Baked Parmesan Shrimp with Garlic Butter is delicious and gluten free! It's based off of the most popular recipe on Cooking with Mamma C!
I have to thank Cooking with Mamma C readers for suggesting a shrimp version of my wildly popular Lemon Parmesan Cod with Garlic Butter. Because this Baked Parmesan Shrimp with Garlic Butter's got it going on. I could eat this every day. (And I did, for three days, as I tested and tweaked.)
Before I get into the shrimp details, I need to fill you in on the cod backstory. I developed the Parmesan cod recipe as a variation of these Parmesan Chicken Drumsticks with Garlic Butter. My family absolutely loves both of these dishes, and I hoped my blog readers would enjoy them too.
Then one day, out of the blue, Huffington Post Canada featured my Parmesan cod in 23 Cod Recipes You'll Want to Cook Tonight. I was excited and figured Cooking with Mamma C would get some new visitors for a while. The dish quickly became the most popular recipe on my site, however, and remains so a year and a half later. And, I've heard from several readers that it's the best cod they've ever had. Whoa!
So, I was intrigued by the shrimp idea. It sounded good, but would baked Parmesan shrimp with garlic butter work? How long would I need to cook it? At what temperature? Would the garlic-Parmesan coating have the same texture as in the other dishes? I headed into my kitchen to find out. I was a bit surprised by the results.
1. The first time I made the shrimp, I coated them really well with the cheese mixture, even patting each one to ensure the Parmesan would stay on. I baked them at 400 degrees F for six minutes. And....I found the cheese a bit overpowering and quite melty. The shrimp lacked that lightly crisp coating I love in the chicken and cod dishes. (The chicken is the most crispy, since it gets baked for an hour at 350 degrees F, while the cod gets baked for 15 minutes at 400.)
2. Next, I decided to go less heavy-handed with the cheese coating, plus let the shrimp bake a little longer at 350 degrees F. It only took 10 minutes for the shrimp to cook, but this time the cheese wasn't runny. It didn't quite get crispy, but it came together in a nice coating that adheres to the shrimp and imparts great complimentary flavor.
3. I experimented with one more thing (nerd alert!) I wanted to figure out the best way to add the right amount of Parmesan mixture. Would it be better to just dip the shrimp in melted butter and then sprinkle the cheese on top? Or is dredging in the cheese the way to go? As you can see from the photo below, the shrimp on the far left look white on the bottom, because they weren't dredged, just dipped in butter and sprinkled on top with cheese. The two shrimp in the center of the plate were lightly dredged.
And the verdict is...dip the shrimp in melted butter, then lightly dredge them in the Parmesan, coating both sides. Delizioso! I served the shrimp over rice (a nice gluten-free option) but if gluten isn't an issue, don't forget to dip some crusty bread in that garlic butter from the baking pan. Yum!
I hope you guys enjoy this Baked Parmesan Shrimp with Garlic Butter. Let me know if you try it!
(Recipe Source: Cooking with Mamma C)
Baked Parmesan Shrimp with Garlic Butter
Ingredients
- 2 pounds frozen large raw shrimp (tail-on, peeled & deveined)
- 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- ½ lemon zest plus juice
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley (cut small or chopped)
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- ¾ teaspoon garlic powder
- 4 tablespoons salted butter (melted)
- Italian bread (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Grease a rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray.
- Thaw your shrimp under cold water, if needed. Make sure both the inner and outer veins (digestive tract) are removed. (Loosen them with a small knife, shrimp tool, or the pointy tip of a metal skewer, then pull them out in one piece with your fingers.) Rinse the shrimp and wash your hands well.
- Place the grated Parmesan on a dinner plate and add the garlic powder and paprika.
- Wash the lemon and pat it dry. Cut it in half and make zest from one of the halves by using a zester or grater to shave off the yellow part of the skin, adding it to the cheese mixture.
- Rinse the parsley and pat it dry. Cut it with scissors or chop it before adding it to the cheese mixture. Toss the cheese mixture with a fork to blend it.
- Melt the butter in a microwave-safe measuring cup. (It will make it easier to dunk your shrimp in it.) Set up an assembly line from left to right with the shrimp, the butter, the cheese mixture, and the sheet pan.
- Place a few shrimp into the measuring cup with the butter. Take each piece of shrimp out of the butter (grasp it by the tail) and lightly dredge it in the cheese mixture, coating both sides. Place the coated shrimp onto the sheet pan and continue with the rest of the shrimp.
- Bake for 10 minutes, or until the shrimp is cooked through but not tough.
- Squeeze the juice of half a lemon over the shrimp and serve with bread for dipping in the garlic butter (you can place the pan on the table for informal dinners) or spoon the butter over rice, mashed potatoes or polenta. Store leftover shrimp in the refrigerator for up to three days.
Joann
This was a fabulous switch from the heavier scampi I usually do over pasta....made it for Ben and Emily (as she just got home for spring break) and it was a long overdue family meal!!!
Voted a keeper in this house 😍
Mamma C
Hi Joann - I love hearing this! I'm so glad you got to enjoy dinner with both kids. Thanks for reporting back!
Nicole
I know it would change the flavor but do you think I could use the same amount of olive oil instead of butter?
Mamma C
Hi Nicole - Sure!
[email protected]
Oh, this is a perfect weeknight meal, my friend! And now I'm stuck on dipping the crusty bread in the garlic butter straight from the pan! Sighhhhhh....
Mamma C
That pan is everything! It doesn't matter how full I am, I have to grab some bread and start dipping, Lol! Thanks, Annie!
Cheryl "Cheffie Cooks" Wiser
Shrimp-Oh my yes please...xo
Mamma C
I never get tired of shrimp!
Kristine
This looks so fresh and delicious and I love that it's baked! I'll probably go overboard with the cheese too! Beautiful photos!
Mamma C
I give you permission to go overboard! Thanks, Kristine!
Lauren
Shrimp dishes are among my absolute favorite! There are so many flavor combos and they cook up so quickly.
Mamma C
I love shrimp too! Thanks for stopping by, Lauren!
Platter Talk
Very appetizing meal, especially since we love shrimp! Do you deliver? lol
Mamma C
Well, that depends on whether someone is waiting to greet me with dessert! Thanks, Dan!
Sarah @ Champagne Tastes
Oh yummmm! I might try that cod recipe too-- that sounds fantastic!
Mamma C
I hope you do, Sarah! Thank so much!
Geoffrey
Great pictures! Looks delicious. Must try.. but forgive me if I DO go heavy-handed on the cheese coating 😉
Mamma C
Haha! My hubby said too much cheese is never a bad thing. And I'm glad you like the photos, because I struggled a bit with them. Thanks, Geoffrey!