24 Quick & Easy Side Dishes for Roasted Shrimp

updated Aug 23, 2019
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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. Here are a few more side dishes that can play along with roasted shrimp for light dinners.

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.

Credit: Joe Lingeman

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.

Credit: Joe Lingeman
Tangy Carrot Slaw

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.

Credit: Joe Lingeman
Garlicky Parmesan Sweet Potatoes

Roasted Vegetables

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

Cold Lentil Salad with Cucumbers and Olives

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.