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Healthy shrimp scampi with zucchini noodles is a lighter spin on a traditional recipe. This shrimp pasta dish is low-carb, gluten-free, paleo, and whole30 friendly. It is also packed with protein and loaded with flavor. You can make it in under 20 minutes for a quick and easy weeknight meal any day of the week!

Healthy shrimp scampi over zucchini noodles in a bowl with sliced lemons and a pepper grinder behind it and red pepper flakes and herbs in front of it.

This Shrimp Scampi recipe is a lighter version of the classic shrimp scampi we all know and love. It’s actually a dish that I really enjoy because it is so easy to make and the flavors are amazing. Lots of garlic and lemon with wonderful golden cooked shrimp, piled on top of tender zucchini noodles. It’s so good!

Any shrimp pasta dish can be delicious but this recipe is low-carb, gluten-free, dairy-free, paleo and whole30 and can be made in under 20 minutes! Plus it is a no-fuss, impressive recipe that looks fancy but it is so simple to make.

Another great, easy shrimp recipe is air fryer coconut shrimp which is so good and also gluten-free!

You could also swap the pasta and use some Butternut Squash Noodles that are also lower in carbs than traditional pasta but still so delicious!

Cast iron pan filled with cooked healthy shrimp scampi in a butter sauce with a spoon in the pan.

Is Shrimp Scampi Healthy?

Traditional shrimp scampi is not typically very healthy since it includes lots of butter, white pasta, wine, and cheese. In this version, we replaced those ingredients with healthier swaps to make it lower in carbs and calories, gluten-free, and better for your overall health. Here are some of the swaps we made to keep this version a healthy shrimp scampi recipe we know you will love!

We swapped the pasta with zucchini that was spiraled into noodles (aka. zoodles).
We still used butter but much less and I replaced the wine with some hearty, low-sodium vegetable stock.
Traditionally shrimp scampi is topped with parmesan cheese but we left it out in order to keep this recipe mostly dairy free.
Less oil was used but we added more garlic and lemon to enhance the flavors of the shrimp and scampi sauce.

It comes together quickly and it is a complete, delicious, healthy meal all on its own!

Ingredients for healthy shrimp scampi

Shrimp – I used large, peeled, and deveined with tails on.
Butter + oil – unsalted butter is best so you can control the salt in this recipe and a little olive oil or avocado oil. You can use ghee in place of the butter to keep this recipe paleo and whole30 friendly.
Garlic – shrimp scampi is all about the garlic, so make sure to use fresh and not granulated garlic.
Lemon – to brighten this recipe and enhance the flavor of the shrimp.
Vegetable stock – to deglaze the pan for the amazing shrimp scampi sauce.
Salt and pepper – season the dish well.
Parsley – a nice touch to garnish the dish and add some color.

How To Make Healthy Shrimp Scampi

Be sure to check out the recipe card at the bottom of the post for the complete list of ingredients, recipe instructions, and nutrition.

Prepare the shrimp – rinse the shrimp then add it to a bowl and drizzle it with one tablespoon olive oil, one tablespoon minced garlic, and salt and pepper and toss. Set it aside to rest for about 10 minutes.
Cook the shrimp until it is nice and pink and slightly golden in saute pan over medium heat. Then remove the shrimp from the pan, place it into a bowl and set it aside. This should take about 4-5 minutes.
Make the shrimp scampi sauce: Keep the pan you cooked the shrimp in on medium heat and add the butter to the pan. Once the butter is melted, add in the rest of the garlic and cook for about 1-2 minutes. Stir in the vegetable stock, lemon juice, salt, and pepper and cook for 3-5 minutes, stirring as the sauce cooks. Then add the shrimp back to the pan and toss it in the sauce. Sprinkle it with chopped parsley and more lemon juice.
Serve: plate the shrimp scampi over zucchini noodles with a sprinkle of parsley for a delicious, low-carb, healthy meal.

Raw shrimp in a glass bowl topped with garlic, salt and pepper.

Recipe Tips

Make sure you defrost the shrimp before cooking it if you are using frozen shrimp. You can easily do this by running the shrimp under cold water for a few minutes then placing it onto a clean paper towel and patting it dry.
Do not overcook the shrimp. Shrimp will cook fairly quickly in about 3-5 minutes or less so make sure to watch it and remove it from the heat once it is mostly pink and no longer translucent.
You can add more volume to this recipe by mixing in some cooked spaghetti with the zucchini noodles.
Make the zucchini noodles before you cook the shrimp since you want to have them ready to go because the shrimp will cook very fast. I always like to pre-prep all of my ingredients before I start cooking so it goes more smoothly and I also enjoy the cooking process more.
Use all fresh ingredients like real squeezed lemon juice and minced garlic. This recipe only requires a few ingredients so it is important that they are higher in quality and fresh for the best results.

How to make zucchini noodles

Zucchini noodles are simply the result of using a spiralizer or vegetable peeler to turn whole zucchini into long strands that resemble noodles. Simply slice the ends off of the zucchini and go to town.

They are great for replacing pasta in so many dishes and it only takes a few minutes to turn them into noodles or what most people like to call, “zoodles”, which is short for zucchini noodles.

They are packed with much more nutrition and fiber than white pasta and zucchini is much lower in carbs. Two cups of zucchini noodles have about 66 calories and only 12 grams of carbs, plus it is much healthier for you. Compare that to 2 cups of pasta which has around 400 calories and 90 grams of carbs and it is kind of a no-brainer to make this healthy swap at least once in a while.

Round glass mixing bowl filled with spiralled zucchini on a white surface.

What to serve with shrimp scampi

This healthy shrimp scampi is actually a healthy, complete meal as is, which is so great since it is high in protein, fiber, and healthy fats and loaded with nutrition. You can serve it with a quick and easy salad or even some Gluten Free Biscuits if you do need some carbs.

You can also mix in some cooked pasta (I prefer whole grain or chickpea pasta) to give it a little bit more volume if needed. Here are some other dishes that would go great with this recipe.

Storing and reheating

This shrimp scampi recipe is best if eaten right away. You can store any leftovers in the refrigerator and reheat them but it is much better once you first make it. If you do plan to store this shrimp scampi then I suggest you store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one day after you make it.

You can reheat it in the microwave or over low heat in a pan on the stovetop.