20-Minute Sheet Pan Shrimp with Lemon and Garlic

Tender shrimp roast alongside blistered tomatoes and crisp-tender vegetables all on one pan. It’s fast enough for a Tuesday, bright with lemon and garlic, and leaves you with almost no cleanup.

Why This Sheet Pan Dinner Works

The high heat does all the work. The shrimp get these little caramelized edges while the cherry tomatoes burst into a sweet, savory sauce right on the tray.

Everything cooks in about the same amount of time. No par-cooking, no separate pots, just a hot oven and one pan you slide onto the table.

Ingredients

• 1 lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined: tail on or off, as you prefer. Pat them very dry.
• 1 red bell pepper: sliced into ½ inch strips
• 1 small red onion: cut into ½ inch wedges
• 1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes: halved if large
• 8 oz asparagus: trimmed and cut into 2 inch pieces
• 4 cloves garlic: minced
• 3 tbsp olive oil: plus a little extra for serving if you like
• ½ tsp kosher salt: plus more to taste
• ¼ tsp black pepper
• ¼ tsp red pepper flakes: optional, for a little heat
• ½ lemon: for squeezing right before serving
• Handful of fresh parsley: roughly chopped
• ¼ cup crumbled feta: optional, but it adds a creamy, salty pop

Variations / Substitutions

• Swap the shrimp: salmon cubes or firm white fish work well, though they may need a couple extra minutes.
• Change the vegetables: zucchini, broccoli florets, or green beans all hold up nicely. Just keep pieces similar in size so they cook evenly.
• Skip the feta: a shower of grated parmesan right out of the oven is just as good.
• Add sausage: sliced smoked sausage turns this into heartier dinner, just push the shrimp aside and give the sausage a 5 minute head start on the pan.

If you like this kind of low-fuss dinner, a similar one pan lemon chicken with potatoes is another one to keep in rotation.

How To Make Sheet Pan Shrimp

Step 1: Toss the Shrimp and Vegetables

Heat the oven to 400°F (200°C). On a large sheet pan, combine the 1 lb shrimp, bell pepper strips, red onion wedges, cherry tomatoes, and asparagus pieces. Pour over the 3 tbsp olive oil, scatter the minced garlic, and sprinkle with the ½ tsp salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes. Toss everything with your hands or a big spoon until the oil and seasonings coat the shrimp and vegetables evenly.

Right now the pan will look messy and bright, pieces of red pepper and green asparagus tangled with pale shrimp. The oil makes everything glossy and the garlic will cling to the vegetables in little speckles.

Step 2: Spread Everything Into an Even Layer

Shake the pan gently and nudge the ingredients with a spatula until they lie in a single layer with no big piles. A few shrimp touching is fine, but if they crowd on top of one another, they will steam instead of roast and you’ll lose those crisp edges.

You should be able to see the bottom of the pan in spots. If you packed the pan too full, split everything between two pans instead. The food needs hot air circulating around it to get properly browned.

Step 3: Roast the Shrimp

Slide the pan onto the middle rack and roast for 6 minutes. At that point pull the pan out and take a quick look. The shrimp will have started to turn pink around the edges and the tomatoes will look puffy and soft.

Give the pan a quick shake or use a spatula to turn any larger pieces, then return it to the oven for another 4 to 6 minutes. You are done when the shrimp are fully opaque and the tomatoes have collapsed and started releasing their juice. The asparagus and peppers should be tender with a little char on the tips. The kitchen smells like garlic and roasted vegetables.

Step 4: Squeeze Lemon and Serve

Pull the pan from the oven and squeeze the juice of that half lemon over everything. Toss gently to let the warm juices mix with the lemon, then scatter on the parsley and crumbled feta if you’re using it. The feta will soften a little from the heat. Serve right from the pan, or transfer to a big platter.

When you set it on the table, the lemon brightens all the colors and the shrimp look glossy and pink against the charred red and green vegetables.

A Few Tips for Perfect Sheet Pan Shrimp

• Dry shrimp with paper towels before tossing them with the oil. Any extra moisture will prevent browning.
• Use the biggest sheet pan you have. A half sheet pan gives ingredients room to roast instead of steam. If you double the recipe, use two pans.
• Don’t walk away after the first 6 minutes. Shrimp go from tender to rubbery fast, so set a timer and check early.
• If you want a little more char on the vegetables without overcooking the shrimp, give the veggies a 4 minute head start in the oven before adding the shrimp to the pan.

Cook times for different shrimp sizes:

Storing and Reheating Leftovers

• Refrigerate: Cool the leftovers within 2 hours and store in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
• Reheating: Warm gently in a skillet over medium heat with a tablespoon of water, just until the shrimp are hot. Microwaving for 1 to 2 minutes works too, but go easy so the shrimp don’t turn tough.
• Serve cold: The shrimp and vegetables are delicious over a bed of greens with a little extra vinaigrette.

What To Serve With Sheet Pan Shrimp

A hunk of warm crusty bread is the simplest side. It soaks up the garlic lemon juices on the pan. Rice or orzo also catch the sauce nicely. For something greener, a simple arugula salad dressed with olive oil and lemon mirrors the shrimp’s brightness without competing.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use frozen shrimp?

Yes, but thaw them completely first and pat them very, very dry. Any ice crystals on the shrimp will water down the pan and steam the food.

Can I add sausage to this?

Absolutely. Slice smoked sausage into rounds, spread them on the pan alone, and roast for 5 minutes before adding the shrimp and vegetables so everything finishes together.

What vegetables swap in well?

Broccoli florets, green beans, or sliced zucchini all work. Cut them roughly the same size as the asparagus so they cook in the same time.

Can I double the recipe for a crowd?

Yes, use two sheet pans and rotate them halfway through cooking so both pans roast evenly. Don’t crowd a single pan.

Sheet Pan Shrimp Recipe

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 20 minutes mins

Servings: 4 servings

Calories: 248

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 1 lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1 red bell pepper, sliced into ½ inch strips
• 1 small red onion, cut into ½ inch wedges
• 1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, halved if large
• 8 oz asparagus, trimmed and cut into 2 inch pieces
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• ½ tsp kosher salt
• ¼ tsp black pepper
• ¼ tsp red pepper flakes
• ½ lemon, for squeezing
• Handful fresh parsley, roughly chopped
• ¼ cup crumbled feta, optional

Method

 

1. Heat the oven to 400°F. On a large sheet pan, toss the shrimp, bell pepper, onion, tomatoes, and asparagus with the olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes until coated.
2. Spread everything into a single layer so no pieces overlap.
3. Roast for 6 minutes, then shake the pan or turn the larger pieces. Continue roasting another 4 to 6 minutes, until shrimp are opaque and tomatoes have burst.
4. Squeeze the lemon over the pan, toss gently, and top with parsley and feta. Serve immediately.

Notes

If your sheet pan is on the smaller side, divide the ingredients between two pans so everything roasts properly. The shrimp turn rubbery if they sit too long in their steam.