Are you looking for a dish that is incredibly elegant, bursting with sophisticated flavor, and so easy to make it feels like a brilliant secret? A recipe that’s perfect as a show-stopping appetizer or a light main course for a dinner party? This incredible Garlic & Herb Roasted Shrimp is that perfect recipe.
This is your ultimate guide to creating a spectacular, restaurant-quality shrimp dish with minimal effort. We’ll show you how to create an intensely flavorful garlic, rosemary, and lemon butter sauce, pour it over a single layer of plump shrimp, and roast it all together in one pan. Served with crusty bread for dipping, it’s a truly unforgettable meal.
What makes this recipe so special is its “hands-off” cooking method and the luxurious sauce it creates. This isn’t just cooked shrimp; it’s a complete, interactive experience. Get ready to master the art of effortless elegance with this perfect Roasted Shrimp.
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
The Secret to Perfect Shrimp: Roasting is Better
While pan-searing is great, roasting shrimp is a truly foolproof and superior method for a dish like this, especially when entertaining.
- Even, Gentle Cooking: The high, ambient heat of the oven cooks the shrimp quickly and evenly from all sides at once. This prevents the common problem of overcooking one side while the other is still raw, resulting in perfectly tender, succulent shrimp every time.
- Hands-Off Method: Once the shrimp are in the oven, your work is done! There’s no need to stand over a hot stove, stirring or flipping. This frees you up to enjoy a glass of wine or chat with your guests while a spectacular dish cooks itself.
- Maximum Flavor Infusion: As the shrimp roast, they are constantly bathing in the aromatic garlic-herb butter sauce, allowing them to absorb all of that incredible flavor.
The Star of the Show: The Garlic-Herb Butter Sauce
The sauce for this Roasted Shrimp is more than just melted butter; it’s an infused, aromatic elixir that you will want to sop up with a whole loaf of bread. The technique is simple but brilliant.
We gently heat the butter and olive oil with fresh garlic, rosemary, and red pepper flakes for just one minute. This step, known as “blooming,” wakes up the essential oils in the aromatics and infuses the entire butter-oil base with their flavor. We then stir in fresh lemon zest off the heat to preserve its bright, fragrant oils without cooking away its freshness. This simple, two-minute process creates a sauce with incredible depth and complexity.
The Key Ingredients for Your Roasted Shrimp
This recipe for Roasted Shrimp uses a handful of high-quality, powerful ingredients.
- Large Shrimp: The recipe calls for 8- to 10-count shrimp, which are jumbo-sized. This makes for a very impressive, substantial dish. Buying them already peeled and deveined is a huge time-saver. Leaving the tails on provides a convenient “handle” for eating.
- Good Butter & Olive Oil: This is the foundation of your sauce. Use a high-quality unsalted butter and a good, flavorful extra-virgin olive oil.
- The Aromatics: Freshly minced garlic and a sprig of fresh, finely chopped rosemary provide a classic, savory, and piney aroma that is incredible with seafood.
- Lemon: We use both the zest and the juice of a fresh lemon. The zest, stirred into the sauce, provides a fragrant, aromatic quality, while the juice, squeezed over the top at the end, adds a final, bright, acidic kick that cuts through the richness.
- Crusty Bread: This is not an optional side; it’s an essential component! A good, crusty country bread or baguette, toasted, is the perfect vehicle for sopping up every last drop of the incredible garlic butter sauce.
Step-by-Step Guide to Your Garlic & Herb Roasted Shrimp
This elegant meal comes together with just a few minutes of prep and a quick roast in the oven.
- Preheat the Oven: Preheat your oven to a hot 400°F.
- Make the Garlic-Herb Butter Sauce: In a medium (10-inch) sauté pan, melt the stick of butter over low heat. Add the olive oil, minced garlic, chopped fresh rosemary, red pepper flakes, 1 teaspoon of kosher salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper.
- Infuse the Flavors: Cook this mixture over low heat for just one minute, stirring, until the garlic is fragrant. Do not let the garlic brown. Immediately remove the pan from the heat and zest one of the lemons directly into the butter mixture. Stir to combine.
- Prepare the Shrimp for Roasting: Arrange the 2 pounds of shrimp snugly in a single layer in a large (12-inch) round ovenproof sauté pan or a 10×13-inch baking dish. Pour the prepared garlic-herb butter mixture evenly over the shrimp.
- Add Lemon and Season: Sprinkle the shrimp with the coarse sea salt and another 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper. Slice the zested lemon into 1/4-inch-thick rounds and tuck the slices in and around the shrimp.
- Roast to Perfection: Place the pan in the preheated oven and roast for 12 to 15 minutes. Your Roasted Shrimp are perfectly cooked when they are firm, pink, and opaque all the way through.
- Finish and Serve: Remove the pan from the oven. Cut the remaining lemon in half and squeeze its fresh juice all over the hot shrimp.
- The Best Part: Serve your incredible Roasted Shrimp immediately, family-style, right out of the pan, with plenty of toasted, crusty bread on the side for dipping and sopping up the amazing sauce.
The Ultimate Garlic & Herb Roasted Shrimp (An Effortlessly Elegant Meal)
A simple yet elegant recipe for large shrimp roasted in a flavorful garlic and herb butter. An aromatic sauce is created by briefly cooking minced garlic, fresh rosemary, and red pepper flakes in melted butter and olive oil with fresh lemon zest. The shrimp are arranged snugly in an ovenproof pan, doused in the garlic butter, and roasted with lemon slices until perfectly pink and firm. The dish is finished with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and served hot with toasted country bread for dipping into the delicious sauce.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 16 minutes
- Total Time: 31 minutes
- Yield: 4–6 servings 1x
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Roasting
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
Ingredients
- 1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons good olive oil
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic (6 cloves)
- 2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary leaves
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 large lemons
- 2 pounds (8- to 10-count) shrimp, peeled with the tails on
- 1 teaspoon coarse sea salt
- 4 slices country bread, toasted
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- In a medium (10-inch) sauté pan, melt the butter with the olive oil over low heat.
- Add the minced garlic, rosemary, red pepper flakes, 1 teaspoon of kosher salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper. Cook over low heat for one minute.
- Remove the pan from the heat and zest one of the lemons directly into the butter mixture.
- Arrange the shrimp snugly in a single layer in a large (12-inch) round ovenproof sauté pan or a 10×13-inch baking dish, with only the tails overlapping.
- Pour the prepared garlic-butter mixture over the shrimp. Sprinkle with the sea salt and another 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper.
- Slice the zested lemon into 1/4-inch-thick slices and tuck them among the shrimp.
- Roast for 12 to 15 minutes, just until the shrimp are firm, pink, and cooked through.
- Cut the remaining (un-zested) lemon in half and squeeze its juice over the hot shrimp.
- Serve immediately with toasted bread for dipping into the garlic butter sauce.
Notes
- An ovenproof sauté pan is ideal as you can both make the sauce and roast the shrimp in the same pan, but a baking dish also works well.
- Arranging the shrimp in a single, snug layer helps them to cook evenly.
- Adding the lemon zest off the heat preserves its bright, fresh aroma.
- The toasted bread is essential for soaking up the flavorful garlic-butter sauce.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/4 of recipe (without bread)
- Calories: 500-600
- Sugar: 1-2 g
- Sodium: 1200-1500 mg
- Fat: 35-45 g
- Saturated Fat: 18-22 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 4-6 g
- Fiber: <1 g
- Protein: 35-42 g
- Cholesterol: 350-400 mg
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Conclusion: A Taste of Effortless Sophistication
This Garlic & Herb Roasted Shrimp is a perfect example of how a few simple, high-quality ingredients and a smart, easy technique can create a truly stunning and memorable meal. It’s a dish that feels incredibly special and indulgent, yet is so simple to prepare that it’s destined to become a go-to in your entertaining repertoire. Enjoy the delicious simplicity of this amazing dish.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
My shrimp are tough and rubbery. What did I do wrong?
You overcooked them. Shrimp cook very quickly, especially in a hot oven. They are perfectly done the moment they turn pink and opaque. It’s better to pull them out a minute early than a minute late, as they will continue to cook slightly from the residual heat of the hot butter sauce.
Can I use frozen shrimp?
Yes, but you must thaw them completely first. For the best results, thaw them in the refrigerator overnight. Before adding them to the pan, pat them completely dry with paper towels to ensure they roast properly and don’t just steam in their own moisture.
What can I serve with this Roasted Shrimp to make it a fuller meal?
This dish is fantastic served over a bed of angel hair pasta or creamy polenta to soak up all the delicious sauce. It would also be wonderful with a side of simple steamed asparagus or a fresh green salad.