Roasting shrimp in the oven is one of the easiest, hands-off ways of preparing shrimp. Oven-roasted shrimp frees you to do a dozen other tasks in the kitchen as you are plating up. As well as ensuring that the shrimp are perfectly cooked and piping hot when they go on the plate. Roasted shrimp are ideal for cooking any recipe where the shrimp are tossed in a spice mix or dry rub. Or if you have a complex sauce recipe and don’t want to overcook the shrimp in the sauce.
By roasting the shrimp in the oven, I am free to work exclusively on the plate up without concern for the shrimp. The shrimp take approximately 12 minutes in the oven. Shrimp Tostadas are a great example of how I use oven-roasted shrimp. Tostadas have many layers and take a few minutes to plate up. The roasted shrimp is the last ingredient to go on top, and are piping hot. No one wants cold shrimp on their tostada.
I use extra-large shrimp, which means there are 21/25 shrimp in a pound. I remove the shells and devein them before tossing them in a spice mix. For the shrimp cocktail, I leave the tails on, for shrimp tostada, I remove the tails.
Oven Roasted Shrimp Cocktail Ingredients
- Shrimp: I prefer extra-large 21/25 or larger shrimp for oven roasting. They should be firm to the touch, pink and opaque when fully cooked, with an internal temperature of 145F.
- Cocktail Sauce: A simple, cold sauce with only 2-ingredients; ketchup and extra hot horseradish. I use approximately 1/3-cup ketchup to 1-tablespoon of horseradish. You can easily adjust the quantities for your personal taste.
- Marinade: The basic marinade is just olive oil, salt, and pepper, beyond that I love to experiment with various herbs and dry rubs. The oven-roasted shrimp in the photos have garlic, flat-leaf parsley, and red pepper flakes added to the basic marinade.
How to Roast Shrimp in the Oven
- Preheat oven to 350F
- Peel and devein the shrimp. You can leave the tails on or remove them, depending on the recipe.
- Toss the shrimp in a marinade or dry rub of your choosing.
- Place the shrimp on a parchment-lined sheet tray and place in the oven. For 21/25, extra-large shrimp takes approximately 12 minutes. The time for roasting will vary depending on the size of the shrimp.
- Shrimp are fully cooked when firm to the touch, the flesh is opaque and pink. The USDA recommends an internal temperature of 145F for shrimp, lobster, and crab meat.
Oven Roasted Shrimp Variations
- Dijon Vinaigrette: I love the combination of shrimp and Dijon mustard. The vinaigrette has tarragon, lemon, and Dijon mustard, along with olive oil salt, and pepper. These oven-roasted shrimp are great with a salad or a simple piece of poached salmon.
- Fajita Seasoning: Shrimp fajitas can be tricky and super easy to overcook the shrimp when sautéing the onions and peppers. With oven-roasted shrimp, they are perfect every time.
- Steak Seasoning: For surf and turf these are amazing. Steaks have to rest at least 10-minutes after cooking, right? That’s the perfect amount of time to oven roast shrimp and plate them up with the steak, piping hot and perfectly cooked.
- Dry Rub: Any dry rub works great with this shrimp. BBQ, taco seasoning, chili seasoning, you name it. My shrimp tostadas with oven-roasted shrimp have a great dry rub you should try.
Here is How to Roast Shrimp in the Oven
Oven Roasted Shrimp
Ingredients
- 1/2 Pound Shrimp Extra-large 21/25 or larger
- 1/4 Cup Olive Oil
- 2 Teaspoons Garlic Crushed and chopped
- 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
- 1/2 Teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
- 1/3 Cup Flat-Leaf Parsley Chopped finely
Cocktail Sauce
- 1/3 Cup Ketchup
- 1 Tablespoon Horseradish Extra Hot
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F
- Peel and devein the shrimp leaving the tails on. Place the shrimp in a large bowl.
- Combine the marinade ingredients and pour over the shrimp. Stir to completely coat the shrimp.
- Place the shrimp on a parchment-lined sheet tray and place in the oven. For 21/25, extra-large shrimp takes approximately 12 minutes. The time for roasting will vary depending on the size of the shrimp.
- Shrimp are fully cooked when firm to the touch, the flesh is opaque and pink. The USDA recommends an internal temperature of 145F for shrimp, lobster, and crab meat.
Cocktail Sauce
- Combine the ketchup and prepared horseradish. Stir to combine, adjust ingredients as needed for your taste and heat level.
Nutrition
