Everything is better with bacon! My family always requests bacon green beans and bacon mac and cheese for dinner. When you wrap shrimp in bacon, you end up with decadent little bites that are perfect for any occasion.
Bacon Wrapped Shrimp Ingredients
To make bacon wrapped shrimp you will need large shrimp, bacon, maple syrup, soy sauce, garlic powder, salt and black pepper. You might want some parsley to garnish the shrimp. If you want to see what else you can wrap with bacon, take a look at my recipes for bacon wrapped chicken, bacon wrapped asparagus and bacon wrapped meatloaf. There are so many fantastic ways to enjoy bacon!
How Do You Make Bacon Wrapped Shrimp?
Make this bacon wrapped shrimp recipe by wrapping a piece of bacon around each shrimp. Use a toothpick to hold the strips of bacon in place. Place the shrimp on a sheet pan. In a small bowl, make some sauce by mixing together maple syrup, soy sauce, garlic power, salt and pepper. Brush half the sauce over the shrimp. Next, the shrimp go in the oven to broil for a few minutes. Take the shrimp out halfway through the cook time and brush the rest of the sauce over the shrimp. Broil them again until the shrimp are done and the bacon is crispy. Sprinkle the shrimp with parsley and enjoy.
Tips For The Perfect Bacon Wrapped Shrimp
Choose the largest shrimp that you can afford. Larger shrimp are easier to wrap with bacon and they won’t overcook as the bacon crisps up. I prefer to use colossal shrimp (under 15 per pound), but the extra jumbo shrimp 16-20 per pound count will also work. I like to leave the tails on my shrimp for a nicer presentation. You can serve your shrimp with the toothpicks intact as an appetizer, or remove the toothpicks if you’re planning to serve them as a main course. You can place a wire rack on your baking sheet to make the bacon on the bottom of the shrimp crispier. You can place aluminum foil under your shrimp for easier cleanup.
How To Peel And Devein Shrimp
If you buy shrimp with shells on them, you can remove the shells by peeling them off with your fingers starting on the side with the legs. The shell may come off in sections. Take care the leave the tails on the shrimp. If you don’t see a cut down the back of your shrimp, you may also need to devein the shrimp. Use a paring knife to cut a slit along the back of the shrimp on the opposite side from the legs. Then use the knife or a wooden skewer to remove the vein which looks like a dark tube running down the shrimp.
Flavor Variations
While this recipe is fantastic as written, you can change it up to suit your own taste.
Seafood: This recipe also works well with scallops, crab, imitation crab or even chunks of fish such as halibut or mahi mahi. You can also check out my bacon wrapped scallops recipe. Spicy: Bring the heat by adding some chili powder or cayenne pepper to your sauce. You can also add a dash of hot sauce. Sauce: You can dip these shrimp in several delicious sauces. You can try cocktail sauce, homemade BBQ sauce, teriyaki sauce, honey mustard sauce or even a little melted butter. Lemon: Squeeze a little lemon juice over your shrimp for a bright citrus flavor.
What Should You Serve With Shrimp?
You can serve these shrimp on their own as a party snack, or with side dishes as a main course. I like to serve my bacon wrapped shrimp over sides like sour cream mashed potatoes or mashed red potatoes. I also like to make the creamy linguine from my creamy shrimp linguine and just use this bacon wrapped shrimp recipe for the shrimp. You can also enjoy these shrimp with steamed rice and a green vegetable on the side such as sauteed broccolini, roasted asparagus, creamed spinach or roasted green beans. Bacon and shrimp is an amazing combination that is only made better by the delicious sweet and savory sauce. Next time you want shrimp, try them wrapped with bacon for a fun twist!
