The Easiest Way To Cook Shrimp!

Easy7 minsQuick

The easiest way to cook shrimp — pop it in the oven!  This delicious baked shrimp recipe is always a winner, it only takes 10 minutes total, and it’s easy to customize with whatever seasonings you love.

Alright, after talking last week about how to bake chicken, pork and steak in the oven, we’re moving on in our series this week to the world of baked seafood and tofu.  Beginning today with what is quite possibly the easiest recipe in the world…

…baked shrimp. ♡

A few weeks ago on Instagram, I shared a quick tutorial in my stories about how to cook shrimp in the oven.  And tons of you reported back that you gave it a try for yourselves and couldn’t believe how quick and easy it was.  Which is precisely why I’m such a big fan of this method!

Baking (or technically, broiling) shrimp is by far the easiest and quickest and most reliable way I know to cook shrimp.  An entire batch can be ready to go in less than 10 minutes from start to finish.  The shrimp are always perfectly cooked, with a bit of crisp on the outside, yet still nice and tender inside.  You can use this method to make a small or huge batch of shrimp.  And — as has been the case with all of the proteins in this series — this method is totally versatile when it comes to flavor, so you can can add in whatever seasonings or marinades you prefer.

Trust me.  If you love shrimp, you’ve gotta give this one a try.

Baked Shrimp Ingredients:

To make this baked steak recipe, you will need:

• Raw shrimp: Ideally large or extra-large shrimp, de-veined and peeled (tails on or off).  If you have purchased frozen shrimp, be sure to thaw it completely before cooking.
• Oil: Whatever your preferred high-heat cooking oil may be.  I like to use avocado oil for this recipe.
• Seasonings: I usually just use a generous sprinkle of Kosher salt and freshly-cracked black pepper.  But feel free to add in whatever other dry seasonings you prefer.

How To Cook Shrimp In The Oven:

To bake shrimp in the oven, simply:

1. Pat the shrimp dry.  Blot with some paper towels to remove any excess moisture, especially if your shrimp were frozen and have just been thawed.
2. Toss with oil.  Toss with oil until the shrimp are evenly coated, either in a mixing bowl or just directly on the baking sheet.
3. Arrange on the baking sheet.  It’s essential that the shrimp are in an even layer (no overlapping) for even cooking.
4. Season.  I typically just sprinkle my shrimp with Kosher salt and lots of freshly-cracked black pepper (plus maybe a bit of garlic powder).  But feel free to add any other dry seasonings that you might prefer.
5. Broil. Then, just pop the baking sheet into the oven and broil for 2 minutes, or until the shrimp are a bright reddish-pink.  Keep a really close eye on the shrimp to be sure that they do not over- or under-cook.  Also, no need to flip the shrimp halfway through, since they cook so quickly.  Plus, the bottom of the pan gets nice and hot too, so the underside of the shrimp will also be nicely cooked.
6. Serve.  As soon as the shrimp are ready to go, remove the baking sheet from the oven, transfer the shrimp to a serving dish right away (or incorporate into whatever shrimp recipe you may be making), and serve warm.  Voila!

Shrimp Seasonings:

Again, I typically just use lots of salt and pepper (plus maybe a good sprinkle of garlic powder), as mentioned in the baked shrimp recipe below.  But if you’d like to mix things up, feel free to sprinkle on any of your favorite dry seasoning mixes, such as:

Side Dish Ideas:

Looking for some side dishes to serve with this steak recipe?  Here are a few of my faves:

More Baked Protein Tutorials:

Be sure to check out our other baked protein tutorials here on the blog.  (More coming soon!)

Enjoy, everyone!