Tip from Ina Garten: Try Oven-Roasted Shrimp!

We were watching re-runs of Barefoot Contessa the other day (a favorite pastime of ours), and picked up an interesting tip from the lovely Ina Garten. She says that for almost any recipe she makes using shrimp, she prefers to roast the shrimp in the oven to cook it. Find out why - and how - below!

Ina Garten says that roasting will caramelize the shrimp slightly and concentrate their flavor, making this mild shellfish taste sweeter and more intense. We imagine that it's similar to throwing shrimp on the grill, something we love!

She recommends tossing the shrimp (peeled and de-veined) with olive oil, salt, and pepper, and then spreading them out in a single layer on a sheet pan. Roast them in a 400° oven for 6-8 minutes until pink and firm. At this point, you can set them aside and add them to your recipe at the last minute.

Here are a few Barefoot Contessa recipes from the Food Network that use this technique:

• Lemon Pasta with Roasted Shrimp
• Roasted Shrimp and Orzo
• Roasted Shrimp Cocktail

Have you ever tried this technique?

(Image: Food Network)

Comments (15)

I tried roasting shrimp after seeing the same Barefoot Contessa episode a while back and it makes an incredible difference to the flavor. It's so easy to do, it's now my preferred way to cook shrimp.

You know, I'd love to read about this recipe, but you have Blackberry pop ups all over the page that block the site, and there isn't a way to get ride of them.

I'm with clarabelle -- would love to read this post, but can't because of the ridiculous, impenetrable Blackberry pop-up. Makes me glad I'm an iPhone user all over again.

i just cooked shrimp in pasta today, so sorry i didn´t see this post earlier. i´ll make sure to try it out next time!

I'm not getting any pop-ups over here

clarabelle, rgasaway, if you're using Firefox, install AdBlockPlus. it'll take care of those pesky ads.

IMHO, the best way to cook shrimp is to broil them (tail and shell on).

Place shrimp on a sheet pan, toss with some olive oil, salt, and pepper, and place 6-8 inches below a hot broiler. Cook for 2-3 minutes a side then remove, allow to cool a bit, and peel.

Broiling them with the shell on will do two things: it will protect the shrimp from the direct heat and it will impart flavor into the meat itself.

I'm seeing the same popup. I'm using IE and I can't install any updates. But it only started doing this today. It used to be fine.

I had the same pop-up problems earlier but now it seems to be fine.

Back to the OP-I can attest to Ina's method and more importantly, to her shrimp orzo salad. It is delicious and my standard potluck contribution. I always get asked for the recipe which I am more than happy to share.

I find it interesting that in one recipe she says to toss the shrimp in the oil/salt/pepper, in another she says drizzle/sprinkle, and in the other it's unclear but implied that the oil/salt/pepper is added after the shrimp are on the sheet.

Personally I toss as I like both sides of the shrimp seasoned.

Tail and shell on is a must. So much more flavor. Just be careful not to overcook!

I make Ina's roasted shrimp cocktail all the time, and now it's the only kind I'll eat!

Can't wait to try the additional recipes above.

I add lemon, lime or orange juice before I roast my shrimp, depending on what I'm serving it with. Lime on shrimp that's being served with Mexican rice (garlic, onion and cilantro), lemon with pasta, orange with couscous. Freshly squeezed, of course.

YUM! Just in time now that I have jumbo wild caught Gulf shrimp in my freezer and was hoping for a simple and exciting new recipe..

(After the horrible BP oil spill in the Gulf, folks here in Texas are making a run on shrimp at their local groceries or fish markets and hoarding the little critters. I have considered it.)

We had the roast shrimp pasta during the week and we're having it again today. I used one lemon and followed the rest of the recipe fairly consistently. Thanks. I'll being roasting my prawns from now on.