Perfect Oven Baked Shrimp Skewers

Shrimp are one of my favorite weeknight meals. I’ll give you ONE guess why: FAST! Shrimp cook up sooo quickly! Both this Easy Shrimp Scampi and these Shrimp Noodles cook up in just minutes!

One of my favorite ways to enjoy shrimp is grilling shrimp skewers. However, during busy weeknights, you don’t often have time to fire up the grill.

Instead, you can enjoy this delicious oven baked shrimp dish and hardly lift a finger!

While the shrimp are hanging out in the marinade, whip up a quick salad and enjoy a light summer supper! I’ll bring the wine!

• Simple ingredients, BIG flavor!
• Super quick cooking time!
• Option to cook these shrimp skewers on the stovetop, too!
• Great as an appetizer or light dinner!

You’ll need the following ingredients to make these delicious Oven Baked Shrimp Kabobs:

Shrimp: Big or JUMBO shrimp are best for shrimp skewers. Look for 16-21 count or bigger! Larger varieties will yield the juiciest shrimp!

Here are some quick visual instructions. Remember that full instructions with exact ingredients will be in the recipe card below!

Step 1: Whisk together ingredients for the quick marinade. Reserve a couple of tablespoons in a separate bowl to drizzle at the end.

Step 2: Combine shrimp and marinade; toss well to coat. Let shrimp marinate for 20-30 minutes.

Step 3: Thread raw shrimp onto skewers–about 4-6 shrimp per skewer. Lay skewers flat on a baking sheet lined with foil or parchment paper.

Step 4: Bake at 450˚F for 3-5 minutes until shrimp have just started to turn bright pink and there are no gray (raw!) spots. Drizzle with reserved marinade. Enjoy immediately!

• Keep a close eye on your shrimp while they are in the oven. Cooking time depends a lot on the size of the shrimp and your oven, of course! Remove the shrimp right when they turn bright pink and you no longer see any “gray” or raw spots. Overcooking will lead to rubbery shrimp!

• Let shrimp marinade for the full 30 minutes for the best flavor! You can go a little longer, too but any longer than an hour and the acid in the lemon juice will start to “cook” the shrimp.

• While the shrimp are hanging out out in the marinade, prep any sides like rice or a simple salad.

• Storage: Store leftover shrimp in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days.

• Reheating: Shrimp aren’t the BEST when reheated, but you can reheat them in the oven at 350°F for a few minutes until just warmed through.

• Freezing: You can freeze the shrimp skewers in an airtight containers or heavy-duty freezer bag. You can also wrap them tightly with aluminum foil. Freeze for 2-3 months.

There are a few additions and substitutions you can make!

Additions

• Pineapple: I love adding fresh pineapple to my skewers and the sweet balances out the garlic shrimp so well!
• Vegetable Skewers: Do a few veggie-only skewers with bell peppers, red onion and cherry tomatoes! The veggies take a bit longer to cook in the oven, so start the veggie 5-10 minutes before you put the shrimp in the oven.
• Heat/Smokiness: Add chili powder, smoked paprika, chopped chipotle chili pepper (from the can) or a dash of hot sauce for a little kick! I’d start with a 1/2 tsp of each and go up from there 🙂

Substitutions

• Garlic Powder: You can sub 1 tsp for the 4 cloves of fresh garlic.
• Lime Juice + Zest : You can sub this for the lemon juice + zest.

I love serving these shrimp skewers with a fresh corn salad or this caprese pesto orzo salad. Just a simple rice pilaf or this simple arugula salad are also great for a light dinner. Don’t forget the pinot grigio! 🙂

Yes! If you don’t want to heat up the oven you can cook them on a grill pan stovetop! Heat grill pan to medium-high heat, add olive oil and cook skewers 2-4 minutes on each side until bright pink.

To ensure quick cooking so garlic doesn’t burn, cook skewers in the oven at 450°F.

Not long at all! Depending on the size of the shrimp (and your oven, of course!) shrimp will be fully cooked in about 3-4 minutes when you cook them at 450°F.

Nope! Since these shrimp skewers only cook about 3-4 minutes, soaking bamboo skewers isn’t necessary.

….and check out these 16 other amazing shrimp skewer recipes, too!

Did you make this? Please RATE THE RECIPE below!

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