As the name implies, Old Bay shrimp is liberally dusted in Old Bay seasoning and then baked to perfection, an effortless appetizer for any occasion.

This easy recipe can be customized and tweaked in a number of different ways to fit your tastes and cooking preferences.

What is it?

The only ingredients needed to make Old Bay shrimp is fresh shrimp, oil, and Old Bay Seasoning. Old Bay seasoning is a savory blend of spices, heavy on the celery salt, black pepper, and paprika.

Produced by McCormick & Company, this spice mix is popularly used as a seafood seasoning. However, it can just as well be used on poultry and other meats. You can find it in any major grocery store's spice aisle.

How to make it

This Old Bay shrimp recipe is very simple to create. The deveined shrimp is placed in a large mixing bowl and tossed with oil and seasoning. Then place it on a baking sheet in a single layer and bake in a 400-degree oven for 10 minutes.

This can be served as a warm or cold appetizer, or even as a light meal. If served cold it makes a great jazzed-up replacement for traditional cocktail shrimp when served with homemade cocktail sauce. Otherwise, you can simply serve with a squeeze of lemon juice.

Other ways to cook shrimp

You can just as easily sauté, broil, grill, the shrimp instead for this recipe. Broil the shrimp for 3-5 minutes, or until it turns opaque. Alternatively, saute (or grill) it in a large skillet over medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes per side, flipping once. Shrimp is done when it is no longer gray or translucent.

You could also use the shrimp and seasoning to make a shrimp boil in a large pot with red potatoes, fresh corn, and plenty of Old Bay.

Storing and Reheating Leftovers

The shrimp can be made in advance and stored in the refrigerator for approximately 3 days when kept in an airtight container. It technically can be frozen as well, but the texture of the cooked shrimp will suffer, so I would avoid it if possible.

The leftover shrimp can be reheated in the microwave, but cooking shrimp in the microwave will cause the texture to suffer. It is best reheated gently in a skillet or a 350-degree oven until warmed through. I also enjoy eating it cold.

This recipe was originally published on October 14, 2020.

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