This 3-ingredient oven baked shrimp is the kind of weeknight magic I lean on when life is busy but I still want something a little special on the table. You literally scatter a bag of frozen raw shrimp onto a sheet pan, add two simple pantry favorites, and let the oven do the work. The shrimp roast up juicy and tender with a bright, springy flavor that feels company-worthy, but the whole thing is so easy your kids could help you make it. It’s perfect for those in-between seasons in the Midwest when you’re craving something light and fresh without a lot of fuss.
Serve these roasted shrimp piled over buttered noodles, rice, or quinoa so they can soak up all the flavorful juices from the pan. For a brighter, spring dinner, add a simple side salad with crisp lettuce, cucumbers, and cherry tomatoes, or some roasted asparagus or green beans on a second sheet pan. Warm crusty bread or garlic toast is wonderful for mopping up the buttery lemon-garlic drippings. If you’re feeding friends, set the shrimp out family-style with lemon wedges and a big bowl of mixed greens so everyone can build their own plates.
3-Ingredient Oven Baked Shrimp Using Frozen Raw ShrimpServings: 4
Ingredients
1 (1–1.5 pound) bag frozen raw shrimp, peeled and deveined (tails on or off)
4 tablespoons salted butter, cut into small pieces
1 large lemon, zested and juiced
Directions
Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Place a rack in the middle of the oven so the shrimp cook evenly.
Line a rimmed sheet pan with aluminum foil for easy cleanup, or use a bare aluminum sheet pan. Do not thaw the shrimp first.
Open the bag of frozen raw shrimp and scatter the icy shrimp in an even-ish layer over the sheet pan. It’s okay if some overlap slightly; just break up any large clumps with your hands or a spoon.
Dot the frozen shrimp all over with the pieces of butter so they’re fairly evenly spaced across the pan.
Sprinkle the lemon zest over the frozen shrimp, then drizzle the lemon juice across the pan so it coats as much of the shrimp as possible. Gently toss with clean hands or a spatula to help distribute the butter and lemon, then spread the shrimp back into a single layer.
Place the pan in the preheated oven and bake for 10–15 minutes, stirring once halfway through, until the shrimp are pink, opaque, and just cooked through. Smaller shrimp will cook closer to 10 minutes, larger ones may need the full 15.
As soon as the shrimp are cooked, remove the pan from the oven and give everything a quick toss in the buttery lemon juices. Taste and, if you like, add a pinch of salt at this point to brighten the flavors.
Serve the shrimp right away, spooning some of the pan juices over the top of each portion so nothing goes to waste.
Variations & Tips
For kids who like milder flavors, you can skip the lemon zest and just use the juice, then offer extra lemon wedges at the table for the grown-ups. If your family enjoys garlic, tuck 2–3 minced garlic cloves or 1 teaspoon of garlic powder around the shrimp before baking for a cozy, garlicky twist. For a bit of color and a spring garden feel, scatter a handful of thinly sliced green onions or chopped fresh parsley over the shrimp right after they come out of the oven. To make it a full one-pan meal, add a single layer of thinly sliced zucchini, asparagus pieces, or halved cherry tomatoes to the pan under the shrimp; they’ll roast in the lemon-butter drippings. If you’re cooking for a crowd, use two sheet pans so the shrimp roast instead of steam. Leftovers are great tossed into pasta, folded into tacos, or chilled and served over salad the next day.
