Chicken Scampi with Parmesan Rice (Printable Version)
Tender lemon-garlic chicken strips served over buttery parmesan rice with a zesty white wine sauce.
# What You'll Need:
→ Chicken & Marinade
01 - 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sliced into strips
02 - 1 tbsp olive oil
03 - 1/2 tsp salt
04 - 1/4 tsp black pepper
05 - 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
06 - Juice of 1/2 lemon
→ Garlic Parmesan Rice
07 - 1 tbsp unsalted butter
08 - 1 tbsp olive oil
09 - 4 cloves garlic, minced
10 - 1 cup long-grain white rice
11 - 2 1/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
12 - 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
13 - Salt and pepper to taste
→ Scampi Sauce
14 - 2 tbsp unsalted butter
15 - 2 tbsp olive oil
16 - 5 cloves garlic, minced
17 - Juice of 1 lemon
18 - 1/4 cup dry white wine (or chicken broth)
19 - 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
# Directions:
01 - In a mixing bowl, toss the chicken strips with olive oil, salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes, and lemon juice. Let marinate while preparing the rice.
02 - Heat butter and olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add minced garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in the rice and cook for 1 to 2 minutes until lightly toasted.
03 - Pour in the chicken broth, season with salt and pepper, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes until the rice is tender and the liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat, fold in the parmesan, cover, and let rest for 5 minutes.
04 - Heat butter and olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the marinated chicken strips and cook 3 to 4 minutes per side until golden and cooked through. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
05 - In the same skillet, add minced garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Deglaze the pan with white wine or chicken broth, cooking 1 to 2 minutes. Reduce heat, add lemon juice and parsley, then return the chicken to the pan, tossing to coat evenly in the sauce.
06 - Spoon the garlic parmesan rice onto plates and top with the chicken scampi. Garnish with additional parmesan and fresh parsley if desired.
# Expert Hints:
01 -
- The scampi sauce pools into the parmesan rice and every bite becomes absurdly flavorful without much effort.
- It uses one skillet and one saucepan, so cleanup is genuinely painless.
02 -
- Do not rush the rice toasting step because those couple of minutes add a subtle nuttiness that plain boiled rice never achieves.
- Keep the chicken moving in small batches so the strips sear instead of steaming in a crowded pan.
03 -
- Let the rice rest those five minutes off the heat with the lid on before adding parmesan, because carryover heat finishes the job without gummy results.
- Always deglaze the chicken skillet with wine before adding lemon juice so the alcohol cooks off and leaves pure flavor behind.