
Build the sauce: In the same pan, sauté the garlic in butter, then deglaze with wine or broth, scraping up the bits. Add red pepper and salt. Simmer to reduce.
Add finishing touches: Stir in tomatoes briefly, then the rest of the butter and lemon juice. Remove from heat.
Toss everything together: Cook the pasta al dente, reserve some water, then toss the pasta with chicken, spinach, and sauce. Add pasta water as needed to coat. Finish with parsley and Parmesan.

Variations

Swap the protein: Use shrimp instead of chicken for a more traditional scampi. It cooks even faster!
Make it gluten-free: Use your favorite gluten-free spaghetti or angel hair pasta.
Add more veggies: Toss in sautéed zucchini, mushrooms, or cherry tomatoes for extra flavor and fiber.
Use broth instead of wine: If you prefer to skip the alcohol, chicken broth works well in place of dry white wine.
Make it spicy: Add more red pepper flakes or a dash of hot sauce for heat.

Prep: 10 minutes

Cook: 20 minutes

Total: 30 minutes

Yield: 4 servings

Serving Size: 1 /2 cups

Cook Mode

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
Cut chicken breasts into small ½ inch cubes. Season the chicken on both sides with 1 teaspoon of kosher salt, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper to taste.
Heat a very large skillet over high heat. When the pan is hot, spray the skillet with oil and add half the chicken and cook until browned on all sides and no longer pink inside, 2 minutes. Transfer to a plate and repeat with remaining chicken. Set aside and reduce heat.
Add ½ tablespoon of the butter to the skillet and melt, add the garlic and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the white wine or broth, crushed red pepper flakes and remaining ¼ teaspoon of salt. Cook, scraping the bottom of the pan, until reduced by half, about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and let them cook 1 minute, to soften.
Add the remaining 1 ½ tablespoons butter and melt, add the lemon juice, remove from the heat.
Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook according to package directions for al dente, reserve ½ cup water. Drain the pasta and toss with the chicken, add the spinach and cook 1 minute tossing with the sauce adding some of the reserved pasta water if needed. Finish with fresh parsley and serve with plenty of grated Parmesan cheese.

Last Step:

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Serving: 1 /2 cups, Calories: 482.5 kcal, Carbohydrates: 42.5 g, Protein: 47 g, Fat: 12 g, Saturated Fat: 4.5 g, Cholesterol: 139.4 mg, Sodium: 373.5 mg, Fiber: 7.5 g, Sugar: 1.5 g

Recipe Tips

Don’t overcrowd the pan when browning the chicken—cook in batches for the best sear.
Wine vs broth: Wine adds depth, but broth works just as well if you prefer it alcohol-free.
Use tongs to toss the pasta with the sauce—it helps coat every strand.

More Weeknight Pasta Dinners

For more dinner ideas using pasta, check out these five delicious pasta recipes to inspire your next meal!

If you make this high protein chicken scampi recipe, I would love to see it. Tag me in your photos or videos on Instagram, TikTok, or Facebook. And be sure to join the Skinnytaste Community to see what everyone’s cooking!

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