I love shrimp. They’re fairly easy and quick to both defrost and cook. So I love keeping a bag of frozen shrimp on hand for a quick meal. Add in an extra bit of flair and you’ve got a simple garlic butter shrimp scampi.

Tender shrimp swimming in a garlic butter sauce with just a hint of white wine and lemon. It’s an Italian-American classic that seems fancy but is shockingly easy to make at home. So, whether you’re a newbie in the kitchen or a seasoned cook, this recipe is sure to become a favorite in your meal rotation.

The best part about this easy shrimp scampi recipe? It takes just 20 minutes to prepare from start to finish, making it the perfect dish for busy weeknights. No need for takeout when you can whip up restaurant-quality classic shrimp scampi quicker than it takes to watch an episode of your favorite show. This fresh and flavorful dish comes together in one skillet with a few simple ingredients. Serve it over pasta or rice to soak up all that buttery garlic sauce.

Gather Ingredients for the Simple Shrimp Scampi Recipe

First things first, what is a classic shrimp scampi? It is, of course, a fun historical culinary adventure that gets us here. Scampi is the Italian name for a type of smaller lobster-like crustacean. Scampi aren’t typically found in the ocean near the US and Italian chefs in America likely substituted the next closest thing – shrimp. So it is shrimp that are cooked scampi-style. Which has also evolved a bit over the years. But today we’ll delve into an easy shrimp scampi recipe. Shrimp in a garlic butter and olive oil sauce with some lemon juice, white wine, and parsley.

Ingredients for Classic Shrimp Scampi

First off, we’re going to use two pounds of raw shrimp. Large-sized shrimp work best for this simple shrimp scampi recipe, but you can adjust based on your preference. Next, get your hands on some quality olive oil and butter. You’ll need 1/2 cup of each to help create that luscious, velvety sauce.

Now, for the real star of the show: garlic. Grab ten to twelve cloves of fresh garlic. The more garlic, the better in my opinion. Add some more flavor with red pepper flakes, white wine, and lemon juice. Salt and pepper to taste, as always.

To finish off our list, stock up on some fresh parsley. The green punch of color totally transforms the presentation of this dish.

Prepare the Shrimp

The shrimp are the main focus of the simple shrimp scampi recipe, even though I like to think that it is really the garlic.

Choosing the right kind of shrimp for your dish is helpful. It will mostly affect the amount of preparation you have to take before starting on the recipe proper.

And it depends on your own preferences. You may want to peel and devein the shrimp yourself. It’s a bit more work, but it does give a certain satisfaction knowing you prepared every bit of your meal. Plus, you can keep the shells for making a good shrimp stock.

On the other hand, if you’re not keen on the extra hassle, pre-peeled shrimp is the way to go. It’s convenient and gets you straight to the cooking part, which is great if you’re short on time.

You can remove the tail or leave it on. Tail-on makes for better presentation and a bit more shrimp flavor in the sauce. Tail-off makes for easier eating.

Just make sure that you get RAW shrimp. We don’t want any pre-cooked shrimp. They just won’t take on enough of the flavor from our sauce and it would be such a waste in this recipe. Plus, shrimp cook fast, so it doesn’t save much time and just gives a worse final dish.

Defrosting, If Necessary

If you’ve bought frozen shrimp, then you’ll have to defrost them first. Frozen shrimp is typically my go-to. Defrosting them isn’t a big deal and I’ll guide you through it.

Here’s my go-to method: Place your shrimp in a bowl, cover them with cold water, and let them defrost for about 20 minutes. You can change the water part way through to speed up the process a bit. Alternatively, you can put your shrimp in a colander and run cold water over them for about 5 to 10 minutes. But this uses up a lot more water, so I tend to do it the first way.

Just make sure it’s cold water. We don’t want to start cooking the shrimp early.

Once they’ve thawed out, pat them dry with some paper towels.

Seasoning the Shrimp

When it comes to seasoning, I like to keep things simple. I suggest a balanced blend of salt and pepper. Just spread the shrimp out into a single layer on a plate or baking sheet. Then generously season them, flip them, and season again.

Don’t be shy and make sure every piece gets some love.

Once you’ve seasoned your shrimp, set them aside until you’re ready to throw them into the pan. If you aren’t moving on to cooking immediately, then put the shrimp in the fridge until you begin.

Beginning with the Scampi Sauce

It’s finally time to kick off the garlic butter shrimp scampi sauce. First, we’ll melt the butter with some olive oil – to get the best of both worlds. Next, we’re gonna toss in some garlic and red pepper flakes to start building that flavor. Lastly, we’ll add a splash of lemon juice and white wine for that tangy kick. This method will give your sauce a full-bodied flavor that’s to die for. And it smells amazing. Now, let’s get cooking!

Melting Butter with Olive Oil

The first step in creating a classic shrimp scampi sauce is to melt butter with olive oil. I know what you’re thinking. Butter and oil together? Trust me, it’s a culinary match made in heaven. It’s all about balance; the olive oil prevents the butter from burning while the butter lends richness to the olive oil’s flavor.

To melt them together, you’ll want to put a generous amount of both in a large skillet over medium heat. As the butter begins to melt, you’ll notice it starting to bubble and foam, mixing beautifully with the olive oil. Stir them together to create a warm, inviting pool of liquid gold.

The aroma of the melting butter and olive oil blend is something truly remarkable. It’s warm, comforting, and makes you feel like you’re in an Italian grandmother’s kitchen. And let’s be honest, who doesn’t want that?

Adding Garlic and Red Pepper Flakes

Garlic sauteeing in a pan is one of the best smells in the world. It’s like a big, aromatic hug that screams out – ‘Get ready for some tasty food!’

Garlic will be the main flavor in our sauce. So there’s a lot of it. I can never get enough – just reference my roasted garlic recipe. But it is also not the only flavor we’ll want to add to our sauce.

So let’s introduce some spice with a pinch of red pepper flakes. This adds a subtle kick that makes the dish come to life. Remember, we’re not looking to set anyone’s mouth on fire here. We’re aiming for a gentle warmth that complements the garlic and makes your taste buds tingle. Though if you’re a bit fan of that spicy heat you can add a little extra – or even try adding some hot sauce to the mix.

It’s all about finding that perfect balance. You don’t want the garlic to overpower the other flavors, and you certainly don’t want the red pepper flakes to take over. Follow the recipe and then adjust to fit your own tastes.

Incorporating Lemon Juice and White Wine

Now it’s time to round out the flavor of our sauce. Here’s where we’ll blend in the tangy lemon juice and crisp white wine.

You’ll want to squeeze fresh lemons to get the juice for this recipe. Trust me, it’s worth the effort. The store-bought shelf-stable stuff just can’t match that zesty freshness. Pour it in, and let that zing mingle with the warm butter and oil.

Grab some white wine. I don’t drink so I know nothing about the wine world. I use a cooking wine in my recipes. You can probably do better than that. And based on my research a dry white wine is best… whatever that means. It’s a liquid so I don’t think dry really works as a descriptor.

This combination of the tart lemon and the wine’s acidity creates a beautifully balanced sauce. It’s the perfect complement to our shrimp, enhancing their flavor without overpowering it. And with the sauce ready, we’re good to start adding in the shrimp.

Cooking the Shrimp

Alright, let’s get to the heart of cooking our shrimp. First up, we’ll be sautéing the little guys right in the sauce. It’s a joy to watch them turn pink. (Which happens quickly – you can see in my photo below that the hot sauce has already started turning some of the tails even though it was off the direct heat.) Then, we’ll cook them until they’re perfectly done. Remember to stir regularly.

Sautéing the Shrimp in the Sauce

Here’s the part where the magic truly happens – sautéing the shrimp in that garlicky sauce. It’s what transforms those little shellfish into succulent bites of joy.

Toss the shrimp into the pan with the sauce. Try to get them into a single layer, so they all have space to cook evenly. Then let them cook. After a few minutes begin flipping the shrimp so both sides can cook through.

And while they’re cooking, douse the shrimp in the sauce. Make sure every single one is coated in it. Hear that sizzle?

Remember, we’re sautéing, not scorching. Keep the heat at a medium, and keep those shrimp moving in the pan.

Ensuring Perfect Doneness

Ensuring the perfect doneness of the shrimp is crucial in achieving a great dish. Trust me when I say, you don’t want to end up with rubbery or undercooked shrimp; it can ruin the whole experience.

Shrimp cooks incredibly quickly, usually in about four to five minutes for large ones. You’ll want to keep a close eye on it. And it’ll also depend on how crowded your pan is. As it cooks, the shrimp will start to curl and turn pinkish-orange. If all of your shrimp have reached that color, that’s your sign that it’s done.

Be sure to stir and flip the shrimp so all sides of all shrimp are evenly cooked in the sauce.

Remember, the key to perfectly done shrimp is vigilance.

Once the shrimp have cooked through, remove them from the heat and add in the minced parsley. This adds a pop of green color that completely transforms the presentation.

Adjusting Seasoning to Taste

Now that we’ve got our garlic butter shrimp scampi, let’s adjust the seasoning to taste. This step is all about your palate; it’s your chance to show off your culinary artistry in full swing.

Taste the sauce. Yes, go ahead and give it a good taste. What do you think? Does it need a little more salt? Maybe a dash of red pepper flakes? Too acidic? Add some more butter. Doesn’t pop enough on the palate? Add some more lemon juice. The beauty of seasoning is that it’s all up to you.

Remember, you want to enhance the natural flavors of the seafood, not overpower it. So, tread lightly with the additions. A little can go a long way. Take your time, taste often, and adjust as you go.

Serving Suggestions for this Easy Shrimp Scampi Recipe

Rice, Pasta, and Other Bases

The dish itself is complete. But it is typically not served alone. We need something to pair with our easy shrimp scampi recipe to help soak up all of that buttery sauce.

Pasta is most commonly paired with the classic shrimp scampi. Linguine, fettuccine, or even some penne can be a fantastic base. The key is to cook it until it’s al dente, so it has a slight bite to it. You could even go all-out and try your hand at making homemade pasta.

Rice is also one of my favorites. Whether you go for fluffy white or brown rice, it’s the perfect compliment to our seafood star. It absorbs all those wonderful flavors and adds a satisfying, comforting texture to your dish.

And let’s not rule out other options. Cauliflower rice, veggie noodles made with a spiralizer, or quinoa could all be great options.

Side Dishes For Garlic Butter Shrimp Scampi

Now that we’ve put the finishing touches on our main dish, we can start thinking about what to serve alongside it.

For our seafood dish, I’d recommend sides that can absorb the sauce or pair well with the flavors. Try a classic Caesar salad or a simple spring mix salad with a tangy vinaigrette. it’s a perfect contrast.

Or, if you’re after something a little heartier, roasted potatoes with rosemary would be a fantastic choice. The potatoes take on a lovely crispy exterior while remaining fluffy inside, and the rosemary adds an aromatic touch that will make your kitchen smell divine.

And of course, you can’t forget about bread. Try making my dutch oven crusty bread to go along with this meal. Or a crusty baguette or some warm garlic bread would be excellent for mopping up any leftover sauce – just be sure not to fill up on it before the main event!

Remember, the side dishes are there to enhance the meal, not overpower it. So choose wisely!

How did yours turn out?

I’d love to hear when you try out this garlic butter shrimp scampi! Take a pic of your food and share your success with me by adding it to your Instagram stories or feed, and tagging me @doyouroux, or by using #doyouroux.

Plus, leave a rating to let me know how you liked the recipe. It helps me out a lot to know how things worked out… or didn’t.

Quick and Easy Shrimp Scampi

Recipe by Marc PetersonCourse: MainDifficulty: Easy

Servings

6

servings

Prep time

10

minutes

Cooking time

10

minutes

Total time

20

minutes

Learn how to make this easy shrimp scampi recipe! This quick 20-minute skillet meal features tender shrimp swimming in an irresistible garlic butter sauce. The perfect classic shrimp scampi recipe for busy weeknights – restaurant quality results with minimal effort.

Ingredients

• 10-12 large cloves of garlic

• 4 tablespoons minced parsley

• 2 pounds large shrimp, peeled and deveined (tail optional)

• 2 teaspoons salt

• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

• 1/2 cup salted butter

• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

• 6 tablespoons white wine

• 3 tablespoons lemon juice

• Prepared pasta or rice for serving

Directions

• Mince the garlic and the parsley and set them aside
• Make sure the shrimp are defrosted if using frozen shrimp, then season them with salt and pepper on both sides and set aside
• In a large skillet, melt the butter and olive oil over medium heat, stirring occasionally
• Once the butter is fully melted, add the minced garlic and red pepper flakes and then sauté for 1-2 minutes until fragrant, stirring frequently to prevent burning
• Pour in the white wine and lemon juice and let it simmer while stirring for 2-3 minutes
• Add the shrimp in as close to a single layer as possible and cook for 2-3 minutes until just starting to turn pink
• Flip the shrimp and continue cooking for another 2-3 minutes until the shrimp are opaque, pink-orange, and fully cooked through
• Remove the skillet from heat and stir in the chopped fresh parsley
• Taste and adjust seasoning as needed, adding more lemon, salt, pepper, or red pepper if desired
• Serve the shrimp immediately over cooked pasta, rice, quinoa, or veggie noodles

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I love garlic. I basically think that there can never be too much of it. It is the second most used tag on my site, just behind butter. So I’m always looking for new ways to use this flavorful ingredient. So, why not make an easy roasted garlic recipe?

Garlic is a versatile ingredient that adds flavor to many dishes. But how to roast garlic? Roasting garlic with olive oil is an easy way to get a wonderful taste without much effort. This recipe for roasting garlic bulbs made simple is delicious, so if you want to try something new and exciting, keep reading!

Although the full timing for how long to roast garlic including prep and roasting about 50 minutes, most of that time is just sitting in the oven. The end result will be soft and creamy cloves that you can spread on toast, add to sauces and dressings, or combine with a variety of main or side dishes. Plus, it’s a great way to add an extra boost of flavor to your food. So, if you’re looking for a delicious and easy roasted garlic recipe, this one is a must-try!

Simple Ingredients for Roasted Garlic

Garlic bulbs and olive oil are all the ingredients you really need for a delicious roasted garlic recipe. A few tools – a muffin tin, aluminum foil, and an oven – will help finish the job. Just drizzle the garlic bulbs in a small amount of olive oil. And voila! You’ll have the most flavorful, garlicky roasted garlic you’ve ever tasted.

Garlic Bulbs

You can’t make roasted garlic without garlic bulbs. When selecting the bulbs for roasting, you’ll want to choose the freshest ones you can find. Look for bulbs that are firm and plump with no signs of mold or softness. I also usually try to find the bulbs with the biggest cloves possible. But that just makes peeling them afterward easier. Small garlic cloves are just more annoying to me.

And luckily before roasting, we don’t need to peel the garlic at all. This is truly roasting garlic bulbs made simple.

Roasting the garlic transforms it into something wholly new. It still has the flavor of garlic, but mellowed out when compared to raw garlic. It will be creamy and slightly sweet due to the caramelization that takes effect while roasting. Not quite as sweet as caramelized onions, but a similar effect.

Olive Oil

Roasted garlic with olive oil also requires some olive oil. And not just any old olive oil will do. You want to get yourself an extra-virgin variety. It has a more intense olive oil flavor that can really add to the taste of the garlic when it’s roasted.

When it comes to using olive oil, you don’t want to skimp, but you also don’t need to drown the garlic. You should use enough to really coat the garlic cloves. Too little olive oil can result in dried-out garlic that won’t have that nice, creamy texture.

Preparing the Garlic

We can’t just coat the papery outside of the garlic with olive oil and hope that gives us roasted garlic bulbs. Some preparation is involved in making sure we get that super creamy and flavorful roasted garlic with olive oil. Luckily it doesn’t take long.

Slice the Garlic Bulbs

With the ingredients out for our easy roasted garlic recipe, let’s get started with the prep work. First, we’ll need to slice the top off of the bulbs.

When slicing the bulbs, we’ll try to cut off as little as possible while also exposing the tops of each clove. This allows the olive oil to get in and do its magic while it sits in the oven. Cut between 1/4-inch and 1/2-inch down from the top of the garlic bulbs. We won’t be roasting the top part we cut off, so it can be discarded. There’s just not enough garlic there to be worth it.

Arrange Garlic in a Muffin Tin

I’ve elected to use muffin tins as the perfect vessel for roasting garlic bulbs made simple. They’re meant for baking, they can hold a lot of individual bulbs in place, and they make it so you need less foil to cover the garlic. I use this Le Creuset muffin tin because it is amazingly non-stick and I got it at one of their factory-to-table sales.

Simply lay the garlic bulbs cut-side up in the muffin tin. One bulb per muffin cup. This will make it quite easy to cook the garlic with the olive oil.

Now that you’ve got your garlic arranged in a muffin tin, all that’s left to do is top them off before we pop them in the oven. If you don’t have a muffin tin, then you can wrap each individual bulb fully in foil – similar to a baked potato. Then just top with olive oil as in the next section before closing up the foil.

Add the Olive Oil

It’s time to add the olive oil to the mix! Drizzle a generous amount of olive oil over the garlic cloves, evenly coating them. This will give them a delicious, savory flavor while helping them cook evenly. Roasting garlic in olive oil is the perfect way to get the most of its flavor. This will help the garlic caramelize and turn a gorgeous golden color.

Drizzle one to two teaspoons of extra virgin olive oil on top of each garlic bulb. Try your best to drizzle it over every clove so they all have relatively even coverage. Some oil will pool at the bottom of the muffin cup.

Top with Foil

Now we’ll be covering the top of the exposed garlic with foil. This is to help prevent the top from overcooking while in the oven.

You may cover the entire top of the muffin tin with a large sheet of foil. But, to save on foil, I’ll be covering each bulb with its own little square. Just tear or cut off a small piece of foil, place it on top of the garlic bulb, and form it to the top so that there isn’t a bunch of empty air between them.

You are now ready to pop the garlic in the oven and watch it transform into a delicious flavor bomb. Or, probably don’t watch it, because it’ll be in the oven for a while.

How Long to Roast Garlic

With everything prepared for roasting garlic bulbs made simple, we’re ready to get to the actual cooking. Start with an oven preheated to 400°F (205°C). With the oven preheated, it’s time to place the muffin tin with the garlic into the oven. And then it is simply down to how long to roast garlic to get perfect results.

Just pop it in, close the oven door, and let it cook. No need to touch it or intervene until the time is up. Roast the garlic cloves for about 40 minutes. This should be enough time to get them nice and golden and even a little bit charred in some areas. As a bonus, you’ll also have the delightful aroma of garlic, making your kitchen smell amazing.

Check the Garlic for Doneness

After reaching the perfect time for how long to roast garlic, it’s time to open the oven door and take a peek. The garlic should be golden brown and the cloves should be soft to the touch, and if it isn’t, you can give it a few more minutes.

To ensure that the garlic cloves are cooked through, you can use a knife to check. If the knife pierces the garlic easily, that means it’s roasted to perfection.

Just make sure to keep an eye on it so it doesn’t burn.

Once you are happy with the doneness, take the muffin tin out of the oven and let the garlic cool down. Now you have some delicious roasted garlic to use!

Using this Easy Roasted Garlic Recipe

Using roasted garlic is one of my favorite ways to add flavor to dishes. It’s a great addition to any meal and will give it a unique flavor. After knowing how long to roast garlic, it now comes down to knowing how to use it best.

Letting the Garlic Cool

Now that your garlic has been roasted to perfection, it’s time to let it cool.

The best way to cool down roasted garlic with olive oil is to simply move it from the muffin tin to a plate or cutting board. If you need to speed up the cooling process, you can pop the plate in the fridge or freezer for a few minutes.

Once the garlic has cooled down enough to handle, you can start separating out the cloves so you can use or store them for later.

Separating the Roasted Garlic Cloves

Once it’s cooled enough to handle, you can either squeeze out the cloves, peel back the papery layers to get to the cloves, or use a fork to remove them. The cloves should come out soft and creamy.

The cloves don’t need to come out cleanly to be enjoyed. Trust me, they taste good no matter how mangled they end up looking. I ended up just peeling out each clove to make sure nothing got lost. But be prepared for your hands to get oily in the process.

Adding Roasted Garlic with Olive Oil to Recipes

You may have something in mind for your roasted garlic already, but below are a few other ideas. Adding roasted garlic to dishes is an easy way to instantly upgrade the flavor, and it can be used in all kinds of recipes.

Try using it with the following recipes:

• Mix into Homestyle Mashed Potatoes
• Make Delicious Garlic Bread
• Use it in Soups like Chicken and Lentil Soup, Butternut Squash Soup, or Rosemary Potato Soup
• Add it to bread dough before baking for a new twist
• Use it to Stuff Steak – I had the most delicious roasted garlic stuffed steak from The Ranch at Las Colinas, so now I need to try to make this at home since I don’t live in Texas any more…

Not only can you add roasted garlic cloves to dishes, but you can also spruce up some of your favorite condiments with them. For example, you can add roasted garlic cloves to a homemade mayonnaise or aioli to add a unique flavor. Or, if you’re feeling adventurous, you can try adding them to a pesto.

Use it to level up your condiments:

• Make a Roasted Garlic Aioli
• Upgrade your Gravy
• Substitute Roasted Garlic for Regular in Homemade Pesto
• Use it in Hummus
• Make a Compound Butter
• Use it in Salad Dressings and other Sauces

You can also use roasted garlic as a spread. It’s a great condiment for sandwiches, pizza, and even tacos. Just mash it up with a bit of butter or olive oil and salt and you’ve got a tasty spread in no time.

So there you have it – there are plenty of ways to make use of your roasted garlic.

Storing Roasted Garlic

Depending on how much roasted garlic with olive oil you’ve made and plan to use, you will likely have some extra. In fact, I usually try to roast a lot of garlic at once

Luckily the cloves will store well in either the fridge or freezer depending on your own timeframe. Just make sure to use it all up before it goes bad because it would be such a shame to waste any of this roasted gold flavor.

Place in an Airtight Container

Storing the roasted garlic in an airtight container will help it last longer. and you can enjoy roasted garlic in more things. I’ve got a few tips to make sure it’s stored properly.

Use any airtight container – from ziploc bags, to tupperware, to glass mason jars and more. I really love my glass storage containers for leftovers or extras. Use ziploc bags or vacuum-sealed bags when freezing your roasted garlic.

Next, make sure the lid fits or seals snuggly. More air will cause it to spoil quicker. And make sure it’s still tight after every time you use it.

Finally, consider labeling the container – especially if it is going into the freezer. That way, you’ll know exactly what’s inside and when it was stored. It’s never good to pull something out of the freezer and it is an unknown item from who knows how long ago.

Refrigerate or Freeze the Roasted Garlic

Refrigerate or freeze your roasted cloves to keep them around for longer. It’s important to remember that the roasted garlic won’t last forever.

If you’re planning to use it within a few days, put it in an airtight container and refrigerate it. To get the most out of your garlic, it’s best to use it within a week of being refrigerated. But if you’re looking to store it for longer, freezing is the way to go.

Freezing roasted garlic is actually quite simple. All you need to do is place the cloves in a ziploc bag. Make sure to push out as much air as possible and then seal the bag. Label and date the bag, and then place it in the freezer. Frozen roasted garlic will keep up to three months.

When you’re ready to use the frozen garlic, you can thaw it out in the refrigerator for a few hours. Or, if you’re like me, just break off as much as you need, mince it, and toss it in a pan to start off my recipe.

So next time you’re looking for something special, try this recipe for roasting garlic bulbs made simple!

How did yours turn out?

I’d love to hear when you try out this easy roasted garlic recipe! Take a pic of your food and share your success with me by adding it to your Instagram stories or feed, and tagging me @doyouroux, or by using #doyouroux.

Plus, leave a rating to let me know how you liked the recipe. It helps me out a lot to know how things worked out… or didn’t.

How to Roast Garlic with Olive Oil

Recipe by Marc PetersonCourse: Condiment, IngredientDifficulty: Easy

Servings

8

servings

Prep time

15

minutes

Cooking time

40

minutes

Total time

55

minutes

Learn how to make this easy roasted garlic recipe with olive oil for the perfect delightfully creamy mellow garlic flavor.

Ingredients

• Whole garlic bulbs

• 1 to 2 teaspoons olive oil per bulb

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 400°F (205°C)
• Slice the tops off of the garlic bulbs, about 1/4 to 1/2-inch down
• Place each garlic bulb in the cup of a muffin tin and drizzle 1 to 2 teaspoons of olive oil over each bulb
• Cover each bulb with a square of aluminum foil
• Put the muffin tin into the oven and bake for 40 to 45 minutes
• Remove the garlic from the oven, let it cool enough to handle, separate the garlic cloves, and use immediately or store in the fridge or freezer for later use

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I’ve got an alliteration problem. See my pesto pizza pasta salad or my chocolate chipotle chili con carne. I’m back at it again. This time with a perfect pillowy-soft puffy pita recipe. I just can’t help myself. Sorry.

I honestly wanted to make a spanakopita dip with homemade fried pita bread for dipping. And in order to make that, I would need some delicious pitas to make it possible. So, after a little trial and error, I have a delicious pita recipe. What we’re going to make today is a simple pita recipe where the end result has that perfect pillowy softness.

These are a little bit thicker and fluffier than most pitas usually are. Partially to get the soft, pillowy insides. And partially to make frying them work better for my other recipe. Trust me, this is the perfect pita bread for whatever you have in mind.

With just a few ingredients and some simple steps, it is possible to create a delicious, pillowy-soft puffy pita recipe, perfect for your next meal.

Equipment to Make the Pita Recipe

One of the best parts of this recipe is that you don’t really need much in the way of equipment to make it. You can choose to use more mechanical equipment, but it actually seemed to work best when made by hand.

At its most basic, you’ll need a mixing bowl, a mixing spoon, a knife or bench scraper, a towel, and a frying pan to make this recipe. This process is simple and it involves hand mixing, hand kneading, and hand shaping of the pita dough.

You could also use a stand mixer with a dough hook to mix together and knead the dough. And you can use a rolling pin to shape and roll out the individual pitas.

But I prefer hand kneading and shaping. I think it helps, especially during the shaping, to achieve fully puffed and airy pitas. While kneading, it is also easier to tell when the dough has fully come together because you will feel it as you continue to work it.

Pillowy-soft Pita Dough Ingredients

Just six simple ingredients make up this recipe: flour, water, yeast, sugar, olive oil, and salt.

For the flour, I recommend quality bread flour. You can use all-purpose flour but it would likely require less water. Because bread flours tend to have a higher protein content, they need more water to hydrate properly. Try using about 1/3 cup less water for all-purpose flour.

And for the yeast, use active dry yeast. I prefer the Red Star Active Dry Yeast because it is good quality for a reasonable price. Unlike instant yeast, this one requires activation before mixing together with all of the other ingredients. This is accomplished by combining the yeast, sugar, and some of the warm water together and letting it sit for 10 to 15 minutes.

I recommend using kosher salt and good-quality olive oil to round out the recipe.

Pita Recipe Steps

If you want to make pita bread at home, then here is a guide that will help you get started. These general steps are all that are needed:

1. Mix the Dough

First, activate the yeast with some water and sugar. Then mix in the remaining ingredients to form a shaggy dough. Turn it out and knead it until it comes together in a smooth ball of dough.

2. Rise the Dough

Give the dough a light coating of olive oil, put it in a bowl, cover it with a towel and then let it sit for about an hour in a warm spot until it has doubled in size. Tip – warm up your oven a little and then turn it off for a warm spot during the winter.

3. Shape the Pitas

Now it’s time to start shaping the pitas. Divide the dough into eight roughly equal parts. Then, you’ll roll each part of the dough into a ball. Let those rest for 10 minutes. Then, roll or stretch the balls into thin circles roughly 8 inches in diameter.

4. Cook the Pitas

Heat up a frying pan on medium heat. Place a pita into the hot frying pan and cook it for 2-3 minutes before flipping and cooking another 2-3 minutes until done. Repeat until all pitas are cooked.

5. Top or Fill

Once your pitas are fully cooked, use them however you see fit!

How to Make the Pita Dough

Because we aren’t using instant yeast, this simple dough starts with the activation of the yeast. Remember to use warm but not hot water to activate the yeast. It’s a delicate balance. Water that is too hot can kill the yeast. If you want to be exact, use an instant-read thermometer to get water between 105°F (40°C) and 115°F (46°C).

After the yeast is activated, add the remaining ingredients. Stir it all together (I like to use a wooden spoon for this). It’ll mix together into a fairly loose, shaggy dough – see the upper left photo in the collage above.

Turn the dough out of the bowl and onto a clean, lightly floured surface. Knead the dough for 10 to 15 minutes. At first, it’ll be fairly sticky but as you continue to knead it will come together more. It’ll firm up and eventually will be a smooth, elastic ball of dough.

If you’ve been kneading for 10 to 15 minutes and it still isn’t smooth, then add a little bit more flour and knead it in.

When you’ve finished kneading, lightly coat the ball of dough with olive oil and put it in a bowl. Cover it loosely with a towel and leave it in a warm spot to rise. Let it rest and rise until it is doubled in size, about an hour.

Once it has risen, dump that dough ball out onto a floured work surface. Divide it into eight roughly equal portions. If you really want to have even sizes, you can measure them out with a scale. But it really isn’t that important. Trust me, it is okay.

Shape each portion into a ball. I like to do this by pinching it together at the back. After shaping them all, let them rest, covered with a towel, for 10 more minutes.

How to Shape A Pita

With everything divided and first shaped into eight dough balls, we’re ready to form the actual pitas. The goal here is to flatten the dough into 8-inch rounds.

You can do this by hand or using a rolling pin. I prefer hand-shaping because it is a bit more gentle on the dough, and it also gives the final results less of a completely flat surface so the pitas have a bit more character.

I start hand-shaping by pressing down in the center of the ball of dough. Then I pick it up and pinch my thumbs into my fingers and stretch it out as I rotate the pita in my hands. Feel around the pita for any thicker spots that need to be stretched out, especially towards the center or the very edges of the dough.

Note that I do find it helpful to do two final shapes. Stretch them as much as they will go at first, then set them down and keep shaping the others. Come back after it has had a couple of minutes of rest and it’ll be easier to keep stretching out to a final shape.

Try to get it to between about 1/8 and 1/4-inch in thickness.

If you’re using a rolling pin, just roll over the dough until it is flattened.

Pita Recipe Cooking

I’ve seen a few different methods for cooking pitas, including using a preheated pizza stone in the oven to help cook them. I kept it simple and just turned to a frying pan on the stovetop.

To cook mine, I simply preheated the frying pan over medium heat. Then I added in one of the shaped pita rounds.

Let it cook for a few minutes on one side and then flip and cook the other side for a few minutes until done. Each side should be lightly browned in spots, as seen in the photo above.

I didn’t use any kind of fat or anything in the pan itself. But, you could wipe the pan down beforehand with a small bit of olive oil and then between pitas if you really wanted to or found that your pan was sticking. For me, it never stuck to the pan, possibly because of a light dusting of flour that the dough had accumulated.

How to Use This Pita Recipe

This pita recipe is quite versatile and can be used in a variety of meals and appetizers.

To start off, I made this recipe initially to fry and pair with a spanakopita dip. This turned out delicious and I highly recommend giving it a try. The pita turns out deliciously crunchy on the outside and pillowy on the inside. Dunking it in the dip really combines for a unique flavor combo.

You can also try making any of the following:

• Flatbreads
• Gyros
• Pita Pockets
• Hummus Dipper

However you use it, I promise that it will be delicious.

How did yours turn out?

I’d love to hear when you try out this puffy pita recipe! Take a pic of your food and share your success with me by adding it to your Instagram stories or feed, and tagging me @doyouroux, or by using #doyouroux.

Plus, leave a rating to let me know how you liked the recipe. It helps me out a lot to know how things worked out… or didn’t.

Perfect Pillowy-soft Puffy Pitas

Recipe by Marc PetersonCourse: Baked Goods, SidesDifficulty: Easy

Servings

8

servings

Prep time

30

minutes

Cooking time

25

minutes

Rise Time

1

hour 

10

minutes

Total time

2

hours 

5

minutes

So you want to eat a pillowy soft puffy pita? Here’s how to make one! Learn to make the perfect fluffy, puffy pita bread in around 2 hours.

Ingredients

• 9.5 grams (2.5 teaspoons) active dry yeast

• 5 grams (1 teaspoon) sugar

• 350 grams (1/2 cup plus 1 and 1/4 cup) warm water, divided

• 500 grams (3 1/2 cups) bread flour (more for dusting)

• 15 grams (2 tablespoons) extra-virgin olive oil

• 10 grams (1.5 teaspoons) kosher salt

Directions

• In a large mixing bowl add 100 grams of warm water and stir in the yeast and sugar until dissolved
• Let it rest until the yeast is active and starts to foam up a bit, about 10 to 15 minutes
• Add in all remaining ingredients (flour, olive oil, salt, and remaining water) and stir it together until a loose, shaggy dough forms
• Turn it out onto a floured work surface and knead for 10 minutes until it becomes smooth and elastic
• Coat the ball of dough with a small amount of olive oil and place it in a bowl, loosely covered with a towel
• Let the dough rise in a warm spot until doubled, about 1 hour depending on your environment
• Pour the dough out onto a floured work surface and divide it into 8 roughly equal-sized portions
• Roll and pinch the pieces into small dough balls and let them sit, covered with a towel for about 10 minutes
• Shape the balls into flat pita rounds by either rolling them out with a rolling pin or hand-shaping by pinching and rotating until they are between 1/8 and 1/4-inch thick
• Heat a frying pan over medium heat and cook the pitas individually for 2-3 minutes on each side until lightly browned

Notes

• If your house is cold, turn on the oven for a few minutes and then turn it off again for a warm spot the dough can rise

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The post The Perfect Pillowy-soft Puffy Pita Recipe appeared first on Do You Roux?.

While living in Texas we invited our friends over for dinner. I was making my chicken pot pie and we asked them to bring a side or salad. When they showed up for dinner, they had brought quite a large salad. We tossed the salad together and had it on the side with the pot pie. It was delicious. And it became the basis for this apple walnut spring mix salad.

About halfway through the meal, we learned that one of our friends had never had a pot pie that she liked. And so the salad was really brought to be a backup meal for her. Fortunately, she did enjoy the pot pie (at least that’s what she said…) but we also thoroughly enjoyed the salad.

I haven’t always been the biggest fan of salads, but I was on board with this one. My wife especially enjoys it, this is one of her favorites.

I love how food can be all about sharing and enjoying together. And in my house when we request or talk about this salad, we just call it the Hansen salad. Cause that’s who shared it with us.

But I don’t know if that is a descriptive enough name for the site, so apple walnut spring mix salad it is.

Spring Mix Salad

This salad comes together quickly and is assembled by just tossing everything together. Just make sure that you start out with washed and prepared greens that are ready to eat.

Only the bacon needs to be cooked beforehand. And a bunch of the ingredients must be chopped. But other than that it is a cinch to make.

Optionally, you can set all of the toppings out in bowls separate from the greens. That way, people can assemble their own plates according to their tastes and any dietary restrictions. This is especially helpful if you are having a large group together with this salad.

For the dressing, I highly recommend a salad dressing shaker or a mason jar with a lid. The salad dressing likes to separate and a good, vigorous shaking together will help it stay emulsified long enough to serve. Stirring the dressing together is not as effective.

You can make the dressing ahead of time if desired. It will keep in the fridge for 2 to 4 weeks. Technically it could also be stored on the counter since all of the ingredients are shelf-stable. But that feels weird once you’ve mixed it up.

Salad Remix

There’s always an opportunity in cooking for changes and alterations in recipes. It’s the fun spice of life that makes cooking interesting in my opinion.

I think originally whenever our friends brought this salad over, the greens were all baby spinach. I like a little more variety to the greens, so I made it a spring mix salad. Spring mix includes a whole combination of greens and lettuces for different flavors and textures. But you could always try substituting with straight baby spinach, or whatever other greens you happen to have on hand.

Mixing up all of the other ingredients can be a fun adventure as well.

For the nuts, replace the walnuts with pecans or almonds. For the cheese, substitute the feta with another creamy variety like crumbled goat or gorgonzola. Toss in some blueberries or other fruit to add another dimension.

However you like it, make it your own. And enjoy this salad as either your next main dish or as the best side salad you’ve ever tasted.

Apple Walnut Spring Mix Salad

Recipe by Marc PetersonCourse: SaladsDifficulty: Easy

Servings

6

servings

Prep time

20

minutes

Cooking timeminutes

Total time

20

minutes

Creamy feta and avocado combine with crisp apple, bacon, and walnuts with a delightfully acidic dressing in this perfect spring mix salad

Ingredients

• Dressing

• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

• 1 tablespoon sugar

• 3 tablespoons white vinegar

• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

• Salad

• 6 cups washed spring mix greens

• 3 to 4 strips cooked bacon

• 1/2 cup chopped red onion

• 1 large avocado

• 1 large apple

• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

• 1/3 cup craisins

• 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

• 1/2 cup prepared dressing

Directions

• Dressing
• Combine all dressing ingredients in a container with a lid
• Vigorously shake the container until the dressing is thoroughly combined
• Store the dressing in the fridge until ready to use, shaking to combine again just before serving
• Salad
• Crumble the cooked bacon
• Chop the red onion, avocado, apple, and walnuts into 1/4-inch to 1/2-inch pieces
• Add the spring mix greens to a large bowl
• Top the greens with crumbled bacon, chopped red onion, chopped avocado, chopped apple, chopped walnuts, craisins, and feta cheese
• Toss the salad together with tongs
• Serve into bowls and top with salad dressing

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The post Easy Apple Walnut Spring Mix Salad Recipe appeared first on Do You Roux?.

Take a potato. Bake it. Baked potato. Ok, there’s a little bit more in how to make a baked potato. But it isn’t difficult and there are just a few tricks that will help elevate your potato game to perfection. So, read on and take notes to kick your spuds into high gear.

It is a fairly simple concept in and of itself. Apply heat to the root vegetables and the starches inside will absorb moisture and soften up. A similar process happens when rice cooks as well. So when it is done cooking we have something edible instead of a hard, crunchy root.

The goal of a baked potato is to get the inside perfectly fluffy, yet moist. This entails cooking it fully through so that it is no longer tough, but not cooking it so much that it begins to dry out. It is a delicate balance and can take a little practice to truly get down right.

For something truly incredible, try using these perfectly baked potatoes in other dishes that start with cooked potatoes. Twice-baked potatoes, breakfast potato hash, potato salad, or baked potato soup.

Tricks for Good Spuds

Always start with a deep scrubbing of your potatoes. An inexpensive vegetable brush can help to thoroughly clean all of your vegetables before cooking. This is just good practice to wash and sometimes scrub all produce before using and eating. Especially for root vegetables, give them a good scrub before you think about popping them in your mouth.

This next tip of mine may be a bit controversial. I recommend wrapping potatoes with foil before baking. I think this helps to keep them from drying out. They also have less tendency to overcook when wrapped. However, it also doesn’t give as crispy of an outside skin, which some people love. For a crispier skin, you can take potatoes out of the foil for the last 15 minutes or so of cook time.

Before closing the foil and tossing everything into the oven, brush the potatoes with butter or olive oil. Then sprinkle them with salt and pepper for the bake. This adds a whole lot of flavor and protects against drying them out.

And finally, put the potatoes on a baking sheet. You don’t want any butter, oil, etc. dripping down in your oven. It will start burning and smoking. Then the smoke will leak out of the oven and create a big haze in your house. Then you have to open windows and turn on fans to clear things up. Definitely not speaking from personal experience, I heard it from a friend it happened to once…

Baked Potato Creations

A baked potato alone isn’t the most appetizing, even when cooked perfectly. It just doesn’t have enough flavor by itself. You need a little something to go with it. Add more than a little and you can have yourself a full meal with the potato as the base.

For a classic baked potato use any of the following toppings: butter, sour cream, chives, chopped bacon, shredded cheese, dill, and cheese sauce. This potato can be served as a side – especially with a great grilled steak. It can also be served as a meal.

But to really elevate the humble baked potato to full meal status, try topping it with something outside of the ordinary: pulled pork, chili, broccoli and white cheddar sauce, shredded turkey and gravy, buffalo sauce and gorgonzola, bbq chicken, or pesto and chicken.

And you can really make a night of it by having all of the toppings available at a baked potato bar. This is a very simple meal for a large group. The potatoes can easily stay warm for a while. Everyone can customize to their heart’s content. And honestly, who doesn’t love the starchy goodness of potatoes?

How to Make the Perfect Baked Potato

Recipe by Marc PetersonCourse: SidesDifficulty: Easy

Servings

6

servings

Prep time

15

minutes

Cooking time

50

minutes

Total time

1

hour 

5

minutes

From basic side to full-on meal, the humble baked potato is a versatile food – so learn how to make them flavorful and fluffy

Ingredients

• 6 large russet potatoes

• 3 tablespoons butter, melted

• 1 and 1/2 teaspoons salt

• 3/4 teaspoon pepper

Directions

• Wash and scrub the potatoes, then poke them on all sides with a fork to give steam an escape while cooking
• Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C)
• Tear out 6 foil sheets, large enough to fully wrap an individual potato
• Put a potato in the center of a foil sheet, top with 1/2 tbsp butter, salt, pepper, and wrap it together, pinching the top closed
• Repeat step 4 with all remaining potatoes
• Place the wrapped potatoes on a baking sheet and put it in the oven for 50 minutes
• After 50 minutes, test the potatoes by sticking a knife or fork through the largest one and seeing if it slides through smoothly. If so, it is done, if there is still resistance, keep cooking and checking every 5 minutes until done
• Once they are done cooking, pull them out of the oven and open up the foil to let them cool slightly, then remove them from the foil and serve with whatever toppings are desired

The post How to Make the Perfect Baked Potato appeared first on Do You Roux?.

As far as I can remember, this oven-roasted asparagus recipe came about when we went to the pantry and fridge to make some food. We didn’t necessarily have a plan. Stand and look at the pantry for 5 minutes. Stand with the fridge door open for 5 minutes. Repeat until food ideas come.

Or sometimes just decide to get something out.

But not on that fateful day. I’m pretty sure I saw asparagus and lemons and realized they were both the most perishable items left. Better use them before they go bad. That’s how a lot of my food ideas happen. Because I don’t always shop with a specific meal plan in mind…

So I laid them out on the counter and tried to think of how they might go together. Parmesan and pine nuts made the cut. And after a quick mix, it went into the oven for a good roasting.

Pretty good for a quick side dish.

Lots of Options

Thin or thick asparagus. Whole or chopped. Grilled, roasted, blanched, or sautéed.

As you can tell from the title of this recipe, I decided to roast this asparagus. It is a very easy method and quite hands-off. Just check it every once in a while and take it out before it gets too soft.

And because I was roasting, I decided on thinner asparagus. In my opinion, thicker asparagus is better when grilling. It can stand up to those direct flames and get a nice char without overcooking inside.

I also don’t think I have ever chopped the asparagus either. I like it whole. Though I could see 2 to 3-inch lengths of asparagus being much easier to sauté and blanch.

The pine nuts are optional for this recipe. I think they add a great texture and creamy contrast to the asparagus. But I also recognize that they are way too expensive. So you can leave them off or try substituting them for a different kind of nut. Let me know if you find one that you think works better.

Just do whatever feels right for you.

To help keep the asparagus fresh, you can slice off about 1/4 inch from the bottom and place them in water. Just like you would with fresh cut flowers. They will suck that water up and stay crisp in time for your meal. If you are using asparagus within a couple of days of shopping, then it is not really necessary.

Prep Work for Oven Roasted Asparagus

Though it is a very hands-off method, the asparagus will still need a little preparation.

First off, nobody likes the woody, chewy, bottom stems of the asparagus. So chop off about an inch or so from the base. Do not skip this step. Or all you will remember about this side dish is the stringy, non-chewable end of the asparagus that ruined your meal. Note – these trimmings are great for compost if you have one.

And for mixing everything together you have some options. You can mix it in a separate bowl as I suggest in the recipe. Or you can cut out a dish and mix it all together right on the baking sheet. It is a little more difficult to get things evenly mixed. And it can sometimes get a little messy.

But it makes for one less dish to clean later. Which I am all about.

Oven Roasted Asparagus with Parmesan

Recipe by Marc PetersonCourse: SidesDifficulty: Easy

Servings

5

servings

Prep time

10

minutes

Cooking time

20

minutes

Total time

30

minutes

Super-easy method to oven-roast asparagus as a savory side

Ingredients

• 1 pound asparagus

• 2 tablespoons lemon juice

• 1/4 cup shredded parmesan

• 1/4 cup olive oil

• 1/4 cup pine nuts (optional)

• Pinch of salt

• Pinch of pepper

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C)
• Remove the woody ends of the asparagus by trimming about an inch off of the base
• In a medium mixing bowl, combine all ingredients and stir until the asparagus is thoroughly coated
• Evenly spread the asparagus out onto a baking sheet
• Put the asparagus in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes until lightly charred and tender, but not mushy

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