Lemon Garlic Shrimp & Chicken Pasta (Printable)

Tender chicken and shrimp in a zesty lemon-garlic butter sauce with linguine or spaghetti. Perfect for weeknight dinners.

# What You Need:

→ Proteins

01 - 8 oz large shrimp, peeled and deveined
02 - 8 oz 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 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

→ Sauce & Fats

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

→ Seasonings

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

→ Garnish

16 - Lemon wedges
17 - Extra chopped parsley

# Directions:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water, then drain and set aside.
02 - Pat shrimp and chicken dry with paper towels. Season both with salt and pepper.
03 - Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook 4-5 minutes until browned and cooked through. Transfer to a plate.
04 - Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to the same skillet. Add shrimp and cook 1-2 minutes per side until pink and opaque. Transfer to the plate with chicken.
05 - Reduce heat to medium. Add 2 tablespoons butter to the skillet. Sauté shallot and garlic for 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
06 - Deglaze the skillet with white wine if using and let reduce for 1 minute. Add chicken broth, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Simmer for 2 minutes.
07 - Return chicken and shrimp to the skillet along with cooked pasta. Toss to coat, adding reserved pasta water as needed to achieve desired sauce consistency.
08 - Stir in fresh parsley and red pepper flakes if desired. Adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper to taste.
09 - Divide pasta among serving bowls and garnish with lemon wedges and additional fresh parsley. Serve immediately.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • It feels fancy but comes together faster than ordering takeout, and tastes better too.
  • The lemon garlic butter clings to every strand of pasta like it was meant to be there.
  • You get both shrimp and chicken in one bowl, so nobody has to choose.
  • Leftovers reheat beautifully, which almost never happens with seafood pasta.
02 -
  • Don't cook the shrimp longer than 2 minutes per side or they turn rubbery and sad.
  • Reserve that pasta water before you drain, I've forgotten more times than I want to admit and regretted it every time.
  • If your sauce breaks or looks greasy, a splash of pasta water and a quick toss will bring it back together.
03 -
  • Use a large skillet, not a small one, so the proteins brown instead of crowding and steaming.
  • Zest your lemon directly over the pan so the oils fall into the sauce and nothing is wasted.
  • If you don't have white wine, a splash of extra chicken broth with a few drops of white wine vinegar works in a pinch.
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