Hey there, fellow food lovers! I’ve been cooking shrimp for years, and lemme tell you – oven-baked shrimp is probably the easiest way to get amazing results. Today, I’m gonna share everything I know about getting perfectly cooked shrimp from your oven, every single time.
Quick Answer
For shrimp baked at 400°F, here’s your cooking time cheat sheet:
- Small shrimp (36-45 per pound): 8-9 minutes
- Medium shrimp (31-35 per pound): 9-10 minutes
- Large shrimp (26-30 per pound): 10-12 minutes
- Jumbo shrimp (16-20 per pound): 12-14 minutes
Why Cook Shrimp in the Oven?
I gotta tell ya, oven-baking is my absolute fave way to cook shrimp. Here’s why
- Super easy – just season, pop in the oven, and wait
- Even cooking – no worrying about flipping each piece
- Hands-free cooking – perfect when you’re making other dishes
- Great results – tender and juicy every time
Step-by-Step Guide to Perfect Oven-Baked Shrimp
What You’ll Need
- Fresh or frozen shrimp
- Olive oil
- Your favorite seasonings
- Rimmed baking sheet
- Parchment paper or foil
Preparation Steps
- Preheat your oven to 400°F
- If using frozen shrimp, thaw completely
- Pat shrimp dry with paper towels
- Toss with olive oil and seasonings
- Arrange in a single layer on baking sheet
My Pro Tips for Success
Listen up! These tips are gonna make your shrimp amazing:
-
Don’t OvercrowdThe secret to perfectly cooked shrimp? Give ’em space! Arrange them in a single layer with a bit of room between each piece
-
Season Like You Mean It
Here’s my go-to seasoning mix:
- Olive oil
- Garlic powder
- Paprika
- Lemon juice
- Black pepper
Pro tip: Skip the salt – shrimp’s naturally salty enough!
- Check Early
Start checking a minute or two before the recommended time. When they’re pink and shaped like a ‘C’, they’re done!
Cooking Frozen Shrimp
Sometimes you forget to thaw – no worries! You can cook frozen shrimp straight from the freezer. Just add 2-3 minutes to the cooking times above.
Common Mistakes (That I’ve Totally Made)
We all mess up sometimes! Here’s what to avoid:
- Overcooking (turns rubbery)
- Not preheating the oven
- Overcrowding the pan
- Using too low temperature
How to Tell When Shrimp is Done
Here’s my foolproof method:
- Color changed from grey to pink
- Flesh is opaque (not translucent)
- Shape forms a loose ‘C’
- If it’s a tight ‘O’ shape, it’s overcooked!
Serving Suggestions
Your perfectly cooked shrimp deserves some awesome sides! Try:
- Garlic butter pasta
- Roasted veggies
- Fresh salad
- Crusty bread for sauce-soaking
Wrapping It Up
Cooking shrimp in the oven is seriously one of the easiest things you can do in the kitchen. Just remember:
- Preheat to 400°F
- Don’t overcrowd
- Watch your timing
- Check early
Follow these tips, and you’ll have perfectly cooked shrimp every single time! Trust me, once you try this method, you’ll never go back to pan-frying.
Got questions? Drop ’em in the comments below! I’d love to hear how your oven-baked shrimp turns out!
Happy cooking, y’all!
Would you like me to explain or break down anything about this article?
What’s To Love About This Recipe
Hands-off & One Pan! Baking shrimp is so easy. Everything goes into one pan, and there is no need to batch-cook like you have to with sautéed shrimp. Also, baked prawns require only a few minutes of prep. You do not even have to turn them in the oven!
Big on Flavour. With only a handful of healthy ingredients such as olive oil, lemon juice and a few spices we are creating a restaurant-quality taste experience. The shrimp flesh is soft and juicy and it releases its juices to create a rather irresistible sauce. Which you can pour over everything else thats on your plate!
Naturally gluten free, high protein and low in carbs. One serving of oven baked shrimp contains almost 22 grams of protein.
Lets talk ingredients. Youll find exact quantities in the recipe card at the bottom of the post, but I wanted to give you a bit of extra info right here:
SHRIMP
I used large, raw shrimp. Uncooked shrimp are blue-grey in colour and translucent. I bought a large bag of frozen shrimp without tails and defrosted them overnight in the fridge. Then, I used 24 shrimp – 12 per portion. They weighed 150g per serve.
Here are more details:
- Shrimp or prawns? It does not matter whether you buy shrimp or prawns. Both types of shellfish taste essentially the same.
- What size is best? Go for large or jumbo shrimp or king prawns. These are meatier and dont end up super-tiny after roasting.
- Frozen or fresh? You can buy both frozen or fresh shrimp. From my experience, frozen shrimp are cheaper, especially if you buy a large bag. They need to be fully thawed before baking. To save time, rinse them under cold water. This thaws them quickly.
MARINADE
Olive oil and lemon juice: I always use extra virgin olive oil because it tastes more flavourful. Also, please use fresh lemon juice and not the bottled stuff.
Herbs and spices: Salt and pepper are essentials and dont need explaining. The recipe is quicker with garlic powder, but you can go for fresh garlic, which does elevate the flavour. The paprika adds a smokey note, the red pepper flakes add heat (dial it up or down depending on your preference) and the oregano adds fragrant freshness. I used dried, but if you have fresh oregano, even better!
It is simple to make easy oven baked shrimp. Here are the basic steps.
Scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of the post for the detailed method with ingredient amounts, timings and nutrition information.
Toss the shrimp in a large mixing bowl with the olive oil, lemon juice and spices until they are well coated all over.
Arrange them in a single layer in a baking dish.
Bake the shrimp in the oven on the middle shelf, without turning, until just cooked through. They should be opaque and pink in colour. As you can see, they shrink a little and release their juices to create a lovely sauce.
Scatter over fresh parsley (dill or basil also work) and serve with lemon wedges.
#1 Cooking times vary depending on the size of the shrimp. Take care not to overcook or they will become rubbery.
#2 If using raw garlic, sauté the minced garlic in the olive oil for 1 minute until soft first.
#3 Dont discard the juices! The sauce is super tasty. Spoon it over any vegetables or rice youre serving with the shrimp.
Butter: Shrimp also taste wonderful roasted in melted butter instead of olive oil.
Tail on or shrimp in the shell: If youre after extra wow, go for shrimp with the tail on. This turns a bright pink during baking. Unshelled shrimp take roughly the same time to bake as shelled shrimp. And, you can use the discarded shells later to make incredible fish stock.
My personal idea of a delicious and healthy shrimp dinner is to pair the baked shrimp with a serving of cauliflower rice and a crisp green salad. My keto focaccia would also be fabulous for mopping up the juices.
Crunchy green beans, sauteed spinach and steamed broccoli also go well with shrimp. Consider roasting any vegetables at the same time as the shrimp to make best use of the oven!
If carbs are not a concern, enjoy them with rice, pasta or a quality bread such as sourdough baguette or a chewy focaccia.
Medium shrimp take 6-8 minutes in the oven. Cooking raw shrimp that are large takes 8-10 minutes.
Dont bake shrimp straight from frozen. Defrost them fully first.
It does not make sense to oven roast cooked shrimp. All they need is gentle reheating. The best way to prepare cooked shrimp is to warm them in a pan on the stovetop for a couple of minutes.
Baked shrimp taste best straight out of the oven. But, they will stay fresh in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. You can also freeze them for up to 2 months.
More Easy Low Carb Dinners
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Oven Roasted Shrimp ~ Kitchen Basics ~ Noreen’s Kitchen
FAQ
How long for shrimp in the oven?
Arrange shrimp in a single layer, then place baking dish in the middle rack of your oven. Allow shrimp to cook for about 8-10 minutes. There’s no need to flip them! The shrimp should be opaque and just cooked through, but you don’t want them overdone or rubbery.
How long do shrimp take to cook at 400 degrees?
How long to bake shrimp at 400? Making shrimp in the oven is easy! Place thawed shrimp in a single layer on a sheet pan and bake 8-10 minutes.
How long does it take for shrimp to cook in the oven at 350 degrees?
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and bake the shrimp for about 10-12 minutes, until pink and opaque. Garnish. To serve, squeeze some fresh lemon juice on top and garnish with chopped parsley.
How long to heat cooked shrimp in the oven?