Perfectly Roasted Shrimp is a quick and easy appetizer that looks impressive and tastes amazing! All you need are shrimp, olive oil, salt and pepper to make this festive dish.
Perfectly Roasted Shrimp:
When you’re having people over for the holidays, or need to bring an appetizer to a party, perfectly roasted shrimp are definitely the way to go! They are a crowd-pleaser, and a big platter of roasted shrimp looks so festive. They’re especially delicious with some homemade cocktail sauce that has a big (or little – your choice) horseradish kick. Honestly, this is one of the easiest, and tastiest, appetizers you’ll ever make.
Shrimp cocktail always brings back fond memories of the holidays. My Mom would make a platter for Christmas Eve as part of a smorgasbord style table. A smorgasbord is a Swedish term for a buffet meal featuring a variety of hot and cold dishes. Basically a dream come true. For a Christmas smorgasbord there has to be some kind of seafood included. For us it’s shrimp, smoked fish and pickled herring.
But perfectly roasted shrimp are not just for the holidays, I seriously make roasted shrimp all year long. They make a great easy, light dinner or game day snack too!
The Ingredients:
I used raw 31-40 (or large) sized shrimp for this recipe for two reasons. First, my grocery store had an amazing price on this size, and second, they are the perfect one-bite size for dipping in cocktail sauce. For those worried about “double dippers” at their party, this is the perfect size!
The numbering system used for shrimp refers to the approximate number of shrimp per pound. So for the 31-40 size, my two pound bag will have around 62-80 shrimp. Jumbo sized shrimp, or the 16-20 size, are really good roasted too. You can use this same roasting recipe for any size shrimp you can get your hands on, just adjust the roasting time up or down accordingly.
Besides the shrimp, all you need are olive oil, salt and pepper.
The Preparation:
I usually don’t think far enough ahead to thaw the shrimp in the refrigerator. Luckily they defrost in a snap with cold running water. Place the frozen shrimp in a colander in your sink and run cold water over them while moving them around with your hands. You don’t want to soak them though because they’ll get water logged.
Once they are fairly soft and all the ice is melted, you can peel them. Most frozen shrimp will already have a slit cut in the shell on top. If you open the peel and pull the shell apart it should come right off. I do like to take the tails off before roasting, but I know many people like to leave them on as little handles. The choice is yours.
As you’re peeling the shrimp, lay them on paper towels to get them as dry as possible before roasting. Then you can toss with olive oil, kosher salt and freshly ground pepper and you’re ready to roast! As a side note, I really like pepper and it doesn’t bother me to see the black specks on the shrimp when they’re done. If you don’t feel the same way, you can either skip the pepper, or use a small amount of ground white pepper instead.
I have found eight minutes at 400 degrees to be the perfect cooking time, but all ovens vary a bit on actual temperatures. You want the shrimp to be pink and cooked through, but not tough. The first time you roast shrimp you can test them out a minute at a time starting at eight minutes to find your favorite texture for your perfectly roasted shrimp.
The Payoff:
Try roasting shrimp for your next get together. Everyone, including you, is going to love them! This year I’ll also be serving the roasted shrimp in a vintage seafood party dip for the holidays. You know the one, cream cheese, cocktail sauce and seafood? It’s so easy, and so good, especially with some perfectly roasted shrimp on top!
Perfectly Roasted Shrimp
Description
Perfectly Roasted Shrimp is a quick and easy appetizer that looks impressive and tastes amazing! All you need are shrimp, olive oil, salt and pepper to make this festive dish.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds of shrimp, thawed if frozen.
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.
- If using frozen shrimp place in a colander and run under cold water until thawed.
- Peel the shrimp and place on paper towels to drain.
- Toss the shrimp with the olive oil, salt and pepper. Place shrimp on the prepared baking sheet in a single layer.
- Roast for 8-10 minutes until the shrimp are pink and cooked through, but not rubbery.
- Serve as is or with cocktail sauce.
