Lemon Garlic Shrimp & Chicken (Printable)

Surf-and-turf pasta with chicken, shrimp, and bright 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

# Directions:

01 - Boil pasta in salted water until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water, then drain.
02 - Pat shrimp and chicken dry, then season both generously with salt and pepper.
03 - Heat 1 tbsp olive oil and 1 tbsp butter in large skillet over medium-high. Add chicken; cook 4–5 minutes until browned and cooked through. Remove to plate.
04 - Add remaining 1 tbsp olive oil to skillet. Cook shrimp 1–2 minutes per side until pink and opaque. Transfer to plate with chicken.
05 - Reduce heat to medium. Melt remaining 2 tbsp butter in skillet. Sauté shallot and garlic 1–2 minutes until fragrant.
06 - Deglaze pan with white wine if using; reduce 1 minute. Add chicken broth, lemon zest, and juice. Simmer 2 minutes.
07 - Return chicken, shrimp, and pasta to skillet. Toss to coat, adding reserved pasta water as needed for consistency.
08 - Stir in parsley and red pepper flakes. Adjust seasoning to taste with salt and pepper.
09 - Plate hot and garnish with lemon wedges and additional chopped parsley.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The lemon garlic butter sauce creates this restaurant quality finish that makes everyone think you spent way more time and effort than you actually did
  • It hits that perfect sweet spot where it feels fancy enough for date night but comes together quickly enough for a weeknight when you want something better than the usual rotation
02 -
  • Dry your proteins thoroughly with paper towels before cooking or they will steam instead of getting that nice golden sear we want
  • Do not overcook the shrimp because they will continue cooking when you add them back to the sauce at the end
  • That pasta water is liquid gold because the starch helps bind everything together into a silky sauce
03 -
  • If your sauce starts looking too thick, add pasta water a splash at a time until it reaches the right consistency
  • Room temperature ingredients cook more evenly, so take the shrimp and chicken out of the fridge about 15 minutes before you start
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