It’s one of those recipes where the ingredient list is short, the prep is almost ridiculously easy, and somehow the finished pan still feels like you put real effort into dinner.
The shrimp get tossed with olive oil, plenty of fresh garlic, smoked paprika, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Then everything gets spread onto a sheet pan, covered with freshly grated Parmesan and roasted until the shrimp are tender and the cheese starts getting golden.
That’s basically dinner.
And because shrimp cook so quickly, you can realistically start this recipe when everyone is already asking, “What are we eating?” and still have something on the table before they start looking through the snack cabinet.
I especially love finishing the shrimp with fresh parsley and a squeeze of lemon. The lemon cuts through the Parmesan and olive oil beautifully, while the garlic makes sure these little shrimp have absolutely no shortage of flavor.
Serve them over pasta or rice, tuck them into tacos, pile them onto a salad—or just put the whole pan on the table with some crusty bread.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Here’s everything you’ll need:
- 1 lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- Lemon wedges, optional
- Red pepper flakes, optional
Nothing complicated.
5 Steps to Make Garlic Parmesan Roasted Shrimp
Step 1: Preheat the Oven
Preheat your oven to:
400°F (205°C).
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil.
That’s going to make cleanup considerably easier once the Parmesan and garlicky juices start doing their thing in the oven.
Step 2: Season the Shrimp
Place 1 pound of peeled and deveined large shrimp into a mixing bowl.
Add:
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 minced garlic cloves
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
Toss everything together until the shrimp are evenly coated.
And don’t just stir the top few shrimp and call it done.
Get down into the bowl and make sure that garlic, seasoning and olive oil reach everybody.
We’re not leaving three sad unseasoned shrimp at the bottom.
Step 3: Arrange and Add the Parmesan
Spread the seasoned shrimp across your prepared baking sheet in a single layer.
Try not to pile them on top of one another.
Giving the shrimp a little room helps them roast properly instead of simply steaming together.
Now sprinkle:
½ cup freshly grated Parmesan
evenly over the shrimp.
And yes, half a cup may look generous.
That’s because it is.
This is Garlic Parmesan Shrimp, not shrimp that once briefly met some Parmesan.
Step 4: Roast the Shrimp
Transfer the baking sheet to your preheated oven.
Roast for:
8–10 minutes
or until the shrimp are pink and opaque.
Shrimp cook quickly, so this isn’t the recipe where you put something in the oven and disappear for half an hour.
Once they’re pink, opaque and cooked through, they’re ready.
Want the Parmesan More Golden?
There’s an optional little trick here.
At the end of roasting, switch your oven to broil and let the shrimp cook for another:
1–2 minutes.
This can give the Parmesan a little more golden color.
But watch them closely.
You’ve already got cooked shrimp and cheese under direct high heat, so things can move from beautifully golden to well, that’s unfortunate surprisingly fast.
Step 5: Finish With Parsley and Lemon
Remove the shrimp from the oven and sprinkle over:
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley.
If you’d like, squeeze some fresh lemon over the top.
That little hit of acidity works beautifully against the salty Parmesan, garlic and olive oil.
And if you want some heat, finish with a pinch of red pepper flakes.
That’s it.
From raw shrimp to garlicky Parmesan dinner in roughly 15 minutes.
What to Serve With Garlic Parmesan Roasted Shrimp
This is where the recipe gets especially useful because you can take the same pan of shrimp in several different directions.
Over pasta: Toss them with your favorite pasta and spoon any garlicky juices from the baking sheet over the top.
Over rice: Probably the easiest weeknight option. Add shrimp, parsley and a squeeze of lemon and dinner is done.
Inside tacos or wraps: Add the warm shrimp to tortillas or wraps and build from there.
On a salad: Great when you want something lighter but still substantial.
With crusty bread: Possibly my favorite option if there are plenty of garlicky juices left on the pan.
That bread has a job to do.