Chicken Broccoli Scampi Without Wine

Name: Chicken Broccoli Scampi Without Wine
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Ingredients: 1 16 ounces box of pasta ((we like rotini, linguine, campanelle)); 1 large head of broccoli ((about 3 cups)); 1 pound chicken tenderloins ((or chicken breasts)); 6 tablespoons butter ((separated into 2 tablespoons each)); 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil; 3 cloves garlic; 2 tablespoons chicken bouillon ((highly recommend Better Than Bouillon Organic Chicken Base)); 1 cup water; 1 tablespoon fresh grated parmesan; 2 tablespoons chopped parsley; salt and pepper to taste

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Rich, garlic butter Chicken Scampi without Wine is served over pasta with a buttery scampi sauce. It is delicious and done in 30 minutes!

Rotini pasta, broccoli, chicken, parsley and parmesan cheese in a white bowl with a fork to the right of the bowl. — Chicken Broccoli Pasta without Wine

This recipe is a twist on shrimp scampi! It is made with chicken and without shrimp.

Need another meal that can be cooked in under 30 minutes? Try Instant Pot Chicken Tortellini Soup!

Chicken Scampi with Broccoli can be a stand alone dish because it has protein, carbohydrates and a vegetable. However, it also pairs really well with a green salad and these Air Fryer Garlic Croutons!

Why You'll Love This Chicken Scampi

Although this recipe is made without cream, you still get a nice rich butter sauce from the butter, olive oil, garlic and parmesan cheese.
It is an inexpensive meal and can be made quickly with many common pantry ingredients.
Chicken Scampi is a perfect weekday meal when you need something quick that everyone in the family will love.
It is better than the Olive Garden chicken scampi recipe!

Recipe Ingredients

You'll need the following ingredients to make Homemade Chicken Broccoli Scampi Without Wine.

Ingredient picture with lemon, garlic, pasta, chicken, broccoli, chicken bouillon, butter, parsley and parmesan cheese. — Ingredients for Chicken Broccoli Scampi Without Wine

Pasta: Really any shape of dried pasta is going to be just fine in this recipe. We typically use rotini because it picks up the sauce well and it is easy for the kids to grab with their forks.

Chicken: Either chicken breasts or chicken tenderloins are great in this recipe.

Broccoli: Broccoli makes this pasta dish a little healthier. If you have picky eaters, have them try this broccoli. It is sauteed in garlic and butter and much more flavorful that steamed broccoli.

Garlic: Fresh garlic is going to make a big difference in flavor. The garlic that is already minced is almost as good, but using fresh cloves of garlic will give you the best flavor.

Butter: You can use either salted or unsalted butter in this recipe. If using unsalted, you may need to add a bit of salt to taste.

Olive Oil: I use the Kirkland brand extra virgin olive oil. It has a great mild flavor.

Chicken Bouillon: I highly recommend the Better Than Bouillon Organic Chicken Base. It is going to give you a bigger punch of flavor than regular chicken stock and it will help the pasta to be more flavorful.

Parmesan Cheese: Using fresh grated parmesan cheese is a must. Using the shelf stable parmesan will not give you the creamy rich flavor.

How to Make It

Here are some quick visual instructions. The full recipe with ingredient measurements is below!

Begin boiling pasta and sautéing chicken.

Two picture collage of pasta being boiled in water and pieces of chicken being sautéed in butter and olive oil. — Boil pasta and sauté chicken.

Remove the browned chicken and sauté the broccoli and garlic. Then add the browned chicken, water, bouillon.

Two picture collage of broccoli being sautéed in a pan and a second picture of chicken, broccoli, water and chicken bouillon in a pan. — Sauté broccoli and add the chicken, broccoli, water and chicken bouillon together.

Simmer for a couple minutes and then mix it in with the pasta. Finish with the fresh lemon juice, parmesan cheese and parsley.

Rotini pasta, broccoli, chicken, parsley and parmesan cheese in a white bowl with a fork in the background. — Chicken Scampi without Wine

Recipe Tips & Tricks

Cook the pasta to al dente to make sure that the noodles aren't mushy. Drain it and then add the garlic butter sauce, cooked chicken and broccoli to the pasta.
Freshly grated parmesan cheese is a must over the prepackaged parmesan.

Storage and Reheating

Storage: Chicken Broccoli Scampi will stay good in the refrigerator for 4 days.
Reheating: You can reheat the meal in a microwave.
Freezing: I do not recommend freezing it.

Additions and Substitutions

Chicken: Chicken breasts or chicken tenderloins can be used. This meal can also be made without chicken. It is still absolutely delicious!
Pasta: Most types of pastas will work in this meal. I prefer rotini because it picks up the sauce really well between all the little spirals and my kids can eat it without linguine or spaghetti hanging past their chins.
Olive Oil: Using olive oil or extra virgin olive oil will add a little depth of flavor to this dish, but you can absolutely substitute canola or vegetable oil.
Parmesan Cheese: This pasta dish can be made without the parmesan cheese and it will still be delicious, but it won’t be as creamy and rich.

FAQs

What is chicken scampi sauce made of?

Traditional scampi sauce has garlic, butter, white wine and lemon.

What is the difference between chicken scampi and shrimp scampi?

The biggest difference is the protein. Both will have very similar sauces (depending on the recipe) that contain butter, garlic, white wine and lemon. However, one will include instructions on how to make it with chicken vs. how to make it with shrimp. Overall, the taste should be very similar.

What does scampi mean?

Scampi refers to large shrimp or prawns. However, it is commonly used as a way to describe a dish with shrimp in a garlic butter sauce.