These Cajun Beef Bacon Wrapped Shrimp are the kind of summer entertaining appetizer that looks like you spent the whole afternoon wrestling with the grill, but they happen entirely in the oven in about 30 minutes. Extra-jumbo shrimp get spiraled in smoky beef bacon, dusted with bold Cajun seasoning, brushed with a garlicky lemon Cajun butter, and baked until the bacon is bronzed and the shrimp are just tender. A homemade Cajun remoulade for dipping is genuinely non-negotiable here. Crispy, smoky, a little spicy, and super dunkable. Whether it's a Memorial Day cookout, a holiday party, or just a Tuesday that needs an upgrade, this one earns its spot on the table!
Save This Recipe! 💌
We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Godshall's Quality Meats. We're so excited to partner with them for 2026 to showcase their incredible beef bacon - a smokier, beefier alternative to traditional pork bacon that we can't get enough of! 🥓As always, all opinions are our own.
The Trick to Crispy Bacon-Wrapped Shrimp in the Oven 🍤
Bacon-wrapped shrimp is one of those appetizers that sounds simple, but goes wrong all the time. Either the bacon is flabby and pale because the shrimp cooked first, or the shrimp is rubbery because you waited too long for the bacon to crisp. After a couple of test runs, the move we landed on is par-rendering the bacon first - paired with colossal or extra-jumbo shrimp, which are the only sizes big enough for this timing to work.
A quick stint in the oven gets the fat moving and the bacon partially cooked but still flexible enough to wrap, so when everything goes back in together, the bacon finishes crispy and bronzed at the exact moment the shrimp is just tender. Problem solved. 🙌
The flavor is the other half of the equation, and Cajun was an easy yes for us. Chamere grew up on his grandmother's Southern cooking with a definite Louisiana kick, and my dad lived in Baton Rouge for years, so any excuse to lean into those flavors is a good one.
The shrimp gets dusted with bold Cajun seasoning, brushed with a garlicky lemon Cajun butter, and finished with a generous bowl of homemade Cajun remoulade for dipping (truly non-negotiable 🤤). This is the kind of recipe that disappears first at a Memorial Day cookout, a holiday party, or just a Tuesday that needs an upgrade. 😉
🥓 Ingredients for Cajun Beef Bacon Wrapped Shrimp
You only need a handful of simple ingredients to pull this off, and most of them are probably already in your kitchen. 🤤
How to Make Bacon-Wrapped Shrimp in the Oven ✨
It might look like a big production, but it's really just six easy steps. Here's how we do it! 🍤
- Step 1: Preheat the oven to 400°F. Cut each strip of beef bacon in half lengthwise, then cut those halves in half widthwise so you have four quarter-pieces per strip. Try to cut so that each piece has a bit of fat and a bit of lean meat. This helps every piece render evenly.
🥓 Don't skip this step! Bacon takes longer to crisp up than shrimp take to cook, so giving it a head start means the bacon finishes crispy at the exact moment the shrimp is just tender. Don't skip this!
- Step 2: Arrange the bacon pieces on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Bake for 5 to 7 minutes, until the fat is fully rendered and translucent but the bacon is still pliable enough to wrap. Transfer to a plate to cool slightly while you prep the shrimp.
💡 Watch for bacon variability. Even with even cuts, some pieces run leaner and some fattier. Pull leaner pieces closer to 5 minutes and give fattier pieces the full 7. You want flexible, not crispy at this stage.
- Step 3: Pat the shrimp completely dry with paper towels, then toss with the Cajun seasoning, kosher salt, and lemon zest in a large bowl until evenly coated.
🧂 If you're using store-bought Cajun seasoning, taste it first! We love using our own homemade Cajun seasoning so we can add tons of flavor without extra salt. Most store-bought blends are heavily salted, so you'll want to cut the Cajun seasoning down to 1 to 1½ teaspoons per pound and skip the added kosher salt entirely. Then taste and adjust.
💡Pat the shrimp really dry. Wet shrimp steam instead of roast, and you want every bit of that seasoning to stick.
- Step 4: In a small bowl or measuring cup, whisk together the melted butter, Cajun seasoning, grated garlic, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Set aside.
🧄 If raw garlic feels too sharp... briefly warm the butter and garlic together on low (about a minute) before whisking in the rest. Softens the raw edge without losing the punch.
- Step 5: Soak bamboo cocktail picks in water for 10 minutes while you work. Wrap each shrimp around the middle with one quarter-piece of par-rendered bacon, then secure with a soaked pick. Push it through the bacon, the thickest part of the shrimp, and through the bacon on the other side. Arrange the wrapped shrimp on a clean wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet with a little space between each.
🔪 Soak the picks first! A quick dunk in water keeps them from charring in the oven. If your picks are oversized for the shrimp, trim them shorter so they can lie more flat while in the oven.
🍤 Size matters here! This recipe is built around colossal or extra-jumbo shrimp (U-15 or 8/12 per pound). Smaller shrimp will be overcooked and rubbery before the bacon gets crispy, and the bacon pieces won't wrap evenly. If you can only find jumbo (16/20), they'll still work - just pull the shrimp from the oven on the earlier end of the timing.
- Step 6: Brush each wrapped shrimp generously with Cajun butter, getting both the bacon AND the exposed shrimp portions.
- Step 7: Bake at 400°F for 7 to 8 minutes, until the shrimp is opaque and just cooked through. Then broil on high for 60 to 90 seconds to crisp up the bacon.
⚠️ The broil is required, not optional! Beef bacon needs that final blast of high heat to fully crisp. Just watch it closely, it goes from gorgeous to scorched in seconds.
- Step 8: Once the shrimp comes out of the oven, squeeze fresh lemon juice over the top and brush with the buttery drippings from the bottom of the baking sheet using a clean pastry brush (very important!)
Gently slide out the bamboo picks (the bacon stays put on its own once cooked!) and transfer to a serving platter. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and sliced green onions and serve immediately with lemon wedges and a generous bowl of homemade Cajun remoulade for dipping. 🤤
🌟Leave a Review!
If you make this Crispy Cajun Bacon Wrapped Shrimp recipe, we'd love to hear from you! Leave a comment below with your rating for the recipe. Share with us by tagging us on Instagram! We love seeing your creations! 📸
📖 Recipe
Cajun Beef Bacon Wrapped Shrimp Recipe in the Oven
Ingredients
Shrimp & Bacon
- 8 to 10 ounces Godshall's beef bacon cut into quarters (halve lengthwise, then halve each piece widthwise for 4 quarter-pieces per strip)
- 1½ pounds colossal shrimp 8/12 per pound, peeled, deveined, tails on
- 1 tablespoon oil any neutral oil
- 1½ tablespoons Cajun seasoning or to taste, (use our homemade salt-free Cajun seasoning recipe or store-bought)
- Kosher salt depends on Cajun seasoning & type of salt, see notes
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest zest of 1 lemon
Cajun Butter Brush
- 7 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- 1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning or to taste, (use our homemade salt-free Cajun seasoning recipe or store-bought)
- 6 cloves garlic minced or grated
- 1½ teaspoons lemon zest zest of ½ lemon
- 1½ teaspoons lemon juice
Finish + Serve
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice for the finishing squeeze
- 2 tablespoons parsley chopped
- 2 tablespoons green onions sliced
- Cajun remoulade & lemon wedges for serving
Instructions
Par-render the bacon
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Cut each strip of beef bacon in half lengthwise, then cut those halves in half widthwise so you have four quarter-pieces per strip. Try to cut so each piece has a bit of fat and a bit of lean meat, which helps every piece render evenly.8 to 10 ounces Godshall's beef bacon
- Arrange the bacon pieces on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for 5 to 7 minutes, until the fat is fully rendered and translucent but the bacon is still pliable enough to wrap. Transfer to a plate to cool slightly while you prep the shrimp.
Season the shrimp
- Pat the shrimp completely dry with paper towels. In a large bowl, toss the shrimp with oil, then the Cajun seasoning, kosher salt, and lemon zest until evenly coated.1½ pounds colossal shrimp, 1 tablespoon oil, 1½ tablespoons Cajun seasoning, Kosher salt, 1 tablespoon lemon zest
Make the Cajun butter
- In a small bowl or measuring cup, whisk together the melted butter, Cajun seasoning, garlic, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Set aside.7 tablespoons unsalted butter, 1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning, 6 cloves garlic, 1½ teaspoons lemon zest, 1½ teaspoons lemon juice
Wrap the shrimp
- Soak cocktail picks in water for 10 minutes while you work. Wrap each shrimp around the middle with one quarter-piece of par-rendered bacon, then secure with a soaked pick by pushing it through the bacon, the thickest part of the shrimp, and through the bacon on the other side. Arrange the wrapped shrimp on a clean wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet with a little space between each.
Brush, bake, broil, and finish
- Brush each wrapped shrimp generously with the Cajun butter, getting both the bacon and the exposed shrimp portions. Bake at 400°F for 7 to 8 minutes, until the shrimp is opaque and just cooked through.
- Broil on high for 60 to 90 seconds to crisp up the bacon. Watch closely, as it goes from gorgeous to scorched in seconds.
- Once the shrimp comes out of the oven, squeeze fresh lemon juice over the top. Using a clean pastry brush (not the one used pre-bake), brush the shrimp with the buttery drippings from the bottom of the baking sheet.2 tablespoons lemon juice
Plate and serve
- Gently slide out the bamboo picks. The bacon stays wrapped on its own once cooked. Transfer the shrimp to a serving platter, sprinkle with chopped parsley and sliced green onions, and serve immediately with lemon wedges and a generous bowl of homemade Cajun remoulade for dipping.2 tablespoons parsley, 2 tablespoons green onions, Cajun remoulade & lemon wedges
Save This Recipe! 💌
We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
Notes
- Why par-rendering matters: Beef bacon takes longer to crisp than shrimp take to cook. Par-rendering for 5 to 7 minutes first gives the bacon a head start so it finishes crispy at the exact moment the shrimp is just tender. Don't skip this step.
- Shrimp size matters: This recipe is built around colossal or extra-jumbo shrimp (U-15 or 8/12 per pound). Smaller shrimp will be overcooked and rubbery before the bacon gets crispy, and the bacon pieces won't wrap evenly. If you can only find jumbo (16/20), they'll still work, just pull them on the earlier end of the timing.
- About the Cajun seasoning: We use our homemade Cajun seasoning which is salt-free, so the recipe adds kosher salt separately. If you're using a store-bought blend (which is almost always pre-salted), cut the Cajun seasoning down to 1 to 1½ teaspoons per pound and skip the added kosher salt entirely. Taste and adjust from there.
- A note on salt: We use Diamond Crystal kosher salt, 1 teaspoon per pound of protein. If you're using Morton's or table salt, cut the amount in half since they're saltier by volume.
- Don't skip the drippings finish! Those drippings have picked up the rendered bacon fat, Cajun seasoning, and roasting juices, and they're where so much of the flavor lives. Use a clean, fresh pastry brush though, since the brush used pre-bake touched raw shrimp.
- Make ahead: The bacon can be par-rendered up to 1 day in advance and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. The Cajun butter brush can be made a few hours ahead, just rewarm briefly to re-melt before using.
- Storage: Leftovers keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Reheat in a 350°F oven for 5 to 7 minutes, or briefly under the broiler to re-crisp the bacon. The shrimp will firm up slightly on reheating, so these are genuinely at their best fresh.
Comments
No Comments