Recipes › Main Course › Tilapia Scampi Recipe

Tilapia Scampi Recipe

Recipe by Pedro M. A. Neves

Tilapia scampi is a light yet flavorful Italian-inspired main course featuring delicate white fish in a garlicky white wine and butter sauce with shrimp. This dish comes together quickly on the stovetop and delivers restaurant-quality results with simple, quality ingredients. Serve it over pasta, rice, or with crusty bread to soak up the luxurious pan sauce.

Ingredients

• 4 tilapia fillets (150 g each)
• 250 g large shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 60 ml extra virgin olive oil
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 120 ml dry white wine
• 120 ml chicken or seafood stock
• 60 g unsalted butter
• 30 ml fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (optional, for light dredging)

Instructions

1. Pat the tilapia fillets and shrimp dry with paper towels. Season both with salt and pepper. If using flour, lightly coat the tilapia fillets on both sides.

2. Heat 30 ml olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering, about 2 minutes.

3. Place tilapia fillets skin-side up in the hot oil. Cook for 3-4 minutes without moving them, then carefully flip and cook another 2 minutes until just cooked through. Transfer to a warm plate.

4. In the same skillet, add remaining 30 ml olive oil and sauté the shrimp over medium-high heat for 1-2 minutes per side until they just begin to turn pink. Remove and set aside with the tilapia.

5. Reduce heat to medium and add minced garlic and red pepper flakes to the pan. Stir constantly for 30-45 seconds until fragrant, being careful not to brown the garlic.

6. Pour in the white wine, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Simmer for 2 minutes to reduce slightly.

7. Add the stock and lemon juice, then whisk in the cold butter until emulsified into a silky sauce, about 1 minute.

8. Return the tilapia and shrimp to the pan, nestling them gently into the sauce. Simmer together for 1-2 minutes to warm through and let flavors meld.

9. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as needed. Garnish generously with fresh parsley and serve immediately over pasta, rice, or with bread.

Substitutions

• Shrimp can be replaced with diced scallops or cubed white fish for an all-fish scampi variation
• Use chicken stock instead of seafood stock if preferred
• Substitute butter with extra virgin olive oil for a lighter version
• Replace fresh lemon juice with white wine vinegar in equal measure

Tips

• Do not overcook the tilapia—white fish becomes dry and flaky when overdone; remove it when just opaque throughout
• Make sure all ingredients are prepped and ready before you start cooking, as the cooking process moves quickly
• For a richer sauce, add a splash of heavy cream at the end just before returning the seafood to the pan

Scampi is traditionally an Italian-American preparation that evolved from Italian coastal cooking, originally made with langoustines or small shrimp. While authentic versions focus on garlic, olive oil, and white wine, American Italian restaurants popularized the dish across seafood varieties like this lighter tilapia adaptation.

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