Description
These Easy Bacon Wrapped Shrimp are a delicious and crowd-pleasing appetizer. Extra-jumbo shrimp are seasoned with a sweet and smoky mixture, wrapped in partially cooked bacon, and broiled until crispy and cooked through.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 pound extra-jumbo shrimp (16–20 per pound), peeled and deveined, with tails on
- 1 pound center-cut bacon (not thick-cut)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- Toothpicks, for securing
- Lemon wedges, for serving
- Dipping Sauce of choice
Instructions
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Bacon: Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil (for easier cleanup).
- Cut Bacon: Cut each bacon slice lengthwise into thin strips. You should have one strip of bacon for each shrimp.
- Partially Cook Bacon: Arrange the bacon strips in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 6-8 minutes, or until the bacon is starting to brown but is still pliable and not fully crispy. This pre-cooking step ensures the bacon will be cooked through when the shrimp is done.
- Make Seasoning Mixture: While the bacon is cooking, prepare the seasoning mixture. In a medium bowl, whisk together the olive oil, honey, kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and smoked paprika until well combined.
- Season Shrimp: Add the peeled and deveined shrimp to the bowl with the seasoning mixture. Toss gently to coat the shrimp evenly.
- Drain Bacon: Remove the partially cooked bacon from the oven. Transfer the bacon strips to a plate lined with paper towels to drain excess grease.
- Prepare Baking Sheet: Discard the foil from the baking sheet (or wipe it clean). Line the baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Switch Oven to Broil: Turn your oven to the broil setting.
- Wrap Shrimp: Wrap each seasoned shrimp with a strip of the partially cooked bacon, starting at the thicker end of the shrimp and spiraling towards the tail. Secure the bacon with a toothpick if necessary.
- Arrange on Baking Sheet: Place the bacon-wrapped shrimp on the prepared baking sheet, seam-side down, leaving a little space between each shrimp.
- Broil: Broil the shrimp for 4-6 minutes, rotating the baking sheet halfway through, until the bacon is crispy and the shrimp is cooked through (opaque and pink). Watch carefully to prevent burning.
- Serve: Remove the baking sheet from the oven. Serve the bacon-wrapped shrimp immediately with lemon wedges and your favorite dipping sauce, if desired.
Notes
- Shrimp: Use extra-jumbo shrimp (16-20 per pound) for this recipe. Smaller shrimp may overcook before the bacon is crispy.
- Bacon: Use center-cut bacon, not thick-cut. Thick-cut bacon will take too long to cook and may result in overcooked shrimp. Partially cooking the bacon before wrapping the shrimp ensures that it will be crispy when the shrimp is cooked through.
- Seasoning: You can adjust the amount of seasonings to your preference.
- Broiling: Keep a close eye on the shrimp while broiling, as they can burn quickly.
- Serving Suggestions: These bacon-wrapped shrimp are delicious as an appetizer or snack. You can serve them with a variety of dipping sauces, such as cocktail sauce, tartar sauce, remoulade, or a sweet chili sauce.
- Storage: Store in fridge for up to 3 days.