24 Quick & Easy Side Dishes for Roasted Shrimp

Faith Durand
Faith DurandSVP of Content
Faith is the SVP of Content at Apartment Therapy Media and former Editor-in-Chief of The Kitchn. She is the author of three cookbooks, including the James Beard Award-winning The Kitchn Cookbook. She lives in Columbus, Ohio, with her husband and two daughters.
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updated Nov 29, 2023
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Credit: Joe Lingeman

I made such an easy dinner last night. Want to hear about it? I tossed thawed shrimp with Cajun seasoning, roasted them, and then served them over a super-simple green salad and some store-bought roasted corn salsa. It was ready in about 10 minutes and so yummy.

Shrimp is one of the fastest, easiest dinners I know — especially since frozen shrimp can just hang out in the freezer until you’re ready for them. Make extra, too, and you have a tasty topping for lunch salads. That’s just one way to serve this ultra-quick seafood treat, though. We have many other ideas here.

In This Article
  1. How to Roast Shrimp
  2. Pasta, Rice, and Grains
  3. Salads and Slaws
  4. Roasted Vegetables
  5. Beans and Lentils
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How to Roast Shrimp

Shrimp is a little more expensive than ground beef or chicken thighs, and you need to be mindful of sourcing (see Seafood Watch’s shrimp fact sheet here), but I like to keep a bag in the freezer for busy nights, or to combat the lure of eating out on the weekends. Frozen shrimp, after all, is still a lot cheaper than a meal in a nice restaurant. All of that said, this is our favorite method: How To Roast Shrimp in the Oven.

Now, what to serve with that perfectly roasted shrimp? Here are a few side dishes that can play along with roasted shrimp for light dinners.

Pasta, Rice, and Grains

Pasta and rice make excellent side dishes on their own, but when dressed up with just a few extra ingredient — some fresh herbs, a creamy sauce — the turn roasted shrimp into an instant meal.

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BLT Pasta Salad
This pasta salad takes everything you love about that classic sandwich, then folds it into a summery side that's sure to be a hit at your next potluck.
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Greek Pasta Salad
An easy recipe for a Greek-inspired pasta salad that's filled with tomatoes, cucumbers, Kalamata olives, and feta and dressed in a tangy oregano vinaigrette.
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Cheesy Tex-Mex Rice

The key to this whole dish is the cheese. (Isn’t it always?) Cooked long and slow, this cheese melts into the rice and forms a crust on the bottom of the pan. The whole dish becomes infused with rich, smoky, caramelized cheddar, which is a taste that’s just this side of heaven.

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Creamy Spinach Parmesan Orzo
A recipe for quick and easy creamy orzo pasta made with spinach and Parmesan cheese. It's a perfect vegetarian dinner or simple side side.
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Portuguese-Style Mint Rice
Have an abundance of mint on your hands? Make this summery mint rice.
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Pearl Couscous Salad with Mint and Pecans

Pearl couscous, toasted pecans, generous handfuls of fresh mint (straight from my garden!) and a chopped onion, what’s not to like? Here’s a recipe that’s marvelous warm, cold or any temperature in between. It’s party or picnic food perfection in its most casual form.

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Mexican Restaurant-Style Cauliflower Rice
Just like the savory rice from your favorite Mexican restaurant, this version is made with cauliflower rice and comes together in minutes.
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Salads and Slaws

If you want to roast extra shrimp and eat it for lunches later in the week, these raw vegetable salads hold up well and do not require reheating, which your office mates will appreciate.

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Tangy Carrot Slaw
A recipe for easy carrot slaw tossed with a tangy Dijon mustard dressing.
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Cucumber Caprese Salad
A simple twist on classic Italian Caprese salad that adds cool, crisp cucumbers to the equation.
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Marinated Feta-Beet Salad
Sweet roasted beets loaded with fresh herbs and feta cheese.
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Broccoli and Cauliflower "Coleslaw"
This riff on classic coleslaw swaps cabbage for crisp, chopped broccoli and cauliflower florets, finished off with crunchy almonds and a tangy dressing.
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Tri-Color Slaw with Lime Dressing

Here’s one of the simplest yet most colorful slaws I know how to make. It only has a few ingredients, and a bright, fresh flavor of lime and cilantro!

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Arugula & Fennel Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette

The salad takes seconds to make, even counting the time to shake together the easy vinaigrette of lemon juice and olive oil. Pair it with grilled salmon or serve it alongside an eggy brunch casserole — this arugula salad will suit whatever is on the table.

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Mediterranean Cauliflower Couscous Salad

The Mediterranean flavors really shine in this simple spring salad and the roasted chickpeas add a lovely crunch. Grab a fork and dig in! Cauliflower “couscous” is a winner in our household and I hope you all enjoy it as much as we do.

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Roasted Vegetables

You’ve got the oven on for your roasted shrimp, why not throw some asparagus or potatoes in the oven too!

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Lemon-Pepper Asparagus

This simple side dish is just as much about the tender roasted asparagus as it is about the burnished lemon slices that are tossed in the mix.

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Garlicky Roasted Broccoli
This broccoli takes just a few minutes to throw into the oven and emerges toasty around the edges and garlicky and a little spicy.
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3-Ingredient Garlicky Red Potatoes
Thick chunks of red potatoes are tossed with a generous dusting of garlic powder, then finished with a squeeze of fresh lemon before they hit the table.
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Potato, Squash & Goat Cheese Gratin

This is an easy, rustic recipe that makes a great vegetarian meal or a pretty side dish for summer or autumn. It’s so simple: yellow squash layered in a jumble with sliced red potato and goat cheese. No cream needed at all.

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Garlicky Parmesan Sweet Potatoes
Thick chunks of sweet potato are roasted, then dusted with a snowy layer of nutty Parmesan cheese that crisps up under the broiler.
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Stovetop Steam-Fried Green Beans and Mushrooms

Simple but unexpected, it’s a vegetable dish that will please even the pickiest of eaters.

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Honey-Mustard Brussels Sprouts

Honey-mustard is a tried-and-true combination and complements the earthiness of the sprouts. Drizzle the glaze onto the roasted sprouts and then just let them sit in the turned-off oven for a few minutes so the glaze soaks in.

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Beans and Lentils

Lentils pair exceedingly well with shrimp in both hot and cold dishes, but heartier beans should be discounted as a hearty side to roasted shrimp either.

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Feta and Tomato Braised Chickpeas
Tender chickpeas swimming in an oregano- and garlic-spiked tomato sauce and topped with plenty of melty feta cheese. Make enough for lunch too!
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Cold Lentil Salad with Cucumbers and Olives

If you’ve neglected lentils in light of rising temperatures, give this refreshing, filling salad a try to bring them back on your culinary radar.

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Chickpea Salad with Red Onion, Sumac, and Lemon

Sumac, it turns out, makes onions both tart and a little sweet, taking away their bitter edge, especially when you work it in with your hands.

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