This 20-minute recipe for baked shrimp with butter, garlic, and parmesan is the ultimate weeknight dinner - easy, fast, and delicious.
This baked shrimp recipe is a family favorite. My family loves it because it's so flavorful, and I love how easy it is to make. To make it, you will coat the shrimp in melted butter, season them simply, then bake them to plump, juicy perfection. They are delicious when freshly baked, alone or on a bed of noodles or greens, and the leftovers are perfect in salads.
Ingredients and Variations
See the recipe card for exact measurements. Here are my comments on some of the ingredients.
- Raw shrimp: I use large shrimp, peeled and deveined. The tails can be on or off.
- Melted butter: I use unsalted butter. Sometimes, I use olive oil instead of butter. Ghee is another tasty option. I like the rich, nutty flavor it adds.
- To season: Kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and red pepper flakes.
- Grated parmesan: It's best to use finely grated parmesan rather than coarsely shredded.
Instructions
The detailed instructions and step-by-step photos are included in the recipe card. Here's a quick overview.
Arrange the shrimp on a large, rimmed, broiler-safe baking sheet. Pour melted butter or olive oil on top and toss to coat.
Sprinkle the shrimp with kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, crushed red pepper, and grated Parmesan.
Bake the shrimp in a preheated 400°F oven until they are pink and opaque, about 8 minutes. Transfer the shrimp to a serving platter and spoon the pan juices over them. Serve immediately.
Such an easy, delicious dish that tastes and looks like you spent lots of time preparing. Watch the shrimp cooking time closely since all ovens are a little different. I served this for Valentine's Day, along with baked potato and arugula salad with lime vinaigrette, slivers of parmesan cheese, and croutons. I have permanently saved this recipe to my hard drive!
Julie Harcrow
Read more comments
Such an easy, delicious dish that tastes and looks like you spent lots of time preparing. Watch the shrimp cooking time closely since all ovens are a little different. I served this for Valentine's Day, along with baked potato and arugula salad with lime vinaigrette, slivers of parmesan cheese, and croutons. I have permanently saved this recipe to my hard drive! Recipe Tip
I typically use large shrimp (31-40 shrimp per pound) in this recipe. It's OK to use other sizes, slightly adjusting the baking time as follows:
- Medium shrimp (51-60 per pound) will need 6-7 minutes in the oven.
- Extra-large shrimp (21-25 per pound) will need around 9 minutes.
- Jumbo shrimp (16-20 per pound) will need about 10 minutes.
Shrimp are done when their flesh turns from gray and translucent to pink or orange and opaque. Another hint is that their tails will curl slightly when done, but not overly so. When they're overcooked, their tails curl into a tight circle.
Recipe FAQs
It's best to thaw them first. It's easy! Fill a large bowl with cool water. Add the shrimp. Replace the water once or twice, gently separating the frozen shrimp that have stuck together. They should be fully defrosted in about 10 minutes. Drain them using a colander, then dry them on paper towels.
Note that if your shrimp are very cold (this can happen if they have just been defrosted), the melted butter will solidify when it comes into contact with them. In this case, it's better to use olive oil.
No. This recipe uses raw shrimp. If you use pre-cooked ones, they will become overcooked.
Shrimp become stringy when overcooked because of their high protein content. The secret to preventing that is to use high heat and avoid overcooking them. On the stovetop, sear them over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes. In the oven, about 8 minutes at 400°F is all they need.
Yes, absolutely. They don't make the dish overly spicy - they simply add a layer of interesting flavor, but it's fine to omit them.
Serving Suggestions
Baked shrimp are truly versatile and pair well with many side dishes. But since I bake them in a 400°F oven, I like to serve them with a side dish I can cook in the same oven. So, I often serve them with one of the following:
Storing and Using the Leftovers
You can keep the leftovers in a shallow, airtight container in the fridge for up to three days. Reheat them, covered, in the microwave at 50% power. Or serve them cold with cocktail sauce or sriracha mayo for dipping. They are also delicious when served cold in a salad, as shown in the photo below.
Recipe Card
Butter Parmesan Baked Shrimp
Video
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pound raw shrimp - large, peeled and deveined
- ¼ cup butter - melted; or olive oil
- 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt - or ½ teaspoon of any other salt, including Morton kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ¼ cup parmesan cheese - grated
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Arrange the shrimp in a single layer on a large, rimmed, broiler-safe baking sheet.
- Pour the melted butter or olive oil on the shrimp and toss to coat.
- Sprinkle the shrimp with kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, crushed red pepper, and grated parmesan.
- Bake until the shrimp are pink and opaque, about 8 minutes. If you want the parmesan to brown, finish by broiling them for about 1 minute.
- Transfer the shrimp to a serving platter and spoon the pan juices over them. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Need to defrost your shrimp? Fill a large bowl with cool water. Add the shrimp. Replace the water once or twice, gently separating frozen shrimp that have stuck to each other. They should be fully defrosted in about 10 minutes. Drain them using a colander, then dry them on paper towels.
- If your shrimp are very cold (this can happen if you just defrosted them), the melted butter will harden when it touches them. In this case, it's better to use olive oil.
- You can keep the leftovers in the fridge in a shallow, airtight container for up to three days. Reheat them gently, covered, in the microwave at 50% power. Or serve them cold with cocktail sauce or sriracha mayo for dipping. They are also excellent when served cold in a salad.
Nutrition per Serving
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Disclaimers
Most recipes are low-carb and gluten-free, but some are not. Recommended and linked products are not guaranteed to be gluten-free. Nutrition info is approximate. Please verify it independently. The carb count excludes non-nutritive sweeteners. Please read these Terms of Use before using any of my recipes.
E. Miller says
Exceptional flavor and very easy prep.... huge value for the buck.
I did brine them in 1/2 cup of Diamond Sea Salt and 4 quarts of cool water for 20 minutes before baking. The result was moist, tender shrimp!
Vered DeLeeuw says
So glad you enjoyed this recipe! Thank you for the review and for sharing your method.
Colleen says
So easy and delicious! I did use the oil and I will definitely be using this recipe again. It was a hit.
Vered DeLeeuw says
Wonderful, Colleen! I'm so glad you enjoyed this recipe. Thank you for taking the time to review it.
Julie Harcrow says
Such an easy, delicious dish that tastes and looks like you spent lots of time preparing. Watch the shrimp cooking time closely since all ovens are a little different. I served this for Valentine's Day along with baked potato and arugula salad with lime vinaigrette, slivers of parmesan cheese and croutons. I have permanently saved this recipe to my hard drive!
Vered DeLeeuw says
Wonderful, Julie! I'm so glad you enjoyed this recipe. Your meal sounds amazing.
Pam says
Can I use cooked shrimp?
Vered DeLeeuw says
Hi Pam,
No, the shrimp should be raw.
Erna Oduber says
It tasted great, only i used sesame oil instead of melted butter or olive oil.
thank you
Vered DeLeeuw says
Sesame oil sounds lovely, Erna. Thank you for taking the time to review this recipe! I'm glad you enjoyed it.
Patricia Landstrom says
How do I access the video? Thanks for all these shrimp recipes BTW, we love shrimp!
Vered DeLeeuw says
Glad you're enjoying these recipes, Patricia.
The video is here:
https://healthyrecipesblogs.com/baked-shrimp/#recipe-video