Oven-Baked Shrimp and Zucchini
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This baked shrimp and zucchini recipe coaxes big-time taste from simple ingredients and requires minimal effort for something so satisfying and nutritious. Everything bakes together in one dish, where lemon, garlic, and spices mingle into an enticing pan sauce. Serve over pasta or rice for a super flavorful and feel-good meal.
Although this recipe came about randomly—I had both shrimp and zucchini in the fridge from other recipes I’d planned to make but never executed—I loved it enough to share right away. If you’re craving a healthy dinner and don’t have a ton of extra time in the day, I know you are going to love it, too!
A simple but powerful mix of lemon, garlic, chili powder, and paprika give these shrimp a bright, bold taste. It’s a little reminiscent of this lemony shrimp and bean stew, but with more smoky flair. From a convenience perspective, one-pan simplicity and an ultra-fast prep time speak for themselves!
Serve this over orzo, as shown, or with rice, quinoa, or another grain of your choice. Toss in extra veggies if you like—you can’t go wrong!
Why You’ll Love Oven-Baked Shrimp and Zucchini
- Fresh lemon and garlic + dried paprika and oregano are a potent, delicious blend
- Super quick: 10 minutes prep and 10 minutes hands-off cooking time
- Everything bakes together in one dish—dishwashing is quick tonight!
- Flexes effortlessly between easy dinner, real-food lunch, or meal prep
- A super easy way to get your weekly seafood—shrimp is packed with protein!
Ingredient Notes
Defrost like a pro
If starting with frozen shrimp, you can thaw them in the fridge overnight, or quickly thaw under cool running water just prior to cooking. Remove all packaging, place shrimp in a large strainer, and run cool water over them for about 5 minutes until they are tender but still gray and slightly translucent. Don’t use hot water or it will start to prematurely cook the shrimp!
How To Make Shrimp and Zucchini in One Pan
Start the zucchini. Slice it into coins and cut those coins into halves or quarters, your choice. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and slide into a 400°F oven for a couple of minutes while you prepare the shrimp.
Season the shrimp in a large bowl with olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, and spices. Stir well and try to massage lightly with kitchen tongs or your hands to ensure the shrimp absorb a good amount of the seasonings.
Add shrimp to the pan. Just mix it right in along with the zucchini and return to the oven.
Bake together for another 8-10 minutes at 400°F, until the shrimp are pink and opaque and the zucchini is fork-tender.
Sprinkle with fresh parsley if you like, add lemon wedges for cheer, and serve!
Make Ahead & Storage Tips
- To Make Ahead: You can prepare and marinate the shrimp in the olive oil-seasoning blend up to 30 minutes ahead of time, or up to 4 hours ahead of time if you leave out the lemon juice. Squeeze the lemon juice over just prior to cooking. Just remember: a longer marinating time equals more intense flavor.
Pro Tip
Marinating shrimp in any type of marinade that includes citrus for more than about 30 minutes can cause the shrimp to start cooking, then turn mushy, because of the high acid content of citrus. Don’t do it!
- To Store: Refrigerate leftover shrimp and zucchini together in a tightly-covered container. They will keep for at least 2-3 days. These glass meal prep containers hold a perfect portion, are microwave-safe, and seal tightly every time. Reheat as needed in the microwave on 50% power; using half power reduces the chance that shrimp and other seafood will dry out when reheated.
More Quick and Easy Seafood Recipes
- Sheet Pan Greek Tilapia
- Creamy Pesto Shrimp
- Tomato Spinach Shrimp Pasta
- Blackened Fish with Mango Salsa
- Shrimp Marinara
- Oven-Baked Rainbow Trout
Oven-Baked Shrimp and Zucchini
Ingredients
- 1 large or 2 small-medium zucchini
- extra-virgin olive oil
- kosher salt and black pepper
- 1 pound uncooked large shrimp thawed, peeled, and deveined
- 2-3 cloves garlic minced
- juice of 1/2 lemon reserve the other half for serving as wedges
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika sweet or smoked
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- fresh parsley optional garnish
- rice or pasta for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F and set out a 9×13-inch baking dish.
- Cut the zucchini into coins about 1/4-inch thick, then chop those coins into halves or quarters. Toss the sliced zucchini into the pan, drizzle with 1-2 teaspoons olive oil, and sprinkle with about 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Place in the oven for 3-5 minutes while you prepare the shrimp. (It’s OK if the oven is still coming up to temperature.)1 large or 2 small-medium zucchini, extra-virgin olive oil, kosher salt and black pepper
- In a large bowl, combine the shrimp, 1 Tablespoon olive oil, minced garlic, lemon juice, chili powder, paprika, oregano, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Stir well and massage lightly with kitchen tongs or your hands to ensure the shrimp absorb some of the seasonings.1 pound uncooked large shrimp, 2-3 cloves garlic, juice of 1/2 lemon, 1/2 teaspoon chili powder, 1/2 teaspoon paprika, 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- Add shrimp to the baking dish along with the zucchini.
- Bake together for 8-10 minutes, until the shrimp are just cooked through and the zucchini is fork-tender.
- Remove baking dish from the oven and sprinkle with chopped parsley, as desired. Serve right away over rice, pasta, or other grains or veggies of choice.fresh parsley, rice or pasta
Notes
- More Veggies: Substitute or add to the zucchini with yellow squash, cherry tomatoes, or another quick-cooking vegetable if you like.
- Buying Shrimp: I usually recommend purchasing frozen shrimp, because the shrimp sold behind the counter at most supermarkets is previously frozen and defrosted there, so you’re actually getting a fresher experience by defrosting it yourself on demand. But counter shrimp is a good option if you know you are cooking it right away.
- Defrosting Shrimp: If starting with frozen shrimp, you can thaw them in the fridge overnight, or quickly thaw them under cool running water just prior to cooking. Remove all packaging, place shrimp in a large strainer, and run cool water over them for about 5 minutes until they are tender but still gray and slightly translucent. Don’t use hot water or it will start to prematurely cook the shrimp!
- Make Ahead: You can prepare and marinate the shrimp in the olive oil-seasoning blend up to 30 minutes ahead of time, or up to 4 hours ahead of time if you leave out the lemon juice. Squeeze the lemon juice over just prior to cooking. Just remember: a longer marinating time equals more intense flavor. Marinating shrimp in any type of marinade that includes citrus for more than 30 minutes or so can cause the shrimp to start cooking, then turn mushy, because of the high acid content of citrus. Don’t do it!
- Storage: Refrigerate leftover shrimp and zucchini together in a tightly-covered container. They will keep for at least 3-4 days. Reheat as needed in the microwave on 50% power; using half power reduces the chance that shrimp and other seafood will dry out when reheated.
- Meal Prep: These glass meal prep containers hold a perfect portion, are microwave-safe, and seal tightly every time.
- Serving Yield: This recipe is likely to yield between two and four meal-sized servings, depending on whether you add pasta or another grain and, of course, how large your portions are.
