Sheet Pan Shrimp

Easy Weeknight Dinner

If you love one-pan dinners with minimal cleanup, this recipe is for you. Everything bakes together: shrimp, bell peppers, asparagus, cherry tomatoes, and whole garlic cloves, all coated in a tangy cilantro lime vinaigrette.

No stovetop babysitting required. Just assemble, slide into the oven, and it’s done in 10 minutes. The shrimp come out tender and perfectly cooked every time.

One pan, one meal. I line mine with foil so there’s literally nothing to wash. Perfect for busy weeknights when cleaning up a stack of dishes is the last thing I want to do.

The flavors are flexible. Skip the cilantro if it’s not your thing, or swap the vegetables for whatever you have on hand. I’ve made this with broccoli, cauliflower, and brussels sprouts, and they all work beautifully. Serve it over cauliflower rice, toss it into a salad, or eat it straight off the pan.

How to Tell if Shrimp is Done Cooking?

Knowing when shrimp are done can feel tricky at first. I watch the color: raw shrimp are grey-white, and as they cook, they turn opaque white-pink with red accents in the tails.

They also curl up and shrink slightly as the muscle contracts. Once they’re pink, opaque, and C-shaped, they’re done.

Roasted Vegetables

Any vegetables you love will work here. I use bell peppers, cherry tomatoes, asparagus, and whole garlic cloves, but broccoli, cauliflower, turnips, brussels sprouts, green beans, or red onion are all great. High-heat roasting brings out natural sweetness and caramelizes the edges.

Benefits of Sheet Pan Cooking

Oven cooking beats the stovetop for busy nights. One pan means one thing to wash. No splatters on the stove. No constant stirring or flipping. Just slide it in, set a timer, and you’re free to do something else.

How to Devein Shrimp

Here’s how I devein shrimp:
1. Remove the shell.
2. Use a sharp paring knife to make a shallow cut along the back. You’ll see a dark vein running along it.
3. Gently lift out the vein with the tip of the knife.
It takes a minute the first few times, but you’ll get faster.

If you’re using frozen shrimp, thaw them in the fridge overnight or soak them in cold water for 20-30 minutes before cooking.

Tails On or Off

Tails on or off: your call. Both work fine. I leave them on because they make great little handles for picking up the shrimp, but if you’re tossing this into a salad or over rice, removing them first makes eating easier.