Spicy Broiled Shrimp Recipe
This Spicy Broiled Shrimp Recipe is a perfect shrimp dinner that can be on the table in minutes and will impress anyone you make it for. And of course broiled shrimp is perfect for a low-carb meal!
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This Spicy Broiled Shrimp Recipe is something that will be a hit with everyone who likes shrimp, and frozen raw shrimp is something I always have in my freezer. After they’ve thawed in the fridge, raw shrimp cook quickly and can be turned into impressive dinners.
After a few experiments, I came up with this spicy broiled shrimp recipe that’s extra easy, cooks in less than ten minutes, and makes a festive dinner, especially if you cook the shrimp in little individual casseroles like I did so each person gets their own dish of spicy shrimp.
This broiled shrimp recipe was inspired by memories of New Orleans Barbecued Shrimp. I use a combination of butter and olive oil, but you can use all butter, all olive oil, or a combination, whichever you prefer; either way will be delicious!
(This recipe is dedicated to the memory of my wonderful father. My Dad loved anything with shrimp, and this Spicy Broiled Shrimp was something I made for him many, many times during the last years of his life.)
What ingredients do you need?
(This is only a list of ingredients; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)
- thawed frozen shrimp, peeled and deveined with tails left on
- extra virgin Olive Oil (affiliate link), melted butter, or a mixture of both
- lemon
- Worcestershire sauce or Gluten-Free Worcestershire Sauce (affiliate link)
- Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning (affiliate link), or your favorite Creole Seasoning Blend
- salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
What adds the spicy flavor in this broiled shrimp recipe?
The spicy flavor in this recipe comes from Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning (affiliate link) which is something I learned to love from a teacher friend who had moved to Utah from Louisiana. If you don’t have that brand just use your favorite Creole Seasoning.
An important recipe tip for spicy broiled shrimp:
The only tricky part in this ultra simple recipe is to be very careful not to overcook the shrimp. Once the shrimp turn pink and feel slightly firm to the touch take them out from under the broiler, serve hot, and wait for your family and friends to swoon.
More quick low-carb dinners with shrimp:
Check out Low-Carb and Keto Shrimp Dinners for more tasty and easy low-carb dinners using shrimp!
How to make this Spicy Broiled Shrimp Recipe:
(This is only a summary of the steps for the recipe; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)
- In the U.S. shrimp are sold by number per pound, and I used 31-40 count shrimp for this recipe, and decided 1/4 lb. was about a good sized serving (unless you’re making it for my father, who devoured 1/2 pound by himself when I tested one of the earlier versions of this recipe on him.)
- Start this recipe by thawing the shrimp (preferably overnight in the refrigerator, but you can get away with thawing them in the bag in lukewarm water if needed), then let the shrimp drain in a colander.
- It’s important to arrange the shrimp in a single layer so they all cook at the same rate. I used individual casserole dishes and was a little careful about making the shrimp tails all face the same way so it would look nice, but you can use one casserole dish if that’s what you have.
- The flavors that enhance the shrimp in this recipe are olive oil or butter, fresh lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, and a light sprinkling of Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning (affiliate link).
- You can use any brand of Creole seasoning that you like, or make your own Creole Seasoning Blend. The Tony Chachere’s Seasoning does have salt, so be sure not to add any extra salt if you’re using that.
- The bottom photo shows how the individual dishes of shrimp looked once they were doused with oil or butter and the seasonings were added. See complete recipe below for more information about that.
- Have the rest of your meal ready before you begin cooking the shrimp, then just pop them under the broiler for 7-8 minutes and dinner is on the table!
Make it a low-carb Meal:
Serve the broiled shrimp with a special side dish like Pan-Fried Asparagus Tips with Lemon Juice and Lemon Zest, Air Fryer Peppers and Onions, or Green Beans with Lemon, Parmesan, and Pine Nuts for a delicious low-carb meal. It would also be good with Low-Carb Spicy Cauliflower Dirty Rice if you want more New Orleans flavors!
More Shrimp Recipes You Might Like:
- Grilled Shrimp Skewers
- Roasted Tomatoes and Shrimp with Feta
- Green Beans and Shrimp Sheet Pan Meal
- Easy Garlic and Lemon Shrimp
- Roasted Asian Shrimp and Brussels Sprouts Sheet Pan Meal
Spicy Broiled Shrimp
Spicy Broiled Shrimp is a wonderful low-carb dinner that can be on the table in minutes!
Ingredients
- 1/2 lb. frozen shrimp peeled and deveined with tails left on, thawed overnight in refrigerator
- 2 T extra virgin olive oil or melted butter (or a bit more; see notes)
- 1 lemon, cut in half
- 2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 – 1 tsp. Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning, or make your own Creole Seasoning Blend
- salt and fresh ground pepper to taste (don’t add salt if you’re using Tony Chachere’s seasoning that has salt)
Instructions
- Thaw shrimp overnight in the refrigerator (or thaw in the bag in lukewarm water if you forget to plan ahead.) I used 31-40 count shrimp, so if you’re lucky enough to find larger shrimp, increase the cooking time a tiny bit.
- When you’re ready to cook, remove shrimp from the refrigerator and drain in a colander placed in the sink, then use a paper towel to pat shrimp dry if they still seem wet.
- Preheat broiler and put the rack so it’s as close to the broiler as possible.
- Arrange the shrimp in a single layer in two individual casserole dishes or one larger casserole dish.
- I sprayed the casserole dishes with non-stick spray but it’s probably not essential.
- Once shrimp are arranged in a single layer, add seasonings in this order:
- Drizzle shrimp with olive oil or melted butter and squeeze lemon juice over the shrimp (I used a squeezer that catches the seeds).
- Sprinkle Worchestershire sauce over the shrimp.
- Sprinkle Creole Seasoning (or make your own Creole Seasoning Blend) over the shrimp.
- Season with salt and fresh ground black pepper (skip the salt if you use Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning, which has salt).
- When the rest of the meal is ready or almost ready, put shrimp under the broiler and cook for 7-8 minutes, or just until the shrimp turn pink and feel barely firm to the touch.
- Don’t overcook. If your shrimp are larger than 31-40 count they may take a minute or two longer to cook, but not much.
Notes
You can use butter, olive oil, or a combination of the two for this recipe. Use your best olive oil for this. If you'd like a bit more fat I think a little more butter will only improve the recipe!
Recipe inspired by many dinners of “Barbecued Shrimp” devoured during visits to New Orleans and Spicy Shrimp from The Pioneer Woman Cooks.
Nutrition Information
Yield
2Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 196Total Fat 6.6gSaturated Fat 1.3gUnsaturated Fat 4.9gCholesterol 239mgSodium 1961mgCarbohydrates 7.9gFiber 1.6gSugar 1.7gProtein 26g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated by the Recipe Plug-In I am using. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee 100% accuracy, since many variables affect those calculations.
Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
Everything about this Spicy Broiled Shrimp is perfect for any any low-carb or low-glycemic eating plan, including all phases of the original South Beach Diet if you use all olive oil.
Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use Seafood Recipes or Quick Recipes to find more recipes like this one.Use the Recipes by Diet Type photo index pages to find more recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might also like to Follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there.
Historical Notes for this Recipe:
The recipe for Spicy Broiled Shrimp was first posted in 2010! The recipe was last updated with more information in 2023.
60 Comments on “Spicy Broiled Shrimp Recipe”
I tried this and I’m sorry to say that even though I liked the flavor combo, the outcome was disappointing. I made them on a baking sheet. I may try it again in a casserole dish so the juices are preserved.
Sorry if I steered you wrong with that suggestion. I will edit the recipe to recommend cooking in one large or several smaller casserole dishes. This was posted a long time ago, so I hope I’ve gotten better at being specific with instructions. It did work well in the small baking dishes you see in the pictures.
Thanks, Kayln! I’ve done some more research on this “New Orleans BBQ Shrimp” and most recipes involve swirling butter into the sauce. I think I will like that even better.
I definitely think some butter will be good! I probably created this when I was doing South Beach (and avoiding butter) but I would love to add some now!
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Just a quick comment about the use of shrimp from Thailand. I saw a documentary that stopped me from doing that ever again. The pollutants (including fecal) that are in much of the water is very alarming. I would steer clear of Thai shrimp.
Heather, so glad you liked it so much!
THIS IS THE MOST AMAZING RECIPE EVER!!!! DELICIOUS. HEALTHY. QUICK. EASY. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!
Monica, thanks for letting me know how much you enjoyed it.
Yum! Made this tonight for dinner with some artichokes. It was delish and I cheated and at some regular sourdough to soak up the juices! So worth it. Thanks for the tasty recipe!
Barbie, I can only guess but I think if the shrimp and scallops are about the same thickness they would cook in approximately the same time. I'd check the cooking time on the package, and also check on them while they're cooking and take out anything that seems to be getting overly done.
I want to make this combining shrimp and scallops, but I am unsure of cooking time as I have never broiled scallops. I usually just cook them on the stove, by sight. Does anyone know if the shrimp would get overdone waiting for the scallops to finish? These scallops are very small sea scallops, more like large bay scallops, about a nickel to quarter size in diameter. Thanks.
Anonymous, I don't know the answer because I don't ever calculate carbs in that way. The book suggests limiting your intake of dried beans or legums to 1/3 cup to 1/2 cup serving size for phase one, so if the soup didn't have other ingredients besides those it probably should be eaten in very small servings.
Sorry this is such a random question, but I turn to you for all things South Beach. I decided to make split pea and lentil soup last night, there were 62Carb Grams but 75% daily fiber. I know that these are "good carbs" but do you think that is way too high for Phase 2 or 3?
Just looking at your photos makes me crave shrimp! They look so flavorful! And, so easy to make!
This looks great! I'm going to have to make some of that homemade creole seasoning! Thanks!
I love shrimp! So any kind of recipe that contains shrimp is a delicious treat for me. Aside from cooking it with butter most of the time, I usually do spicy broiled shrimp with similar cooking procedure like what you do. I love it so I won't stop cooking this kind of recipe.
Miri, yes this is cooked in an oven set to "broil."
This looks like an awesome recipe Kalyn – and I love spicy! I don't have a cooking range – so can this be done in an oven?
Luna, another great idea! I love that readers are experimenting with the recipe and coming up with more ways to use it. I bet this is great on Tilapia, good idea!
I am happy to report back, that I seasoned some tilapia with this recipe, & it was AWESOME! Gonna do it on catfish next. YAY!
ktwins, love the idea of broiling some squash along with the shrimp! Glad you enjoyed it.
this was fantastic. I am new to the SBD (day 4) and this was delish! My husband loved it too. we cut up some summer squash and added it to the shrimp on the baking sheet. Broiled all together. FANTASTIC
Jessica, so glad you liked it! Thanks for letting me know.
Made this for dinner two nights ago; my younger brother and I stood over the stove and ate them off the cookie sheet… AMAZING!!! I used cajun seasoning, paprika, garlic powder, worchestershire sauce, and extra virgin olive oil. THANKS A MILLION!
Luna, seems to me like it would taste good on other types of fish. Let us know if you try it on Tilapia.
I wonder how Tilapia seasoned this way would be….love the shrimp.
Oh, my husband would love this.
Shrimp and Spicy?
Two of his favorites!
Thanks for sharing.
Kimberly, thanks. Glad to hear you liked it.
Thanks for this recipie!! This is now a regular dish for us. So easy, SO tasty. And just the right amount of spicy! Love love love this! YAY! =D
Virginia Bluebell, so glad you liked it!
Oh my, Kalyn, I made these last night and these shrimp are fantastic! I didn't have any Creole seasoning, and didn't have time to make a batch, so I just looked at the link you thoughtfully provided, pulled out all the ingredients, and sprinkled some of each over the shrimp in the pan. I have never broiled shrimp before but I think I will be doing so a lot in the future – using this wonderful recipe! Thank you, thank you.
Sounds fantastic! We make LOTS of shrimp and scallops at home, so I cannot wait to try this! Thanks for the recipe.
I am so gonna try this one weekend. Looks absloutley delicious. I like that you gave the link how to make the creole seasoning as i have not seenthem in the shops.
This recipe looks tasty! I love how quick and easy it is to make a delicious meal when you're working with shrimp. It's one of my go-to proteins since it's comparably so much lower in calories than other meats.
This looks really great! I'm thinking it would be a great mardi gras dish 🙂
I'll be linking to it today on foodwhirl.com
I really love this recipe… so easy and yet so savory… a great addition to my shrimp file!
I enjoy shrimps, this is such a healthy & simple yet so delicious recipe with shrimps and creole! and I so much love the first picture.
Dara, I'm going to try that trick with the cold water for sure. Very intrigued by why it's faster.
Marcia, thanks. Always love to hear that my blog is helping people lose weight.
Karina, would love to eat this on a bed of pasta. (You inspired me too, so we're even!)
PatinTX, enjoy!
Newmicon, you're welcome.
JBrown, thank you! I love getting comments like that.
The shrimp looks amazing. I also love getting my shrimp from Costco!
Kalyn,
I can't remember if I've commented before. Either way, its worth saying again, I love your blog! It makes my life so much easier to be able to find such a huge collection of great recipes!
Really got to try this, thanks for the recipe
I love your blog and the wonderful things I've cooked from it! Tonight is "Spicy Broiled Shrimp", "Lake Powell Rice" and a HUGE salad! Can't wait!
I love the idea of broiling shrimp. I've never tried it. I bet these would be fabulous on a bed of brown rice pasta in olive oil. You always inspire me, Kalyn! xox
This looks great; always looking for shrimp recipes since seeing that Alton episode! Long time lurker. Love your site; use your recipes. Lost 10 lbs on So Beach, then 30 more on HCG; South Beach is my new way of eating. marcia in colorado
What a pretty presentation! I agree with Rich about using cold water to defrost – it works like a charm. This would be such a great dish for a special occasion or when trying to get a quick dinner on the table.
TW, absolutely can't wait to see the photos of your new stove. And I am just going OMMMMMM and trying to be okay with the fact that you got your stove before I got mine!
Year on the Grill, thanks; this was definitely a hit around here.
Jerry, thanks!
you rule!
New Orleans BBQ shrimp… Fabulous post!
Now, wouldn't this be a lovely way to christen my new broiler?
Lydia, thanks for catching that! These are peeled and deveined shrimp with the tails left on. Will edit right now.
Are you using peeled or unpeeled shrimp? Most of the frozen shrimp I buy comes with the shells on, but deveined. It's easy to remove the shells but leave the last tail section on. I'm a sucker for any shrimp dish, so you know I'm going to make this one.
Sally, I wouldn't want to use brine because of the sugar, but sounds like it works well for you.
I actually thaw my shrimp straight into a brine solution – just 1/4 cup salt + 1/4 cup sugar in 1 quart cold water, a few squeezes of lemon juice.
it is amazing what it does to the texture and taste, particularly when using frozen shrimp. Sometimes I leave in the fridge from morning to dinnertime, and still plunge them in the brine solution for 10-15 minutes as I prepare the rest of the ingredients.
(sorry, long comment…)
Pam, agreed! I bought the ones I have at a thrift store; about $1 each I think!
This is my kind of recipe! Plus it's an excuse to buy some of those cute individual dishes.
Rich, that's interesting. I've read not to use hot water, but I didn't know that cold is actually faster.
Bonnie, I wouldn't use this recipe for pre-cooked shrimp. What makes this taste good is the way the seasonings get cooked into the shrimp and the shrimp liquid flavors the juice that you dip your bread in. I do buy pre-cooked shrimp all the time though to make Shrimp and Macaroni Salad for my dad. That's a big favorite in my family.
Heather, that's really funny. Maybe my shrimp (that I buy at Costco) is from Thailand too. I bet you have some good Thai recipes for shrimp!
So easy to make & very easy to consume! YUM! Can you believe most of our shrimp comes from Thailand?? The big box stores buy them as they're cheaper.
How would you use this recipe with shrimp that's already been cooked? Is it possible without ruining it?
I love shrimp. Thanks for the great recipe. Couple of comments. Though as weird as it seems cold water defrosts the fastest. Alton Brown did the explanation on TV. Takes about 5 minutes. If your worried about salt be careful about all bread. Ever try no salt bread it taste like cardboard. Oh well.