Sheet Pan Shrimp and Asparagus One Pan Dinner
Healthy Lemon Garlic Shrimp Dinner for Two – Oven Baked Sheet Pan Shrimp and Asparagus Recipe!
This sheet pan shrimp and asparagus recipe makes healthy weeknight dinners SO convenient—and much more delicious! With loads of lemon garlic flavor and a subtle-but-satisfying kick of red pepper, it’s an elegant shrimp dinner idea that’s unbelievably easy to prepare.
Using just ONE pan, you can prep healthy dinners for two in 45 minutes or less! Or, if you’re cooking for 4, just pop another pan into the oven at the same time. Either way, this shrimp sheet pan dinner makes for a light, nutritious meal that leaves you with almost no dishes to wash.
The beauty of sheet pan recipes for me is that I can cook an entire balanced meal—protein, vegetables, and healthy starches—on one pan together. That’s why, when I make this sheet pan shrimp and asparagus dinner, I like to add some baby purple potatoes to the pan as well!
Of course, feel free to change up any of these components however you like. This combination is just one of MY favorite quick dinner ideas for busy weeknights. And, it’s a clean Whole30 dinner option with plenty of protein, complex carbs, and healthy fats to keep me full! But, one of the best things about sheet pan meals is they’re totally customizable to your preferences.
Customize your Sheet Pan Shrimp Dinner with Substitutions
If you don’t like one of the components or a specific seasoning I’ve used in this sheet pan shrimp and asparagus recipe, go ahead and change it! Like I said, sheet pan meals are easily adjustable. Personally, I’m a big fan of lemon garlic shrimp and asparagus paired together—but customize the recipe to make the kind of meal that you want to eat!
For example, you can swap out the asparagus for any veggie you prefer—like broccoli, zucchini, bell peppers, or whatever you like. And, feel free to scale back or omit the lemon and garlic altogether if you don’t like those flavors. Or, if you do love those flavors as much as I do, add even more lemony garlicky goodness!
Even though I don’t enjoy spicy food in general, I really love the subtle kick of heat in this shrimp dinner from the red pepper. To my taste buds, it’s super flavorful without being uncomfortably spicy. But, you can totally nix the pinch of red pepper if you prefer NO heat at all. Cater to your taste buds!
Finally, I paired my sheet pan shrimp and asparagus with purple potatoes because, honestly, I just love the gorgeous color. They taste just like regular potatoes! And, fun fact: did you know that purple potatoes are rich in antioxidants and have the lowest carbohydrate content of any potato?? Again, you can really use any variety of baby or regular potato that you prefer!
Crafting Healthy Sheet Pan Meals with Balance in Mind
I know some people don’t like to eat potatoes or fear that potatoes are ‘bad’ for us. And you’re welcome to omit the potatoes in this sheet pan shrimp and asparagus recipe. But, potatoes are actually a fantastic source of complex carbs that can provide our bodies with quality fuel.
When I’m coming up with healthy dinner ideas for myself and my family, I always keep balance in mind. Generally, I try to fill my plates with 4 major components: lots of non-starchy vegetables, a quality protein source, plenty of nutritious carbohydrates, and some healthy fats. That way, I know I’m providing my body with the kind of FUEL that it needs!
Of course, this is just my approach to creating healthy dinners and balanced meals—and it will definitely be different for each person, depending on your lifestyle and preferences. If you’re eating low carb or trying to limit your carbohydrate intake, serve this sheet pan shrimp and asparagus with whatever is right for you!
Or, if you just want some starchy options besides regular potatoes, try chopped sweet potato instead, or a different starch like butternut squash! You could even serve this sheet pan shrimp dinner with your favorite whole grain if you prefer. (That is, if you’re willing to prep an additional/separate component for this meal…)
Tips for Shrimp Sheet Pan Dinners & Cook Time Recommendations
In some cases, you can craft sheet pan dinners that are perfectly timed, where everything goes into the oven and finishes cooking at the same time. But, since shrimp only needs a very short time to cook, this sheet pan shrimp and asparagus dinner is best cooked in a few rounds.
At 425°F (210°C), starchier components (like potatoes, sweet potatoes, or butternut squash) will need 25-30 minutes in the oven total. Asparagus spears (or other non-starchy veggies) will need anywhere from around 12-20 minutes, depending on how thick they are. Lastly, your oven baked shrimp will only need 8 minutes to cook through.
Everything still cooks together on one pan—you’ll just stagger the timing of when you add each component to the pan, based on how long it needs to cook. This way, you give longer-cooking components like potatoes enough time to cook through, and you won’t burn your non-starchy veggies or overcook the shrimp!
So, here are my 2 recommendations for cooking this sheet pan shrimp and asparagus dinner, depending on the size/thickness of your asparagus spears:
- For thicker asparagus spears—roast potatoes for 10 minutes, add asparagus to roast for 10-12 minutes, then add shrimp to roast for 8 minutes.
- For thinner asparagus spears—roast potatoes for 15 minutes, add asparagus to roast for 5-8 minutes, then add shrimp to roast for 8 minutes.
How to Bake Sheet Pan Shrimp and Asparagus and Potatoes—ALL on One Pan
First, get your oven preheated to 425°F (210°C). On a large baking sheet (I used a 12×17-inch pan) lined with foil or parchment, add your chopped potatoes to one side of the pan. (Or, whichever starchy component you choose—sweet potatoes, butternut squash, etc.) You’ll want to leave room for your shrimp and vegetables on the other side of the pan!
Drizzle those with a bit of oil, season to taste with salt and pepper, and toss to coat. Then, pop that pan into the oven for 10-15 minutes, depending on the size of your asparagus spears. (See the above cooking time recommendations!)
While your potatoes are roasting, get your lemon garlic asparagus ready. Add your asparagus spears to a bowl and toss with some oil, diced garlic, lemon juice, paprika, salt, and pepper. You’ll also want to get your lemons sliced during this time!
Then, after your potatoes have roasted for 10-15 minutes, use oven mitts to remove the tray from the oven briefly. Being careful not to burn yourself, add your seasoned asparagus spears to the other side of the pan, followed by your lemon slices. Return the oven to the pan to roast for 5-12 minutes—again, depending on the thickness of your asparagus spears.
Finally, toss your peeled & de-veined shrimp with some oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and a pinch of red pepper flakes for that subtle kick of heat. Just a pinch—you don’t need much!
I made this shrimp sheet pan dinner with tail-on shrimp, but you can also use shrimp with the tail off. Also, I used raw fresh shrimp for this recipe, but frozen and thawed shrimp are fine, too!
Once more, briefly remove your sheet pan dinner from the oven and carefully add your seasoned shrimp on top of the asparagus. Return the tray to the oven to roast for just 8 more minutes.
After your oven baked shrimp has turned pink and cooked through, it’s ready! Remove your sheet pan shrimp dinner from the oven and finish it off with some lemon zest and fresh parsley.
Then, transfer to plates and your one pan meals for two are ready to serve! Or, feel free to split these shrimp sheet pan dinners into 3 or 4 portions if you prefer—whatever is right for you.
Easy Sheet Pan Meals for the WIN
I love to make this sheet pan shrimp and asparagus dinner for myself and my partner and it’s always a hit! It’s a light, refreshing, and flavorful meal, that’s made entirely from real, whole foods. And, there’s loads of nutritious fuel to keep our bodies AND bellies satisfied!
For me, easy sheet pan dinners are a life-saver on busy nights because I can get a healthy and filling meal ready FAST. From start to finish, this one pan meal takes me only 40 minutes to make.
Plus, this shrimp sheet pan dinner requires almost no prep ahead of time. I just slice up my potatoes while the oven preheats, get my asparagus prepped while the potatoes roast, and my shrimp are ready to cook straight from the package! Give it a whirl and let me know what you think!
One Pot & One Pan Dinner Ideas – 3 Easy Healthy Dinner Recipes!
Sheet Pan Shrimp and Asparagus One Pan Dinner
Ingredients
Purple Potatoes
- 1 lb baby purple potatoes, halved or quartered
- drizzle of oil
- salt & pepper, to taste
Lemon Garlic Asparagus
- 1 lb asparagus, trimmed
- drizzle of oil
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 lemons – 1 sliced, 1 zested & ½ juiced (save other ½ for shrimp!)
- salt & pepper, to taste
- 1 tsp paprika
Shrimp
- 1 lb shrimp, thawed, peeled, deveined (tail on if preferred)
- drizzle of oil
- ½ lemon, juiced
- salt & pepper, to taste
- pinch of red pepper flakes, to taste
Garnish
- 2 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 lemon, zest
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F (210°C).
- On a large sheet pan lined with parchment or foil, toss potatoes with oil, salt, and pepper (let the flavors shine—keep it light). Roast 10-15 minutes*. (See cook time recommendations in Notes section below!)
- In a large mixing bowl, toss asparagus spears with oil, minced garlic, lemon juice, salt, pepper, paprika.
- After 10-15 minutes, briefly remove sheet pan from oven and add seasoned asparagus to tray with lemon slices. Return tray to oven to roast for another 5-12 minutes*, depending on size/thickness of spears.
- Add shrimp to a bowl and toss with oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes.
- After 5-12 minutes, add shrimp to tray and return to oven to roast another 8 minutes.
- Garnish meal with chopped parsley and lemon zest, serve warm, and enjoy!
- Yields 2 servings sheet pan shrimp and asparagus dinner.
Notes
*Cook Time Recommendations:
The timing of the 3 components in this sheet pan dinner may vary, depending on the size and thickness of your asparagus spears. My asparagus spears were thicker, so they needed to go into the oven a bit earlier and to cook a bit longer than thinner spears would need. Adjust the timing of your components accordingly using the recommendations below! Baby Purple Potatoes – roast 25-30 minutes total. Asparagus Spears – roast 20 minutes total for thicker spears, 12-16 minutes total for thinner spears. Shrimp – roast 8 minutes total.- With thicker asparagus: let potatoes roast for 10 minutes, then add asparagus to roast for 10-12 minutes, and then add shrimp to roast for 8 minutes.
- With thinner asparagus: let potatoes roast for 15 minutes, then add asparagus to roast for 5-8 minutes, and then add shrimp to roast for 8 minutes.
