This 20-minute recipe is so easy and quick, it’s the perfect weeknight dinner! And leftovers are great too. I cook shrimp fairly often for my family. 🍤 It’s one of those foods that everyone around here likes, even The Picky Eater. And they like it regardless of how I make the shrimp or how I season them. So it’s up to me to vary the recipes that I use. Whenever I have a bag of shrimp in the fridge (or freezer) and I’m unsure how to make them, there’s a good chance I’ll end up making this recipe. It’s just so tasty! The seasoning is wonderful - bold, savory, and very flavorful. And just as importantly, it’s a truly easy and quick recipe to make.
Ingredients
You’ll only need a few simple ingredients to make broiled shrimp. The exact measurements are included in the recipe card below. Here’s an overview of what you’ll need: Shrimp: I prefer to use jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined, with the tails on. If you prefer tails off that’s fine. But do use large or jumbo shrimp. Olive oil: I love cooking with this flavorful oil. But if you’d rather use an oil with a higher smoke point, you can use avocado oil instead. Cajun seasoning: Kosher salt (use less salt if using fine salt instead of kosher), smoked paprika, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper. Make sure the spices are fresh! A stale spice can easily ruin a dish.
Instructions
Cooking shrimp under the broiler is so easy! Scroll down to the recipe card for detailed instructions. Here are the basic steps: Your first step is to coat the shrimp in olive oil and spices. Mix them gently but thoroughly. Now, arrange them in a single layer on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet. Broil them until cooked through. Depending on the size of the shrimp, this should take between 4 and 7 minutes.
Expert tip
This recipe was written for jumbo shrimp - 16-20 per pound. If your shrimp are smaller, they will obviously cook faster, so keep an eye on them. For large shrimp, I would check them after 5 minutes.
Frequently asked questions
Variations
I love this recipe as is and almost always make it as written. But in case you’d like to vary the basic recipe, here are a couple of ideas for you:
Use melted butter instead of olive oil to coat the shrimp. You can also use melted ghee (clarified butter).Add more spices, such as onion powder and cumin. Try ½ teaspoon of each.Thread the shrimp on skewers (soak wooden skewers in water for 20 minutes before using them) and alternate them with cherry tomatoes. Season the tomatoes with the same olive oil mixture.
Serving suggestions
I like to serve these broiled shrimp on a bed of mashed cauliflower or cauliflower rice. Sometimes I quickly mix them and the pan juices into fresh spinach or arugula leaves - this wilts the leaves just enough to cook them ever so lightly.
Storing leftovers
If you happen to have leftovers, keep them in the fridge, tightly covered, for up to three days. As for how to use the leftovers, they are very tasty in a salad, or you can gently reheat them in the microwave, covered, on 50% power.
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