This 20-minute recipe for baked shrimp with butter, garlic, and parmesan is a staple in my house.
It's the ultimate weeknight dinner - easy, fast, and delicious. Everyone loves it - grownups and kids!
I often cook shrimp and enjoy recipes such as grilled shrimp, sauteed shrimp, and shrimp salad. This baked shrimp recipe is especially good. It's a family favorite!
The shrimp are simply seasoned and then baked to perfection. They are excellent when freshly baked, and the leftovers are delicious in salads.
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Ingredients
You'll only need a few simple ingredients to make this recipe. The exact measurements are listed in the recipe card below. Here's an overview of what you'll need:
- Raw shrimp: I use large shrimp, peeled and deveined. The tails can be on or off.
- Melted butter: I use unsalted butter in this recipe.
- To season: Kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and red pepper flakes.
- Grated parmesan: It's best to use finely grated parmesan and not coarsely shredded.
Variations
- Sometimes, I use olive oil instead of butter. Ghee is another tasty option. I like the rich, nutty flavor it adds.
- You can add more spices. I like adding a pinch of dried thyme; paprika is also excellent in this recipe. You can add ½ teaspoon.
- Instead of garlic powder, you can toss the shrimp with a teaspoon of minced fresh garlic.
Instructions
Scroll down to the recipe card for detailed instructions. Here are the basic steps for making these baked shrimp:
Preheat your oven to 400°F. Arrange the shrimp in a single layer on a large, rimmed, broiler-safe baking sheet. Pour melted butter or olive oil over 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.
Transfer the shrimp to a serving platter and spoon the pan juices on top. Serve immediately.
The Best Shrimp Size for Baking
As mentioned above, I typically use large shrimp when making this recipe. This size means that there are 31-40 shrimp per pound.
It's OK to use other sizes, slightly adjusting the baking time:
- 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 slightly curl when they are done, but not overly so. When they're overcooked, their tails curl into a tight circle.
Recipe FAQs
It's best to defrost them first. Defrosting shrimp is easy! 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.
Note that 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.
Their small size means they're ready fast, regardless of how you cook them. I bake large shrimp for about 8 minutes in a 400°F oven.
This is one of the best things about this recipe and shrimp in general. They are ready fast!
Shrimp become stringy when overcooked because of their high protein content.
The secret to preventing that is high heat and avoiding overcooking them. On the stovetop, you'd want to sear them on medium-high heat for about 5 minutes. In the oven, about 8 minutes in a 400°F oven is all they need.
Serving Suggestions
Since I bake the shrimp 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 Leftovers
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 like this:
More Shrimp Recipes
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Recipe Card
Easy Baked Shrimp
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
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
- ¼ cup parmesan cheese - grated
Instructions
- Preheat your 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.
Video
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
Disclaimers
Cup measurements refer to the standard American cup, which is 240 milliliters. Most of my recipes are low-carb (or keto) and gluten-free, but some are not. Please verify that a recipe fits your needs before using it. Recommended and linked products are not guaranteed to be gluten-free. Nutrition info is approximate, and the carb count excludes non-nutritive sweeteners. Nutrition info may contain errors, so please verify it independently. Recipes may contain errors, so please use your common sense when following them. Please read these Terms of Use carefully before using any of my recipes.
Vered DeLeeuw, LL.M., CNC, has been following a low-carb real-food diet and blogging about it since 2011. She's a Certified Nutrition Coach (NASM-CNC), has taken courses at the Harvard School of Public Health, and has earned a Nutrition and Healthy Living Certificate from Cornell University. Her work has appeared in several major media outlets, including Healthline, HuffPost, Today, Women's Health, Shape, and Country Living. 
Erna Oduber
It tasted great, only i used sesame oil instead of melted butter or olive oil.
thank you
Vered DeLeeuw
Sesame oil sounds lovely, Erna. Thank you for taking the time to review this recipe! I'm glad you enjoyed it.
Pam
Can I use cooked shrimp?
Vered DeLeeuw
Hi Pam,
No, the shrimp should be raw.
Patricia Landstrom
How do I access the video? Thanks for all these shrimp recipes BTW, we love shrimp!
Vered DeLeeuw
Glad you're enjoying these recipes, Patricia.
The video is here:
https://healthyrecipesblogs.com/baked-shrimp/#recipe-video