Name: Spicy Baked Shrimp
Total time: PLACEHOLDER
Ingredients: 6 tablespoons unsalted butter; 4 cloves garlic , minced; 2 teaspoons lemon juice , plus 1 whole lemon, quartered; 1 1/2 tablespoons hot pepper sauce; Salt and pepper; 2 pounds jumbo shrimp , peeled and deveined, tails intact; 2 teaspoons paprika; 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper; 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard; 1 cup bread crumbs , preferably fresh (see headnote); 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

Why This Recipe Works

We developed our Spicy Baked Shrimp recipe as an easy way to make a restaurant favorite at home. Heavily seasoning the shrimp with a spicy paste fired with hot pepper sauce and cayenne pepper adds valuable flavor to the shrimp and serves as a base to which the bread crumbs will stick. Fresh bread crumbs give the coating the best flavor and texture. Baking the shrimp in a very hot oven ensures the shrimp won’t overcook before the coating crisps.

Before You Begin

For this recipe, we prefer the softer texture of fresh bread crumbs. To make bread crumbs, tear 3 slices of good-quality sandwich bread into quarters and grind in a food processor.

Instructions

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 500 degrees. Coat large baking sheet with cooking spray.

Melt butter in small saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add lemon juice and hot sauce and season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat.

Toss shrimp, paprika, cayenne, mustard, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper together in large bowl. Add 2 tablespoons butter mixture. Place bread crumbs in shallow bowl.

Dip one side of each shrimp in bread crumbs, pressing to adhere crumbs. Place shrimp breaded side up on baking sheet, spacing them slightly apart. Spray shrimp with cooking spray and bake until just cooked through and bread crumbs are golden and crisp, 8 to 9 minutes. Rewarm butter mixture and stir in parsley. Serve shrimp with butter mixture and lemon wedges.