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When juicy baked shrimp and crispy oven baked bacon team up with a sweet chili honey glaze, you get the most irresistible bacon wrapped shrimp recipe! It’s the ultimate healthy appetizer (or main course 😉). And while this dish looks impressive for parties or a special dinner, it’s super easy to make.
Why You’ll Love This Bacon Wrapped Shrimp Recipe
- Sweet and smoky flavor with a mild kick
- Tender, juicy shrimp
- Perfectly crispy bacon
- Just 6 ingredients (plus salt)
- Ready in less than 30 minutes
- No need for constant flipping
- An easy appetizer for any occasion
Ingredients & Substitutions
This section explains how to choose the best ingredients for shrimp wrapped in bacon, what each one does in the recipe, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card below.
- Shrimp – Make sure they are peeled and deveined, but leave the tails on if you can. I used extra large shrimp (26-30 per pound), but large shrimp (31-35) or jumbo shrimp (21-25) would also work. You’d need to adjust the number of bacon slices depending on how many shrimp you use. I don’t recommend shrimp any smaller than large, as it would be difficult to get the shrimp wrapped in bacon if it’s any smaller. You can learn more about choosing shrimp in my garlic butter shrimp post.
- Butter – To control the saltiness of this dish, I used unsalted butter. You could use salted butter, but may need to omit the salt in the recipe. If you want a dairy-free option, olive oil will work, but the sauce will be thinner and less rich.
- Honey – I use sugar-free honey, but regular honey works as well.
- Seasonings – You’ll need garlic powder, chili powder, and sea salt. The chili powder added enough heat for my taste, but you can add black pepper or even cayenne pepper if you want it more spicy.
- Bacon – The star of the show! Avoid thick cut bacon, as it will not get crispy by the time the shrimp cooks through. Turkey bacon would probably work, but the time to pre-cook it may vary.
- Toothpicks – To secures the bacon in place.
How To Make Bacon Wrapped Shrimp
This section shows how to cook bacon wrapped shrimp, with step-by-step photos and details about the technique, to help you visualize it. For full instructions, including amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card below.
- Make the marinade. In a medium bowl, whisk together the melted butter, honey, garlic powder, chili powder, and salt. Remove 1/4 cup of the honey butter marinade to a separate small bowl and reserve for later.
- Marinate the shrimp. Pat the shrimp dry, then toss in the marinade to coat. Cover and set aside to marinate.
- Pre-bake the bacon. Arrange the bacon in a single layer on a baking sheet with a rack. Bake in the oven, until it’s cooked but still soft and pliable. Let it cool enough to handle, then stack the strips and cut in half crosswise.
- Assemble the bacon wrapped shrimp. Wrap a halved slice of bacon around each piece of shrimp, secure with a toothpick, and place onto the rack over the baking sheet.
- Broil the shrimp. Place the bacon wrapped shrimp in the oven on the Broil setting, 6-8 inches away from the broiler, until the shrimp is cooked through and the bacon is crispy.
- Brush with sauce. Brush the shrimp with the reserved honey marinade. Serve with additional marinade for dipping if desired.
Tips For The Best Bacon Wrapped Shrimp
Although this recipe is super easy, here are some tips to ensure your shrimp comes out tender with crispy bacon:
- Foil makes for easy cleanup. You can line the pan with foil (underneath the rack) for easier cleanup if desired.
- Pre-cook the bacon for the right amount of time. Shrimp cooks quickly, so if the bacon isn’t pre-cooked for long enough, your shrimp will be rubbery by the time the bacon is crispy. On the other hand, if you cook the bacon for too long, it will get crispy and you won’t be able to wrap it. The ideal balance is bacon that has some of the fat already rendered, but is still pliable.
- Use a wire rack. Opt for a wire rack on a cookie sheet instead of a regular baking sheet (I love this set). This enhances air circulation and allows excess bacon fat to drip down, resulting in crispier bacon, just like with oven baked bacon.
- Monitor while broiling. This step is crucial for achieving crispy bacon, but watch carefully since the bacon can burn fast.
Recipe Variations
There are so many ways to make these bacon wrapped shrimp your own! Try these variations:
- Bacon Wrapped Jalapeno Shrimp – The chili powder already adds some heat, but for even more kick, slice jalapenos thinly and place them on the shrimp before wrapping with bacon.
- Cream Cheese – If you want to balance the heat, place a small cube of cream cheese onto the shrimp before wrapping. It’s best if it’s cold, so that it doesn’t leak out as much.
- BBQ – Brush bacon wrapped shrimp with your BBQ sauce (I prefer sugar free BBQ sauce) before broiling.
- Asian – Replace half of the butter with coconut aminos or soy sauce, and add 1/2 teaspoon of ground ginger. A drizzle of sriracha also makes a nice addition for this combo.
Storage Instructions
- Store: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days.
- Meal prep: Follow recipe steps, but don’t broil. Instead, assemble and store in the fridge for up to 24 hours before broiling. This doesn’t work well with acidic marinades (they’ll turn your shrimp into shrimp ceviche), but since this one doesn’t have any acid, it works fine.
- Reheat: Place shrimp on a baking sheet (with a rack again if possible) and broil for 1-2 minutes on each side, until warm and crispy. You can also reheat for a couple minutes in the air fryer at 350 degrees F.
- Freeze: Arrange the bacon wrapped shrimp in a single layer on a parchment paper lined baking sheet and freeze until firm. Then, transfer to an airtight container or zip lock bag and freeze for up to 3 months.
What To Serve With Bacon Wrapped Shrimp
These shrimp bites make the perfect appetizer, but you can also serve them as a main course or spread along with some sides. Here are some ideas:
- Veggies – Serve bacon wrapped shrimp with quick roasted asparagus, garlicky sauteed spinach, or honey glazed air fryer carrots.
- Potatoes – For a heartier side, try Greek lemon potatoes, creamy mashed potatoes, baked sweet potatoes, or your favorite potato salad (I actually prefer lighter cauliflower potato salad).
- Salads – Turn this dish into a healthy meal by serving it over an arugula salad. Just remove the toothpicks first to make it easier to eat.
- Appetizers – Make an appetizer spread with some quick blistered shishito peppers, creamy spinach artichoke dip, and crispy baked chicken wings.
More Bacon Wrapped Recipes
If you love bacon recipes as much as I do, you have to try these other bacon wrapped dishes:
Recommended Tools
- Baking Sheet With Rack – I love this set because its so sturdy (no pan warping) and super easy to clean!
Bacon Wrapped Shrimp
Bacon Wrapped Shrimp (Easy!)
You'll love this easy bacon wrapped shrimp recipe with an irresistible honey garlic chili glaze. The perfect easy appetizer or main dish!
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Ingredients
Tap underlined ingredients to see where to get them. Please turn Safari reader mode OFF to view ingredients.
Instructions
Tap on the times in the instructions below to start a kitchen timer while you cook.
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Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (204 degrees C).
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Pat the shrimp dry with paper towels. Set aside.
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In a medium to large bowl, whisk together the melted butter, honey, chili powder, garlic powder, and salt. Remove 1/4 cup of the honey butter marinade and reserve for later.
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Add the shrimp to the main bowl with the marinade and toss to coat. Cover and set aside to marinate while you cook the bacon.
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Arrange the bacon in a single layer on a rack fitted over a baking sheet (I love this set!). You can line the pan with foil for easier cleanup if desired. Bake in the oven for 10-12 minutes, until cooked but still soft and pliable. Cool enough to handle, then stack the slices and cut in half crosswise.
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Set the oven to Broil (500 degrees F (260 degrees C)). Position the rack 6-8 inches from the broiler.
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Remove the shrimp from the marinade, wrap a halved piece of bacon around each, secure with a toothpick, and place onto the rack over the baking sheet (the same one you used to cook the bacon).
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Broil bacon wrapped shrimp in the oven for 8-10 minutes, flipping halfway through, until the shrimp is cooked through and the bacon is crispy.
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Brush the shrimp with the reserved marinade from step 3. Serve with additional marinade for dipping if desired.
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Recipe Notes
Serving size: 4-5 bacon wrapped shrimp
Nutrition information uses zero sugar honey.
Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see our nutrition policy.
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3 Comments
Matt
1Yum, Yum, Yum! You had me at Bacon Wrapped Shrimp! haha. Seriously the perfect blend between two of my all-time foods, bacon and shrimp. The marinade is amazing. An amazing appetizer for game day or other gatherings.
Toni
1Everyone at my house loved this! I will definitely make it again!
Sharina
1I had fun making this bacon wrapped shrimp! It turned out perfectly cooked so vibrant!). So easy and incredibly delicious and irresistible! Must-try!