10-Minute Baked Shrimp Recipe
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Make this Baked Shrimp when you’re hungry, kinda tired, and not in the mood to mess with a million steps. Throw some shrimp in a dish, add butter, garlic, a little lemon, and let the oven do the work. You don’t need to stand by the stove and babysit what’s cooking.
Shrimp’s always been my go-to when I’m craving seafood, but I used to mess it up all the time. It only takes a minute to go from perfect to rubbery, and I never seemed to catch it in time.
Once I started baking it, though, everything changed. I usually throw it in the oven when I want something fast that still feels like real food, not just something thrown together at the last minute. It’s easy, super versatile, and works with whatever else I’ve got in the kitchen.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Quick and easy
- Barely any cleanup
- Simple and real ingredients: Just shrimp, garlic, butter, and lemon.
- Versatile: Serve it with rice, pasta, salad, or veggies. Leftovers are great tossed into a wrap, salad, taco, or even breakfast eggs the next day.
- Tastes Amazing: The combination of garlic and butter gives it that rich, comforting flavor and the lemon keeps it fresh.
- Works for anything: Easy enough for a random weeknight but still feels nice enough to make for guests or bring to a get-together.
How to Make Baked Shrimp
Garlic butter baked shrimp cooks fast and stays juicy. If your shrimp usually turns out tough or dry, it’s probably just overcooked. Baking fixes that. Just season, pop it in the oven, and garnish before serving.
Scroll down for the printable recipe card with everything you need, including ingredients, measurements, and step-by-step instructions.
Ingredients You Need
- Shrimp: Use large or extra-large shrimp that are peeled and deveined. You can leave the tails on if you like a nice presentation or take them off to make it easier to eat. Wild-caught or sustainably farmed shrimp tend to have the best flavor and texture.
- Butter: Stick with unsalted butter so you can control the salt level yourself.
- Garlic cloves
- Paprika
- Salt
- Parsley
- Lemon: Cut into wedges and served on the side.
Step-By-Step Instructions
All it takes is a few basic ingredients and a couple of quick steps. You’ll only need about 5 minutes to prep, then let the oven take it from there. Here’s how to make it happen!
Step 1: Get the shrimp ready
Preheat your oven to 400 F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Use a clean paper towel to pat the shrimp dry so the seasoning sticks better.
Step 2: Coat with seasoning
In a mixing bowl, combine the melted butter, garlic, paprika, and salt. Toss in the shrimp and mix until everything’s well coated.
Step 3: Bake
Spread the shrimp out on the baking sheet and bake for 4 to 6 minutes, just until they’re white, opaque, and slightly curled.
Step 4: Serve
Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve with lemon wedges on the side.
Substitutions
It doesn’t take much to make this but if something’s missing or you’d rather use what you have, these swaps will do the trick:
- Shrimp: There’s no exact swap for shrimp, but you can try scallops or chunks of firm white fish like cod or halibut. Just keep an eye on the cooking time since it may need a little adjusting.
- Butter: If you’re avoiding dairy, ghee or olive oil both work well.
- Garlic: Fresh garlic is best, but garlic paste or the pre-minced kind in a jar will work too. You can even use garlic powder, about 1/4 teaspoon per clove.
- Paprika: Smoked paprika adds a deeper flavor, or go for chili powder if you want a bit of heat.
- Parsley: Cilantro, basil, or chives are all easy swaps.
- Lemon: Lime wedges work just fine.
Expert Tips
- Prep ahead: Mix the garlic butter in advance and keep it in the fridge or freezer. When you’re ready to cook, melt it, pour it over the shrimp, and pop it in the oven.
- Pat the shrimp dry: If the shrimp’s too wet, the sauce slides right off and everything turns watery. Just give it a quick pat with a paper towel.
- Don’t walk away: Shrimp cooks fast. If you leave it too long, it gets rubbery. Keep an eye on it and start checking early.
- Add veggies: Toss in some veggies like cherry tomatoes, asparagus tips, or sliced zucchini. If the shrimp finishes first, just take it out and let the veggies finish up.
- Make extra: You’ll want more sauce if you’re serving it with rice, pasta, or anything that can soak it up.
How to Store This Recipe
Let the shrimp cool all the way before storing. Once it’s cooled, transfer it to an airtight container and keep it in the fridge for 2 to 3 days. When you’re ready to reheat, skip the microwave. Warm it gently in a covered skillet with a bit of butter or olive oil to help keep it moist and prevent it from getting tough.
If you’re planning to serve it over pasta or rice, heat that part up first. Then stir in the shrimp at the end so it just warms through without overcooking.
What to Serve with Baked Shrimp
Garlic butter shrimp is super versatile, so you can serve it with pretty much whatever you’re feeling. Pile it over rice, toss it with pasta, or throw it on a salad if you want to keep things easy.
If you’re going for something lighter, just a quick avocado and tomato salad on the side. Want to dress it up a bit? Try it with couscous, quinoa, or some roasted veggies. We usually enjoy it with roasted green beans. And honestly, you can’t go wrong with a chunk of bread to soak up all that buttery garlic sauce.
More Baked Dinners To Try
Baked Garlic Shrimp Recipe
Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400 °F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Use a clean paper towel to pat the shrimp dry so the seasoning sticks better.
- In a mixing bowl, combine the melted butter, garlic, paprika, and salt. Toss in the shrimp and mix until everything’s well coated.
- Spread the shrimp out on the baking sheet and bake for 4 to 6 minutes, just until they’re white, opaque, and slightly curled.
- Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve with lemon wedges on the side.
Notes
- Mix the garlic butter in advance and keep it in the fridge or freezer. When you’re ready to cook, melt it, pour it over the shrimp, and pop it in the oven.
- If the shrimp’s too wet, the sauce slides right off and everything turns watery. Just give it a quick pat with a paper towel.
- Shrimp cooks fast. If you leave it too long, it gets rubbery. Keep an eye on it and start checking early.
- Toss in some veggies like cherry tomatoes, asparagus tips, or sliced zucchini. If the shrimp finishes first, just take it out and let the veggies finish up.
- You’ll want more sauce if you’re serving it with rice, pasta, or anything that can soak it up.
