This shrimp and asparagus version is a great weeknight dinner option that can be served over spaghetti, brown rice, quinoa, mashed, or roasted potatoes, and it only takes 15 minutes in the oven. Yes, just 15 minutes! Do you want to know what makes this easy sheet pan dinner over-the-top delicious? The garlic butter sauce! Just ladle the sauce over the shrimp once it comes out of the oven and your dish will be perfection. It’s an absolute winner of a recipe and should be in your regular dinner rotation!
How To Buy Shrimp
There are a few things to consider when picking out shrimp for recipes like this. Buy fresh or frozen raw shrimp. You can use fresh or frozen raw shrimp for this recipe. Do not use pre-cooked shrimp, it could become rubbery and dry out. If you use frozen, make sure to thaw the shrimp completely before starting the recipe. Buy shelled and cleaned shrimp. This makes for easier preparation. If you get shell-on shrimp, it’ll just add five minutes onto the prep time to clean and devein the shrimp (and we’re going for a quick and easy dinner remember). Depending on your region, you might be able to find pre-cleaned uncooked shrimp that already have the shell off. They will probably be a bit more expensive but might be worth it for you to skip the cleaning step! Sometimes, if you have a good fishmonger, they will also clean the shrimp for you. What about shrimp size? When it comes to size, I prefer a large (28-30 count) shrimp for this recipe. You want your shrimp to be large enough to have some good texture to the shrimp and ensure they won’t dry out during roasting, but not so huge that it would require you to cut up the shrimp in the finished meal. Keep those jumbo shrimp for the grill! If you have smaller shrimp in your fridge or freezer, you can use them, but start the asparagus first and add the shrimp with only 4-5 minutes to bake. Tiny shrimp will cook very quickly.
Where to Buy Shrimp?
These days you can buy quality shrimp from a variety of sources. A good fish market will definitely have them, but also you can find raw shrimp that are frozen in most supermarkets. Just make sure they are raw and not cooked.
Sheet Pan Shrimp Order of Operations
Anytime you are cooking a sheet pan recipe, the most important thing to remember is that ingredients cook at very different times! Make sure you are staggering your ingredients on the sheet pan to avoid overcooking the shrimp. In this case the asparagus needs to roast for about 14-15 minutes and the shrimp only needs to roast for 6-7 minutes. Start the asparagus first and completely spread it out on the baking sheet and then about halfway through, move the asparagus to one side and add the shrimp. This way everything will be done at the same time!
What to Serve with Sheet Pan Shrimp?
There are many options for serving this meal. Personally, I like to serve it over thin spaghetti which helps soak up all the juices and butter sauce, but you could also serve it over rice or even just a loaf of chunky bread. If you are looking for a low-carb serving option, you could serve this over a bed of baby spinach with some sliced tomatoes and avocado for a great salad option.
Sheet Pan Shrimp Swaps and Substitutions
Here are a few ideas for swaps you could try for this recipe:
If you aren’t an asparagus fan, try Brussels sprouts, but add about 10 minutes to roasting time. For a heartier sheet pan, add some halved baby potatoes but again add some time to make sure they roast until tender. For a shrimp substitution, try scallops or clams!
Use It Up! What to Do With Leftovers
If you are serving four, you most likely won’t have many leftovers of this meal, but if you do find yourself with some, you can repurpose the sheet pan ingredients in a salad for lunch the next day or even chop them up and make an omelet with the ingredients (with a little cheese maybe).
More Satisfying Sheet Pan Recipes
Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas with Peppers and Onion Sheet-Pan Harissa Chicken with Carrots and Cauliflower Sheet Pan Chicken with Asparagus and Potatoes Sheet Pan Salmon and Broccoli with Miso ButterSheet Pan Mini Meat Loaves with Broccoli and Mustard Glazed Potatoes
4 tablespoons butter 1 clove garlic, minced 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, minced 1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest 1 tablespoon lemon juice
For the sheet pan shrimp and asparagus
1 bunch asparagus, trimmed 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, divided 1 pound large (28-30 count) shrimp, peeled and deveined 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
For serving
Thin spaghetti, for serving Parsley, for garnish
After asparagus has roasted for 7 minutes, move them to one side of the sheet pan and add shrimp to the second half in a single layer. Return to oven and roast for another 7 minutes. It’s okay if some of the asparagus overlap. The sheet pan is done when the shrimp have turned a light pink color and are firm in texture. The asparagus should be browned on the edges and fork tender.
