Sheet Pan Shrimp with Peppers and Onions

Sheet pan shrimp with peppers and onions is a simple weeknight recipe ready in less than 20 minutes.
How to Cook Shrimp
I love using shrimp for an easy healthy dinner during the week because they are delicious and easy to cook. Depending on the size of the shrimp, they cook in about 8 minutes. You want to cook them until they are just pink, like in this recipe, because they will continue to “carry-over cook” once out of the oven. Over-cooked shrimp are dry and chewy and tough. I buy shrimp frozen and then defrost them overnight in the fridge when I plan to cook them. I take a look at this list periodically to check in on which shrimp are the best to buy.
Homemade Chili Powder
While most of the chili powder you will buy in the store in a blend of a few spices, I like to make my own at home. I purchase whole dried chilies from the local Latin market and grind them myself. The grinder I use is just a simple coffee grinder, that I use only to grind spices. I remove the stem and seeds, break them up into smaller pieces with my hands, and grind away! I look for dried California chilies, as they are relatively mild. If all you have on hand is the chili powder blend from the grocery store, that is totally fine, use that!
Sheet Pan Shrimp: A Healthy Dinner Idea
While this sheet pan shrimp is a meal on its own, it would be delicious with this salad. I also like to use this sheet pan shrimp as a meal on the go. On nights when we have activities around dinner time (it’s dance class for us), I like to pre-make this and pack it up, instead of buying food out.
Ingredients
- 2 small red or yellow bell peppers or 1/2 large ones
- 1/2 red onion
- 1 jalapeno (optional)
- 1 lemon
- 1 Tablespoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 1/2 teaspoons fine sea salt
- 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 1/2 pounds shrimp, peeled and deveined
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450°F.
- Cut bell peppers and onion into strips. Cut jalapeno, if using, into rings. Zest lemon.
- Mix together lemon zest, spices, salt, and olive oil in a large bowl. Add shrimp, peppers, and onions, and toss to coat. Place mixture on a rimmed baking sheet.
- Cook for 8 minutes, until shrimp are just pink. Remove baking sheet from oven, and remove shrimp to a serving platter. Place peppers and onions back in oven for 2-3 minutes, until browned. Serve with lemon wedges.