Oven-Baked Garlic Butter Shrimp
Primal Edge Health participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program and other affiliate programs and therefore, may collect a share of sales or other compensation from the links on this page. This comes at no additional cost to you, and all the prices and availability are accurate at the time of publishing.
Enjoy the juiciest, most flavorful shrimp you’ve ever tasted with this oven-baked version of garlic butter shrimp. Just throw everything into a baking dish, pop it in the oven, and you’ve got a sizzling, buttery, garlicky dish to serve and enjoy. It’s ready in about 10 minutes, perfect for quick lunches or fast weeknight meals.
Shrimp is my favorite type of seafood. When the cravings hit, I usually make shrimp scampi or a spicy shrimp soup called Moqueca de Camarão. When I want something quick, I cook garlic butter shrimp in the oven.
I used to struggle with shrimp before learning this sheet pan method. Shrimp meat is a very sensitive protein and easily seizes up and gets overcooked. With this recipe, the meat is guaranteed to come out cooked just right.
Table of Contents (click to view)
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Quick and easy: Ready in 10 minutes or less.
- Fresh, clean ingredients: Made with whole, real-food ingredients you can feel good about. No breading, no added sugars, and naturally low in carbs.
- Amazing flavors
- Easy cleanup: Everything bakes in a single dish, so cleanup is quick, simple, and stress-free.
- All-occasion dish: Elegant enough to serve to guests, but simple enough to prep for weekday lunches. Perfect for busy days, last-minute entertaining, potlucks, and parties.
- Diet-friendly: High-protein, low-carb, gluten-free, or Mediterranean-inspired
- Versatile serving options: Serve it over rice, pasta, a bed of greens, in a wrap, or with your favorite sides. Chop leftover shrimp and toss them into salads, tacos, or omelets the next day.
How to Make Garlic Butter Shrimp
This version of garlic butter shrimp is quick, juicy, and full of lemony garlic butter flavor. If you’ve ever had dry and chewy shrimp, it’s because it’s been overcooked. Not only is this oven method almost effortless, but it’s the only way I have success keeping shrimp juicy and succulent. To make the perfect garlic butter shrimp, just season, bake, garnish, and serve!
Scroll to the bottom of this post for a printable recipe card with a full list of ingredients, measurements, and step-by-step instructions.
Ingredients You Need
- Shrimp: Use large or extra-large peeled and deveined shrimp, tail-on for presentation or tail-off for ease. I like them on for the visual flair. Wild-caught or sustainably farmed shrimp have the best flavor and texture.
- Butter: I use unsalted butter since we will be adding salt separately.
- Garlic cloves
- Paprika
- Salt
- Parsley
- Lemon: Sliced into wedges for serving.
Step-By-Step Instructions
With just a handful of easy ingredients and a few simple steps, you’ll go from prep to plate in no time. Prep for just 5 minutes and your oven will do the rest! Follow the simple instructions below to get started:
Step 1: Prep the shrimp
Preheat the oven to 400 F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Pat the shrimp dry with a clean paper towel.
Step 2: Coat with seasoning
Add the butter, garlic, paprika, and salt to a medium mixing bowl. Toss the shrimp to coat all pieces evenly.
Step 3: Bake
Bake for 4 to 6 minutes until the shrimp turn white and opaque.
Step 4: Garnish and serve
Serve warm with parsley sprinkled over all the pieces and lemon wedges on the side.
Substitutions
7 simple, everyday ingredients are all you need to make this amazing main dish. If you’re missing some or prefer to use an alternative ingredient, try these substitutions:
- Shrimp: No substitute for shrimp in this recipe, but you can try a similar dish using scallops or chunks of firm white fish like cod or halibut. Adjust the cooking time as needed.
- Butter: Swap out the butter for ghee or a drizzle of olive oil if you want the recipe to be dairy-free.
- Garlic cloves: Substitute with garlic paste or pre-minced jarred garlic (1 tsp per clove), or garlic powder (1/4 tsp per clove).
- Paprika: Replace with smoked paprika or chili powder for a little heat.
- Parsley: Substitute with cilantro, basil, or chives depending on your flavor preference.
- Lemon: Use lime wedges instead.
Expert Tips
- Pat the shrimp dry: Don’t skip this step. Moisture is the enemy of flavor here; dry shrimp helps the garlic butter cling better and prevents a watery sauce.
- Watch the shrimp closely: Shrimp only needs a few minutes to cook, so keep an eye on it. Overbaking leads to rubbery shrimp, so trust the process and check early.
- Double the sauce: Double the sauce if serving over rice or pasta. The buttery, garlicky juices are liquid gold, so make extra if you plan to serve it over grains, noodles, or anything that loves to soak up flavor.
- Toss in veggies for a one-pan meal: Add quick-cooking vegetables like asparagus tips, halved cherry tomatoes, or zucchini rounds to the pan with the shrimp. They’ll roast in the garlic butter and turn your shrimp into a full meal with zero extra effort. Split the tray and remove the shrimp early if the veggies aren’t cooked through yet.
- Make-ahead: Prep and refrigerate (or freeze) the garlic butter mixture in advance. Then just melt and pour over shrimp when you’re ready to bake.
How to Store This Recipe
To store oven-baked garlic butter shrimp, let cooked shrimp cool completely, then transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for 2 to 3 days. Shrimp can dry out or become rubbery when reheated, so it’s best reheated in a covered skillet over low heat with a splash of butter or olive oil, just until heated through.
If you plan to serve them over something like pasta or rice the next day, reheat the base first and then stir in the shrimp at the very end to warm through without overcooking.
What to Serve with Garlic Butter Shrimp
Garlic butter shrimp is great on its own, but we love it over rice, pasta, or salad. For a light, low-carb option, serve it over cauliflower rice, any low-carb pasta alternative, or an avocado tomato salad.
For a Mediterranean-inspired twist, pair it with roasted vegetables, couscous, or lemony quinoa. And if you want to keep it ultra-simple, just add a warm, crusty baguette or sticks of toasted psyllium husk bread to mop up every drop of the garlic butter.
More Easy Seafood Recipes To Try
10-Minute Garlic Butter Shrimp Recipe
Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 °F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Pat the shrimp dry with a clean paper towel.
- Add the butter, garlic, paprika, and salt to a medium mixing bowl. Toss the shrimp to coat all pieces evenly.
- Bake for 4-6 minutes until the shrimp turn white and opaque.
- Serve warm with parsley sprinkled over all the pieces and lemon wedges on the side.
Notes
- Don’t forget to pat the shrimp dry. Dry shrimp helps the garlic butter cling better and prevents a watery sauce.
- Shrimp only needs a few minutes to cook, so keep an eye on it. Overbaking leads to rubbery shrimp.
- Add a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes, cayenne, or a splash of hot sauce for a bit of heat without overpowering the garlic-butter base.
- Double the sauce if serving over rice or pasta. The juices are liquid gold, so make extra if you plan to serve it over grains, noodles, or anything that loves to soak up flavor.
Nutrition & Macros
To obtain the most accurate representation of the nutritional information in a given recipe, please calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients and amounts used, using your preferred nutrition calculator. Under no circumstances shall the this website and the author be responsible for any loss or damage resulting for your reliance on the given nutritional information.
