How Long to Bake Shrimp at 450 F

You should bake shrimp at 450°F for five to eight minutes. The exact timing will depend on your oven and the size of the shrimp. You'll know it's done when it's turned bright pink and you can't see any gray (i.e., raw) spots. However, always be on the safe side and use an instant-read thermometer to check that the internal temperature has reached 145°F.

With the baking duration sorted, let's take a look at preparation methods and a few expert tips and tricks.

4 Expert Tips for Baking Shrimp at 450°F

Your shrimp are prepared and ready to be baked at 450°F for five to eight minutes! Just pay attention to these expert tips and tricks before you dive right into the baking. 

1. Keep a close eye while baking — Shrimp are delicate, making overcooking all too easy to do. So, keep a close eye on them while they're baking to ensure you remove them as soon as they turn bright pink without gray spots.
2. Always marinate — For the best flavor, you should always marinate the shrimp for half an hour. Don't leave them for more than half an hour, though! If your marinade contains a lot of lemon or other acidic ingredients, it may start "cooking" the meat.
3. Use your time wisely — Since you'll have a lot of time to wait while your shrimp is marinating, you should use it wisely. Try creating your side dishes. This is perhaps the best use of your time. We've divulged a few of our favorite accompaniments in the notes section of the recipe.
4. So many flavor options — Consider shrimp the "chicken of the sea." In other words, it's incredibly versatile, working with a bunch of flavor combinations. Some of the best include citrus (e.g., lemon), fresh herbs (e.g., parsley and dilly), spice blends (e.g., Jamaican jerk, onion blends, etc.), and so many others. 

How to Prepare Shrimp for Baking

Shrimp have an ultra-hard outer shell, a softer underside, lots of thin legs, and a tail. But you can't just throw them in the oven like this. Instead, you need to peel and devein them.

The Shrimp Peeling Process

You can peel shrimp with kitchen shears or by hand. We recommend trying both to discover which method feels right for you.

Follow these steps to peel them by hand:

1. Tug on the legs to remove them. This isn't necessary. However, taking them off ensures they're out of the way.
2. Move your thumbs under the shell and crack it open.
3. As the shell cracks, peel it away from the meat.
4. Remove the tail by pinching it at the point it meets the shrimp's body and gently pulling. The rest of the shrimp will pull cleanly from the tail. Note: You don't have to remove the tail at this stage. In fact, many leave it on for cooking.

Follow these steps to peel them with kitchen shears:

1. Slot the tip of the shears between the top of the shrimp's shell and the body.
2. Cut along the shell's length, stopping when you reach the tail.
3. Using your thumbs, peel the shell back from either side of the cut line.
4. Discard the shell (or save it for making stock)
5. You can leave the tail on for cooking or take it off by pinching at the base and gently pulling.

The Shrimp Deveining Process

Despite this process's name, you aren't actually removing a vein; you're removing the shrimp's digestive tract. Running along the back of the shrimp, just below the surface, it looks like a thin, gray string. Depending on the shrimp, it can be very prominent or barely noticeable.

You don't need to panic about the process because even though it might seem like you shouldn't eat it, the digestive tract isn't harmful if you accidentally consume one. That said, it's quite unsightly and can add a bit of grittiness to your otherwise beautiful shrimp dish. 

So, follow these steps to devein shrimp like a pro:

1. Carefully run your small paring knife along the shrimp's back. There's no need to cut deeply; a shallow slice is fine.
2. Identify the "vein." You won't always find it, so don't worry if you can't see it in every shrimp.
3. Starting near the top, use the tip of your paring knife to gently pull the vein up.
4. Continue to the bottom. Since it's quite elastic, it shouldn't break. But there's no need to panic if it does — just pick it up again and continue pulling.

Super Simple Baked Shrimp Skewers Recipe

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How Long to Bake Shrimp at 450 F

Yield: 2 servings

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 7 minutes

Total Time: 22 minutes

Discover how to bake perfect shrimp at 450°F with our detailed tutorial. Top tips included from our cooking experts.

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Ingredients

• 1 pound large shrimp
• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
• 4 tablespoons fresh garlic
• 4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• Zest from one lemon
• 2 teaspoons honey
• 1 tablespoon fresh parsley
• 1 teaspoon sea salt or kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
• Red pepper flakes (optional, only if you want a bit of heat)

Instructions

1. Peel and devein the shrimp. It's up to you whether you leave the tails on or remove them.
2. Finely chop the fresh parsley.
3. Mince the fresh garlic.
4. Put the olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, honey, parsley, salt, garlic, and a few grinds of pepper in a medium bowl.
5. Add the red pepper flakes to the bowl if you like an extra kick!
6. Whisk the ingredients together. This will be your shrimp marinade.
7. Set aside a couple of tablespoons of the marinade for later.
8. Add shrimp to the marinade. 
9. Toss thoroughly until all the shrimp are coated in the marinade.
10. Allow the shrimp to marinate for 20 to 30 minutes. You can use this time to prepare any sides.
11. Preheat the oven to 450°F.
12. Put the shrimp onto bamboo or metal skewers, ensuring four to six shrimps on each skewer, depending on how big the shrimp are.
13. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
14. Put the skewers on the baking sheet.
15. Put the shrimp in the oven for five to eight minutes until they turn bright pink and you can't see any gray spots. To be on the safe side, always use an instant-read digital thermometer. If the display shows 145°F, they are safe to eat.
16. Drizzle with the reserved marinade.
17. Serve with lemon wedges and your favorite accompaniments!

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 2 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 580Total Fat: 31gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 25gCholesterol: 479mgSodium: 3369mgCarbohydrates: 22gFiber: 2gSugar: 8gProtein: 54g