It's rare I meet a pizza I don't like, but this Shrimp Scampi Pizza is in a class of its own. With a super thin crust, a healthy dose of garlic and lemon juice, salty feta, and plenty of shrimp, you'll likely find yourself craving this pizza instead of a bowl of pasta!
(This recipe for Shrimp Scampi Pizza was originally posted in July 2012, but was updated with new photos and content in 2018).
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Did you ever stop and think about the fact that you can turn pretty much any food into a pizza? These are the things I do think about. Sometimes I'll plan what I want for dinner and then pause for a moment before saying… ON PIZZA.
Seriously though, can you think of any dinner entree that wouldn't be totally tasty on a pizza? I even love salads on pizza, for goodness sake.
EVERYTHING works on pizza. And if you're trying to trick me with dessert, just remember cookie pizza.
I first made this shrimp scampi pizza back in 2012 and have honestly thought about it probably a million times since then. Shrimp scampi is up there as one of my favorite entrees and when I originally said, "I want shrimp scampi... ON PIZZA" I immediately knew it was going to work.
It also just feels more legit to be eating a super thin crust pizza while sitting on your deck at the end of a long hot day than it does to be eating a huge bowl of pasta (disclaimer: I still think pasta is always a good idea). But also? I would happily eat this all winter long.
❤️ Why you'll love this recipe
If you love shrimp scampi and you love pizza, there's a strong chance you'll also become obsessed with this pizza.
Not only is it fairly easy to make, but it's absolutely packed with awesome flavor. It's obviously loaded with shrimp, but also lots of garlic and lemon juice and feta and parmesan cheese.
I made my own homemade dough for the pizza, but you can certainly use store-bought dough with no problem at all! The dough I make is whole wheat, but you can also use a standard dough.
🗒 Ingredients
Here's everything you need to make this shrimp scampi pizza:
- Butter
- Olive oil
- Garlic
- Red hot pepper flakes
- Shrimp: I use extra-large, but you can use the size of your preference
- Lemon juice
- White wine: if you don't have wine or want to skip this, you can use low-sodium or sodium-free chicken broth instead.
- Parsley
- Whole wheat dough: I share a homemade dough recipe in this post, but you can also use store-bought if you prefer
- Feta cheese
- Parmesan cheese
- Cornmeal: for sprinkling on pan to prevent pizza from sticking
For my whole wheat dough, you'll need:
- Active dry yeast
- Lukewarm water
- Salt
- Honey
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- Whole wheat flour
- All-purpose flour
👩🍳 Homemade whole wheat pizza dough recipe
If you do opt to make your own pizza dough, I think you'll find this a very easy recipe! But it does require a little rising time, so keep that in mind before you get started.
Simply combine yeast and water in a large bowl. Let sit for 3 minutes before stirring in salt, honey, and olive oil.
Using a wooden spoon, stir in whole wheat flour and all-purpose flour until just blended. If dough is still wet, add in a bit more flour, 1 Tbsp at a time.
Cover the bowl with a towel and set aside at room temperature for about two hours, so dough can rise. Once risen, either use dough or refrigerate if not using right away.
🍕 How to make shrimp scampi pizza
I feel like shrimp scampi pizza sounds like it could be quite the complicated affair. But it's not! Now that your dough has risen or you've bought it from the store, you're ready to go!
Start by preheating your oven to 450 degrees.
Now, melt the butter and olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and let cook for about 1-2 minutes. Add in red pepper flakes and cook for 30 more seconds.
Add shrimp in an even layer to the skillet and season with a little salt and pepper.
When shrimp start turning pink (about 2 minutes), flip and cook another minute or so on the other side.
When cooked through, remove shrimp to a bowl and set aside.
Add lemon juice and wine to the skillet and sprinkle in fresh chopped parsley. Let sauce cook for a few minutes to reduce a bit.
Now it's time to roll your dough out. On a lightly floured surface, roll it out into a thin 12-inch round.
Transfer the round to a foil-covered 12-inch pan. Brush dough lightly with lemon and parsley mixture.
Sprinkle feta cheese and parmesan over the pizza and top with the cooked shrimp.
And now we bake! Bake the pizza at 450 degrees for about 15 minutes until crust starts to brown and cheese is melting.
When you remove it from the oven, top it with additional chopped parsley, slice, and serve.
Your beautiful shrimp scampi pizza is now ready to eat and you're ready to pour a nice big glass of wine and relax.
I like to drizzle a little more lemon juice over the top, right before I pick up a slice. Because aside from lots of garlic, lemon juice really makes shrimp scampi.
I'm telling you, this pizza is the stuff dreams are made of for a shrimp lover.
There's almost too many delicious elements on this shrimp scampi pizza, from the sharpness of the feta cheese to the zing from the lemon to the kick from the red pepper flakes to the freshness of the parsley.
Oh, and yes, I realize the feta cheese makes this less of an Italian scampi and more of a Greek dish. But the feta just felt so necessary. And I added that parmesan cheese to keep the everyone happy.
The more cheese the merrier. But that feta is so, so good.
💡 Alterations to recipe
While this is my ideal shrimp scampi pizza recipe, there's so much you can do with it to make it your own. Here are a few ideas:
- Use the cheese or cheeses of your choice. Mozzarella cheese is another great choice.
- Add on additional toppings like red onions, kalamata olives, sliced bell peppers, cherry tomatoes, and more. Also feel free to add fresh lemon zest for even more of a zing.
- If you prefer tomato-based pizza, you can certainly use tomato sauce as your pizza base here. It won't be like a traditional shrimp scampi, but will still be delicious!
- Use the shrimp size of your choice. I used XL for this recipe and that's what you see in the photos, but you can use medium shrimp if you prefer smaller bite-sized shrimp.
- Add the seasonings of your choice. I like to let the garlic and lemon flavor shine, so I stick to Italian parsley and red hot pepper flakes, but you can use Italian seasoning, chili powder, paprika, etc. If you prefer cilantro to parsley, you can try that too!
I love how the garlic gets nice and crispy-ish in the oven when the pizza is baking. There's nothing better than plenty of garlic and as long as your dining companion and you are both eating it, there shouldn't be a problem.
I usually don't love shrimp leftovers (most fish isn't my favorite the second day), but I ate the leftovers of this shrimp scampi pizza cold while standing at the kitchen counter before noon even hit. And I'm not sorry about it.
🍤 More Shrimp Recipes
I'm going through quite a moment with shrimp and probably eat it at least once a month. As a result, I have lots of shrimp recipes here for you to enjoy! Here are some of my favorites:
- Steak and Shrimp Scampi
- Shrimp and Feta Orzo Salad
- Chili Lime Shrimp Tacos
- Shrimp Crepes
- Lemon Garlic Parmesan Shrimp
- Tequila Jalapeño Shrimp
- Lemmon Pepper Pasta with Shrimp
- Chilled Mexican Corn Bisque with Shrimp
- Tequila Shrimp Ceviche
- Spicy Chipotle Shrimp Salad
- Drunken Style Noodles with Shrimp (from SkinnyTaste)
- Cashew Shrimp (from The Endless Meal)
I make my own pizza at least twice a month because I think of all these crazy toppings I want to try and just can't resist.
The next time you're craving something for dinner, you should stop and ask yourself, "how would it be on a pizza?"
And if you're craving shrimp scampi (I hope you are after reading this post), I urge you to try it on a pizza!
What's your favorite entree to put on a pizza?
📖 Recipe
Shrimp Scampi Pizza
Ingredients
- Cornmeal, for sprinkling on pan
- 3 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ tsp red hot pepper flakes
- 1 lb extra large shrimp, peeled and deveined with tails removed
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
- ⅓ cup dry white wine (can substitute with low-sodium or sodium-free chicken broth)
- ¼ cup chopped parsley, plus more for topping
- Whole wheat dough (⅓ of recipe below or store-bought)
- ⅓ cup crumbled feta cheese
- ½ oz. shaved parmesan cheese
Homemade Whole Wheat Dough
- ½ Tbsp active dry yeast
- 1 ¾ cup lukewarm water
- ½ Tbsp salt
- 1 Tbsp honey
- 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cups whole wheat flour
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Cover a round 12-inch pan in foil and lightly sprinkle with cornmeal (this will help prevent sticking when you cook your pizza).
- Melt butter and olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and let cook for about 1-2 minutes. Add in red pepper flakes and cook for 30 more seconds.
- Add shrimp to the skillet in an even layer and season with a little salt and pepper. When shrimp start turning pink (about 2 minutes), flip and cook another minute or so on the other side. When cooked through, remove shrimp to a bowl and set aside.
- Add lemon juice and wine to skillet and sprinkle in parsley. Let sauce cook for a few minutes to reduce a bit.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll dough out into a thin 12-inch round. Transfer round prepared pan. Brush dough lightly with lemon/parsley reduction.
- Sprinkle feta cheese and parmesan over the pizza and top with the shrimp.
- Bake for about 15 minutes until crust starts to brown and cheese is melting. Top with additional chopped parsley, slice, and serve.
Homemade Whole Wheat Dough
- In a large bowl, combine yeast and water. Let sit for 3 minutes. Stir in salt, honey, and olive oil.
- Using a wooden spoon, stir in whole wheat flour and all-purpose flour until just blended. If dough is still wet, add in a bit more flour, 1 Tbsp at a time.
- Cover the bowl with a towel and set aside at room temperature for about two hours, so dough can rise. Once risen, either use dough or refrigerate if not using right away.
Notes
- Pizza dough recipe makes enough for three pizzas. Triple the other ingredients to make three pizzas or wrap the remaining dough in plastic wrap and store in fridge for 7-10 days. Alternatively, you can freeze it for up to 3 months (just be sure to divide it into portions before freezing).
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Michelle says
I definitely love adding pulled pork on pizza. So good!
vanillasugarblog says
have you tried the multi grain pizza dough from whole foods?
you must try.
I love shrimp scampi pizza!
Emily @ A Cambridge Story says
What a great idea! As much as I love shrimp, I never put it on pizza. YUM!
Bianca @ Confessions of a Chocoholic says
My sister and I both love this shrimp pizza we used to get in the Philippines, and this post is making me crave it! I love pizza of all kinds, and lately have been really into the ones topped with an egg.
Daisy says
this looks so good! I love shrimp scampi and used to make it a lot. I must skip the pasta and put it on pizza now.
emily says
oh, i love this idea! i've been playing with the idea of finding a way to put tofu on pizza, but that doesn't sound nearly as appetizing 🙂
Colleen @ Culinary Colleen says
I love shrimp on pizza too...especially with bbq sauce!
Shannon says
yum, this definitely sounds like a pizza i'd devour 🙂 love how pizza dough is pretty much a blank canvas!
Elizabeth says
I love unusual things on pizza. Mac and cheese pizza is pretty awesome, as is Mexican pizza.
Culinary Cory says
Now that is an exciting pizza! Love all the shrimp!
Cara says
This looks delicious! I was going to make a shrimp salad for dinner but I think this may be more enticing to my husband. Thanks for sharing!
Ashley Bee @ Quarter Life Crisis Cuisine says
Ohh shrimp on pizza! When I worked at the Fenway Bertucci's we had something like this... though not nearly as fancy and fun 🙂
em says
i love creativity in pizza making. my fave is the super simple margherita pizza, but i like experimenting with fun toppings too.
Odetta says
I would never think of adding shrimp to pizza but I'm intrigued. It looks soo good!
Arthur says
I love anything with shrimp!
Liz says
Yum! This looks amazing! I have some frozen shrimps in my freezer crying to be used for this pizza 😉 Will definitely have to try it out!
Elina (Satisfied Cravings) says
I need this in my life. 'Nuff said 😉
Renee Goerger says
I love shrimp scampi, I love pizza! You are brilliant to combine the two. Can't wait to try this recipe!
Jenn says
This is literally everything I need right now! Such a brilliant pizza recipe gah! Love it so!
Ingrid Poesie says
I used Cappello's almond flour crust pizza with dairy-free feta cheese. It was a puddle after 13 minutes, lol! Next time I will pre-crisp the crust, brush way less lemon/wine reduction in top of the crust and bake the feta only until it begins to melt. The shrimp was delicious, though with the Aromo chardonnay I bought!