Lemon Garlic Shrimp & Chicken Pasta (Printable)

Vibrant surf-and-turf pasta with tender chicken, succulent shrimp, and zesty lemon-garlic butter sauce. Perfect for weeknight dinners.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Proteins

01 - Large shrimp, peeled and deveined, 8 oz
02 - Boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces, 8 oz

→ Pasta

03 - Linguine or spaghetti, 12 oz

→ Vegetables and Aromatics

04 - Garlic, minced, 4 cloves
05 - Shallot, finely chopped, 1 small
06 - Lemon zest, 1 lemon
07 - Lemon juice, 1 lemon
08 - Fresh parsley, chopped, 2 tablespoons

→ Sauce and Fats

09 - Unsalted butter, divided, 4 tablespoons
10 - Olive oil, 2 tablespoons
11 - Dry white wine, 1/4 cup
12 - Low-sodium chicken broth, 1/4 cup

→ Seasonings

13 - Salt, 1/2 teaspoon, plus additional for pasta water
14 - Freshly ground black pepper, 1/4 teaspoon
15 - Crushed red pepper flakes, 1/4 teaspoon

→ Garnish

16 - Lemon wedges
17 - Extra chopped parsley

# Directions:

01 - Cook linguine or spaghetti in a large pot of salted boiling water according to package instructions 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 - In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter. Add chicken pieces and cook for 4 to 5 minutes until browned and cooked through. Transfer to a plate.
04 - In the same skillet, add remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add shrimp and cook 1 to 2 minutes per side until pink and opaque. Transfer to the plate with chicken.
05 - Lower heat to medium. Add remaining 2 tablespoons butter to the skillet. Sauté shallot and garlic for 1 to 2 minutes until fragrant.
06 - Deglaze with white wine 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 pan 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. Adjust seasoning to taste with additional salt and pepper.
09 - Divide pasta mixture among serving bowls. Garnish with lemon wedges and extra chopped parsley. Serve immediately.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It tastes like restaurant food but comes together faster than ordering takeout and waiting for delivery.
  • The combo of shrimp and chicken makes it feel fancy without the fuss of picking between surf or turf.
  • You can adjust the lemon and garlic to match your mood, bold or mellow.
  • Leftovers reheat surprisingly well for lunch the next day, which almost never happens with seafood pasta.
02 -
  • Don't skip reserving the pasta water, it's the secret to a silky sauce that clings instead of pooling at the bottom of the bowl.
  • Cook the chicken and shrimp separately and pull them out before making the sauce, otherwise they'll overcook while you're building flavor and you'll end up with rubbery shrimp and dry chicken.
  • Fresh lemon juice is essential, bottled lemon juice tastes flat and won't give you that bright, zesty punch this dish needs.
03 -
  • Use a large enough skillet so the shrimp and chicken aren't crowded, otherwise they'll steam instead of getting that golden sear.
  • Taste the sauce before adding the proteins back in, it's way easier to adjust seasoning when the pan isn't full of pasta and seafood.
  • If your sauce breaks or looks greasy, a tablespoon of cold butter whisked in at the end will bring it back together into something glossy and smooth.
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