Lighten up your shrimp scampi with this slow cooker version. This easy shrimp scampi recipe is served with spaghetti squash and cooked all in one pot.

PIN FOR LATER
Updated 2019
I know when most people think of slow cooking, shrimp and slow cooker usually aren’t the first 2 things that come to mind. I’m trying to change that. This is my healthy spin on shrimp scampi that only uses a few ingredients, most of which you probably already have in your frig.
What Is Spaghetti Squash?
Spaghetti squash is a cucurbita pepo vegetable. In other words, it’s a squash. The seeds inside spaghetti squash are similar to pumpkin seeds. When cooked, the inside flesh is scraped into spaghetti-like strands. Hence why spaghetti squash exploded on the scene a few years ago as a popular, healthy, alternative to spaghetti. You can cook spaghetti squash several ways, including in the slow cooker; either by itself or as a part of a recipe like you see here.

scampi sauce
What Is Shrimp Scampi?
Shrimp scampi is a popular Italian-American dish where you sauté shrimp in butter, garlic, onion, and other ingredients. I say other ingredients because shrimp scampi is another recipe where you have leeway to really make it your own. To keep my version low-carbish, paleo, and whole30, I used broth instead of white wine and ghee instead of butter.

raw spaghetti squash
After you cut the raw spaghetti squash in half crosswise, remove the seeds (saving them for roasting later if you want) and place the spaghetti squash hole side down into the scampi mixture. When cooking this recipe, the majority of the time the slow cooker is making the scampi sauce while cooking the spaghetti squash simultaneously. The shrimp is added after the squash is cooked and removed from the slow cooker. Please, please, please remember to use oven mitts or tongs when you remove the spaghetti squash from the slow cooker. It will be very hot. Rule of thumb, the squash is done when it’s soft to the touch. Please note, if you overcook it, it might get mushy on you.

spaghetti squash cooks perfectly in the slow cooker

cooked spaghetti squash
For the sauce, if you want to make the shrimp scampi sauce more buttery, add more ghee. You can use butter in place of ghee but the recipe will not be paleo or whole30 compliant. If you’re not worried about that, substitute away!

Slow Cooker Shrimp Scampi with Spaghetti Squash (Low-Carb, Paleo, Whole30)
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 3 hours
- Total Time: 3 hours 10 minutes
- Yield: Serves 4 1x
Ingredients
- 2–3 lb spaghetti squash, cut in half crosswise
- 1 lb shrimp
- 32 ounces, low-sodium broth (vegetable or chicken)
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1 small onion, diced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tsp dried parsley
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 1/4 cup ghee, melted
Instructions
- Add broth, lemon juice, onion, garlic, parsley, salt, pepper, and melted ghee to the slow cooker. Stir to mix well.
- Cut spaghetti squash in half, crosswise. Scoop out the seeds. Add the spaghetti squash the slow cooker, hole side down.
- Cook HIGH 2-3 hours or LOW 4-6, or until the spaghetti squash is soft.
- Carefully remove the spaghetti squash from the slow cooker, it will be hot. Add shrimp and cook an additional 10-20 minutes or until pink.
To serve:
Using a fork, scrape the side of the spaghetti squash so you have long, spaghetti-like strands. Top with shrimp and scampi sauce.
Notes
To remove the spaghetti squash from the slow cooker, I suggest you use oven mitts or tongs.
To make this recipe I use a large 6-quart slow cooker or Instant Pot.
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Is this recipe for fresh or frozen shrimp? Thanks!
You can use fresh or frozen!
Thumbs down no flavor, many more flavorful recipes out there will not make again.
★
Love your recipes.
Thank you so much!
Can onion powder be substituted for the onion?
Absolutely!
Can you use coconut oil instead of ghee. I don’t have ghee right now . 🙂
Sure! It might alter the taste a little by not being as ‘buttery’ though.