Grilled Bacon Wrapped Shrimp is easy to make in just 29 minutes! The secret to making the perfect bacon wrapped shrimp every time is precooking the bacon so it becomes crispy, while the shrimp stays juicy! Juicy shrimp + crispy bacon = a match made in heaven!

Bacon wrapped shrimp piled on plate

Table of contents

Bacon wrapped shrimp is perfect for an easy meal paired with salad or veggies. It also makes an epic appetizer to share with friends and family. And no matter when you serve it, I can guarantee that it will become one of your new favorite recipes to toss on the grill!

Ingredients for bacon wrapped shrimp shown in packaging

Ingredients

  • Bacon – you want traditional bacon for this recipe. Do not use thick-cut, as it will be too thick to wrap around the shrimp.
  • Jumbo shrimp – I recommend purchasing shrimp that’s already been peeled and deveined to make this recipe quick and easy. You’ll want shrimp with a label of 16-20, which means there are 16-20 shrimp per pound. These are “extra jumbo” shrimp. You can also use jumbo shrimp labeled 21-25 for this recipe, but I wouldn’t recommend anything smaller. Using smaller shrimp will make it difficult to wrap the bacon around the shrimp.
  • Butter – I recommend unsalted butter for this recipe, as the bacon already adds saltiness to the dish. If using salted butter, omit the additional salt added to the melted butter.
  • Spices – paprika, cayenne pepper, black pepper and salt, to flavor the shrimp.
Collage of images showing how to make grilled bacon wrapped shrimp

Instructions

Simply follow these 4 easy steps to make this mouthwatering recipe!

  1. Precook the bacon. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Cut the bacon slices in half and place them on a wire rack on top of an aluminum foil lined baking sheet. This will help the bacon cook evenly and make clean up a breeze! Place the bacon in the oven and cook for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven, transfer the bacon slices to a paper towel lined plate and allow the bacon to cool.
  2. Prepare the shrimp. In a medium bowl, combine melted butter, paprika, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper. Add jumbo shrimp to the seasoned butter in the bowl and toss to coat.
    • Quick tip! The cayenne pepper adds a nice kick of spice without making this recipe too spicy. But if you don’t like spice, you can omit the cayenne pepper, or replace it with more mild chili powder.
  3. Bacon wrap the shrimp. One at a time, remove the shrimp from the seasoned butter and wrap a half slice of bacon around each shrimp. Use a skewer or toothpick (see note below) to secure the piece of bacon around the shrimp. Heat the seasoned butter that remains in the bowl until boiling. I heated mine in the microwave for 2 minutes. But you can also place it in a pot on the stove over high heat to bring to a boil. This will kill any bacteria from the raw shrimp and allow you to reuse the butter as a sauce later in the recipe.
    • Note: If using wooden toothpicks or skewers, always be sure to soak them in water for at least 20 minutes before using them in this recipe. This will prevent them from catching fire on the grill.
  4. Grill the bacon wrapped shrimp. Heat a grill or grill pan over medium-high heat, approximately 450°F. Place the bacon wrapped shrimp on the grill. Grill until the bacon is crisp and shrimp are cooked through, approximately 3-4 minutes per side. Remove from the heat and brush the remaining seasoned butter on the bacon wrapped shrimp before serving.
skewered bacon wrapped shrimp on plate

Tips and tricks

Follow these tips to make perfect Bacon Wrapped Shrimp every time!

  • Always precook the bacon! Since bacon needs to cook for a total of 15-20 minutes and shrimp only need to cook for 6-8 minutes, it’s so important to precook the bacon strips. This ensures that the bacon and shrimp are evenly cooked.
  • Do NOT use thick cut bacon. Thick sliced bacon takes longer to cook and is harder to wrap around the shrimp.
  • Use jumbo shrimp that’s already been peeled and deveined. Using smaller shrimp will make it difficult to wrap the bacon around the shrimp. For this recipe I purchased shrimp labeled 16-20, which means there are 16-20 shrimp per pound. These are considered “extra jumbo” sized shrimp. You can also use jumbo shrimp labeled 21-25 for this recipe, but I wouldn’t recommend anything smaller.
    • Note: I also like to purchase shrimp with the tails on as it makes this recipe easy to eat as an appetizer. But either tail-on or tail-off shrimp will work, just make sure they’re peeled & deveined before wrapping them with the bacon!

What to serve with it

Bacon wrapped shrimp is perfect as an entree or appetizer. If serving the shrimp as an entree, try it with one of these delicious sides!

Skewered bacon wrapped shrimp on plate

More seafood recipes

Try these other popular, easy seafood recipes for dinner this week!

Grilled Scallops with Jalapeno Lemon Butter Sauce

Baked Chilean Sea Bass with Pesto

Grilled Shrimp Tacos with Avocado Salsa

Chimichurri Grilled Salmon

Garlic Lime Grilled Shrimp Marinade
Skewered shrimp wrapped in bacon slices
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Grilled Bacon Wrapped Shrimp

Grilled Bacon Wrapped Shrimp is easy to make in just 29 minutes! The secret to making the perfect bacon wrapped shrimp every time is precooking the bacon so it becomes crispy, while the shrimp stays juicy!
Servings: 12 bacon wrapped shrimp
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 6 minutes
Total Time: 26 minutes
Author: Whitney Bond
Course: Appetizer, Main Course
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 400°F.
  • If using wooden skewers or or toothpicks, cover them in water to soak for at least 20 minutes.
  • Place slices of bacon, cut in half, on a wire rack on top of a foil-lined baking sheet.
  • Place in the oven and bake for 10 minutes.
  • Remove from the oven and transfer to a paper towel lined plate to cool.
  • In a medium bowl, combine the melted butter, paprika, cayenne pepper, black pepper and salt.
  • Add the shrimp to the bowl with the seasoned butter and toss to coat.
  • Remove each piece of shrimp from the seasoned butter and wrap a half slice of bacon around each shrimp, securing the bacon in place with a skewer or toothpick.
  • Once all of the shrimp has been removed from the seasoned butter, reheat the remaining butter in the microwave for 2 minutes, or until boiling.
  • Heat a grill or grill pan over medium-high heat (approximately 450°F).
  • Grill the bacon wrapped shrimp for 3-4 minutes per side.
  • Remove from the grill and immediately brush with the melted, seasoned butter.
  • Serve while fresh and hot off the grill!

Video

Notes

  • Bacon – do NOT use thick sliced bacon for this recipe. It takes longer to cook and is difficult to wrap around the shrimp.
  • Shrimp – use shrimp labeled extra jumbo (16-20) or jumbo (21-25) for this recipe.

Nutrition Facts

Calories 131kcal (7%)Carbohydrates 1gProtein 6g (12%)Fat 12g (18%)Saturated Fat 6g (30%)Cholesterol 69mg (23%)Sodium 446mg (19%)Potassium 26mg (1%)Fiber 1g (4%)Sugar 1g (1%)Vitamin A 362mg (7%)Calcium 4mgIron 1mg (6%)
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