Say goodbye to over-cooked rubbery shrimp forever. With this foolproof Roasted Shrimp Recipe, you're guaranteed juicy, gorgeous shrimp every single time. We kept the ingredients list for this one super simple so that the flavor of those perfectly cooked shrimp can really shine through!
This recipe requires no chopping or waiting for water to boil. The prep and cook times are super short and you literally only need oil, salt, pepper, and shrimp! It's one of those no-fuss recipes that offers big reward for little effort. Plus, we are going to let you in on all of our best tips and tricks for shrimp success!
Roasted Shrimp is a family-friendly dinner both the grown-ups and the kids love, but it can also be served as a shrimp cocktail appetizer. When serving it this way, I'll simply roast the shrimp beforehand and pop it in the fridge. When it's time to serve, I pull pull it out, along with either some melted butter or cocktail sauce, and hit them with a squeeze of lemon juice. It's the perfect make-ahead appetizer for entertaining!
If you absolutely adore shrimp as much as we do and you're looking for more easy restaurant-quality dishes to add to your dinnertime lineup, be sure to check out our Crab Stuffed Shrimp and Shrimp Tacos!
ROASTED SHRIMP INGREDIENTS
- Shrimp | for this recipe you will need 16/25 – count shrimp. Note, when it comes to staying on par with your cook time, going by the shrimp count is more effective than purchasing shrimp based on descriptive words such as jumbo or extra-large. If your shrimp is frozen, simply place it in a bowl of cold ice water and allow it to thaw for about 30 to 45 minutes. Do not cook frozen shrimp.
- Kosher salt | Kosher salt is less sharp in flavor than your standard table or sea salt. If you do not have kosher salt and plan to sub in another type of salt, you will need to cut the quantity of salt back.
- Black pepper | The pepper in this recipe will not make your shrimp spicy, however, if you are looking to spice up your roasted shrimp, feel free to sub in red pepper flakes!
- Olive oil | if you do not have olive oil, you could also use avocado or canola oil.
HOW TO MAKE ROASTED SHRIMP
- Preheat the oven and prep the pan.
- Peel and devein the shrimp.
- Pat away excess moisture with paper towels.
- Drizzle with oil and season.
- Roast for 10 minutes, or until cooked through.
1. PREHEAT THE OVEN AND PREP THE PAN
The first thing you want to do is make sure to preheat your oven to 400 degrees before you begin working with the shrimp. Because the shrimp cook through so quickly, it's important that your oven is at the proper temperature before you begin. Otherwise, it will throw off your cook time.
Prepare a baking sheet with nonstick aluminum foil. Depending on the size of your baking sheet, you might need two. The key is to make sure the shrimp is in a single layer and that there is a bit of space between each shrimp. They should not be crammed together.
For successful Roasted Shrimp, you'll need to allow space between each shrimp to make room for heated air to flow and move in between them, which promotes even cooking.
2. PEEL AND DEVEIN
Once you have your pan prepped and the oven preheated, you can move on to the shrimp. To prep your shrimp for cooking, you'll first need to peel it and devein it. Whether or not you want to leave the tails on is entirely up to you.
To peel your shrimp, use a paring knife or kitchen shears to make a cut down the back of the shrimp shell. Then peel the shell away. Use the tip of your paring knife to pick up the vein, and pull it out and away with your fingers. To remove the tails, gently twist the tails and pull them right off!
3. PAT WITH PAPER TOWELS
For Roasted Shrimp, you'll need to pat the shrimp dry with paper towels, removing the excess moisture from the exterior. This small task helps for oil to stick to the shrimp, which in turn helps the seasoning to stay put.
A quick and easy way to do this is to lay a few layers of paper towels flat on the counter, place a single layer of shrimp on top, add a few more layers of paper towels over the shrimp, and gently press until you feel the towels have started to pick up moisture from the shrimp.
4. DRIZZLE WITH OIL AND SEASON
Once you have patted away all of the excess moisture, place the shrimp on the prepared baking sheet and drizzle the shrimp with olive oil. You could also use avocado or canola oil if preferred. Season with salt and pepper across the top of the shrimp and toss until all of the shrimp are evenly coated in oil, salt, and pepper.
5. ROAST
Transfer the pan to the oven and cook the shrimp for about 10 minutes, or until they are semi-firm and fully cooked through. How long it actually takes your shrimp to cook through, depends on your shrimp size but we'll get into that more below.
You'll know your shrimp have cooked through when they are completely opaque and no longer translucent looking. The shrimp should also be semi-firm to the touch.
SHRIMP SIZE AFFECTS COOK TIME
When making Roasted Shrimp, it is important to note the indicated size of the shrimp. For this recipe you will need extra-large shrimp, also sometimes called jumbo shrimp. Because the descriptive words for shrimp can vary, it's actually much more effective to go by the shrimp count rather than the names. The count you are looking for is 16/25. This means that there are going to be 16 to 25 shrimp per pound.
The reason why the shrimp size is significant is that smaller shrimp will cook much faster in the oven, and larger shrimp will take longer to cook through.
If by some chance you are unable to obtain 16/25 count shrimp, then you would need to adjust your cook time.
6 SIDE DISHES FOR ROASTED SHRIMP
- Air Fryer Asparagus
- Creamy Pesto Sauce
- Cajun Rice
- Red Lobster Biscuits
- Classic House Salad
- Veggie Bake
Air Fryer Asparagus
Cajun Rice
Creamy Pesto Sauce
Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuits
Veggie Bake
Classic House Salad | Recipe
Roasted Shrimp is one of those recipes that almost seems too easy for how delicious it is. Quick, simple, and perfect for the whole family!
- 2 lb 16/25 count shrimp (often labeled jumbo shrimp), peeled and deveined
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- ¾ teaspoon black pepper
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Preheat the oven to 400° and have ready a large rimmed baking sheet (possibly two), lined with nonstick aluminum foil.
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Place shrimp in the baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper.
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Toss until evenly coated with oil and seasoning and spread apart so that there is at least a small amount of space between each shrimp. If not, transfer half of the shrimp to the second baking sheet.
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Bake for 10 minutes, or until the shrimp is pink in color and slightly firm to the touch. Serve and enjoy.
