Baked Shrimp with Garlic Lemon Butter Sauce
Juicy oven-baked shrimp bathed in a garlicky lemon butter sauce, ready in under 25 minutes for an easy, healthy weeknight dinner.
Why You Will Love This Baked Shrimp Dish
There is something magical about the moment garlic, butter, and lemon hit a hot oven together. This baked shrimp dish is one of those recipes that tastes like it took hours, but it actually comes together in under 25 minutes. If you have been searching for an easy baked shrimp dish that still feels a little bit special, this is it.
This oven-baked shrimp dinner is naturally low in carbs, packed with protein, and endlessly adaptable. Serve it over pasta for a shrimp pasta bake style dinner, alongside crusty bread to mop up every drop of sauce, or on its own for a healthy baked shrimp dish that will not weigh you down.
Before we get cooking, the right tools and ingredients make a real difference here. A good baking dish and a sharp microplane for zesting the lemon will genuinely elevate this recipe, and using real butter instead of a substitute makes the sauce taste far richer.
What Makes This Baked Lemon Shrimp So Good
The secret to a great oven-baked shrimp dish is balance. You want enough garlic to be bold, enough lemon to brighten things up, and enough butter to tie it all together into a silky sauce. This recipe hits that balance every time.
Unlike a lot of shrimp in oven with butter recipes that call for a dozen steps, this one keeps things simple. You whisk the sauce, pour it over the shrimp, and let the oven do the work. It is one of the easiest ways to learn how to bake shrimp with lemon without any guesswork.
Chef's Tip: Pat your shrimp completely dry before baking. Excess moisture dilutes the sauce and keeps the shrimp from browning nicely.
Tips for Perfectly Baked Shrimp
- Use large or jumbo shrimp. They are more forgiving and less likely to overcook than smaller shrimp.
- Single layer is key. Crowding the baking dish steams the shrimp instead of roasting them.
- Watch the clock closely. Shrimp cook fast, usually in 8 to 10 minutes, so check them a minute or two early.
- Fresh lemon over bottled juice. The zest adds a fragrant, slightly floral note that bottled juice simply cannot match.
This method also happens to be one of the best oven-baked shrimp dish options for meal prep, since you can double the batch and use leftovers in salads, tacos, or grain bowls the next day.
Ready to make it? Here is the full step-by-step recipe:
Baked Shrimp with Garlic Lemon Butter Sauce
Juicy oven-baked shrimp bathed in a garlicky lemon butter sauce, ready in under 25 minutes for an easy, healthy weeknight dinner.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails on or off
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
- 1 tbsp olive oil, extra virgin
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 lemon, juiced and zested
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes, optional, for a little heat
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper, freshly cracked
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish
- 1 batch crusty bread or cooked pasta, optional, for serving
Instruction
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C) and lightly grease a baking dish.
Pat the shrimp dry with paper towels and arrange them in a single layer in the baking dish.
In a small bowl, whisk together the melted butter, olive oil, minced garlic, lemon juice, lemon zest, red pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper.
Pour the garlic lemon butter sauce evenly over the shrimp, tossing gently to coat.
Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the shrimp are pink, opaque, and just cooked through.
Remove from the oven and spoon the sauce from the bottom of the dish back over the shrimp.
Sprinkle with fresh parsley and serve immediately with crusty bread or over pasta.
Equipment
- 9x13 inch baking dish
- Mixing bowl
- Whisk
- Microplane or zester
- Paper towels
Notes
Serving Suggestions
This dish is wonderfully versatile. Toss the shrimp and sauce with hot spaghetti or linguine for a quick shrimp pasta bake style dinner, or spoon everything over creamy polenta or steamed rice. For a lighter option, pile the shrimp on top of a simple green salad with extra lemon wedges on the side.
A warm, crusty baguette is never a bad idea here. It is the best tool for scooping up every last bit of that garlicky lemon butter sauce pooling at the bottom of the dish.
Storing and Reheating
Leftovers keep well in the fridge for up to two days in a sealed container. To reheat, warm the shrimp gently in a skillet over low heat with a splash of water or extra butter to loosen the sauce. Avoid the microwave on high power, since it tends to make shrimp rubbery.
A Quick Warning: Do not try to freeze this dish. Shrimp turns watery and loses its snap after freezing and thawing, so it is best enjoyed fresh or within a couple of days.
However you choose to serve it, this baked shrimp with garlic lemon butter sauce is proof that a healthy, restaurant-quality dinner does not have to be complicated. A few pantry staples, one baking dish, and about twenty minutes are all that stand between you and a truly memorable meal.
