Home » Cooking Tips » Substitutes for White Wine in Shrimp Scampi

Substitutes for White Wine in Shrimp Scampi (2)

Substitutes for White Wine in Shrimp Scampi

“Shrimp scampi” sounds delicious. Well, your regular bowl of pasta would taste incredibly delicious with this sauce, and it is also an amazing accompaniment to crusty bread.

Substitutes for White Wine in Shrimp Scampi (2)

White Wine Nutrition Facts

White Wine Nutrition Facts

Whether you are a professional chef or love cooking at home, preparing a delicious shrimp scampi wouldn’t be difficult because it requires many culinary skills or training.

If you constantly make this delicious Italian delicacy, you probably know that most shrimp scampi recipes call for adding white wine in the preparation process.

If you don’t have a bottle of white wine in the fridge, some substitutes would also be great in shrimp scampi, and I would be sharing some of them in this article.

What is White Wine?

White wine is a type of wine fermented without skin contact; the alcoholic fermentation of grape pulps produces it. The gape pulps are not colored, and the wine gets its color from the skin of the grapes, which is why white wines vary in color. These colors may include; straw yellow, yellowish-green, and yellowish gold. It also has numerous varieties; this may be because of the winemaking method and the ratio of sugar added.

In cooking, the most commonly used white wine is the dry white wine, mainly because of its neutral flavor, which helps balance the final flavor of the dish.

Uses of White Wine in Recipes

Most professional chefs would say, “if you can’t drink it, don’t cook with it,” this simply implies that the white wine must be in good condition before you can add it to your dish. The wine must be chilled but not served with ice; it is also not advisable to use a salty wine when cooking.

The main purpose of white wine in cooking is to elevate the dish’s flavor, just like in every other dish. It also makes your delicious shrimp scampi taste even better.

Apart from shrimp scampi, here are fifteen other recipes that call for the addition of white wine;

Substitutes for White Wine in Shrimp Scampi 

Well, some people may argue that garlic butter shrimp scampi taste better than most restaurant scampi; whether this is true or false would be a topic for another day, the only thing we all can agree on is that to achieve a flavorful scampi sauce, you need a splash of white wine.

Well, you may think you’re in a pickle when you can’t get white wine in the middle of the preparation process, but what if I told you that some common inexpensive ingredients could be used to substitute white wine in shrimp scampi?

Below are some substitutes that can be used to replace white wine in shrimp scampi, and you don’t have to worry about the flavor because, in the end, you would be left with an incredibly delicious dish.

Apple Cider Vinegar 

Apple cider vinegar 


It is a good replacement for white wine in shrimp scampi. If you need to add some kick to your scampi, then adding apple cider vinegar would pretty much be a good option.

Apple cider vinegar is common and can be easily bought in any grocery store, so there is a high possibility that you may already have one in your kitchen.

When substituting, vinegar may be stronger than your regular white wine, so you should not use a 1 to 1 ratio. Instead, it would help dilute 50% vinegar with 50% water before adding it to your scampi.

Chicken Broth 

Chicken broth 


Chicken broth is rich in umami and would be a delicious addition to your scampi pasta. The chicken broth will elevate the flavor of your dish, and a regular scampi would turn into something extraordinary.

The only problem with chicken broth is that you may not get that zing you normally get from white wine; well, you can still achieve some acidity in your dish by squeezing some lime juice.

When substituting chicken broth for white wine in shrimp scampi, use a 1 to 1 ratio wherever the recipe calls for white wine.

White Grape Juice 

White grape juice 


White grape juice will be a good last-minute substitute if you can’t get white wine. White grape juice will do just that if you want to add some sweetness to your shrimp scampi, and it would also deglaze the pan.

Like chicken broth, it would not give that punch that white wine would give, so to achieve a punchier dish, you need to add some acidic liquid to the grape juice. Instead, I recommend adding lemon juice or vinegar to grape juice before throwing it into your shrimp scampi.

After mixing grape juice with vinegar, you can substitute equal amounts of this mixture wherever the recipe calls for white wine.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What is the difference between regular wine and cooking wine?

Regular wine has a richer and finer flavor when compared to cooking wine. Most recipes would require you to use regular wine because it makes your dish richer. But, on the other hand, cooking wine is a cheaper option for people who are not willing to spend extra money on a bottle of fine wine. Cooking wine would give a similar flavor to your dish but not as rich as regular wine.

Can kids eat food cooked with wine?

Cooking a portion of food for a very long time would make all the alcohol evaporate. According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), you need to cook or simmer a dish containing alcohol for at least 2 and 1/2 hours before giving it to a child for consumption.

Can you get drunk off food containing alcohol?

You may get drunk after consuming a meal with alcohol only if you haven’t cooked the food long enough for the alcohol to evaporate. Most people don’t eat before dinner. This could also cause an increase in the alcohol content in your bloodstream, causing you to get drunk.


Shrimp scampi is a delicious Italian shrimp dish usually eaten with pasta. The preparation of this delicious sauce requires the addition of white wine. In the situation where you just drank the last wine you have, or maybe you don’t have wine at all, then some substitutes would give delicious flavors to your shrimp scampi dish.