The total cooking time is 15 to 20 minutes: 5 to 10 minutes to pre-cook the bacon, then 8 to 10 minutes to bake the wrapped shrimp at 400°F. Skip the pre-cooking step and you’ll get rubbery shrimp or undercooked bacon. That’s the difference between an appetizer people devour and one they politely leave on their plates.
The Quick Answer: Timing and Temperature
| Step | Temperature | Time | What to Look For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-cook bacon | 400-425°F | 5-10 minutes | Starting to brown, still pliable |
| Bake wrapped shrimp | 400°F | 8-10 minutes | Shrimp pink and opaque, bacon crisp |
| Broil (optional) | High broil | 2-3 minutes | Extra crispness, caramelized edges |
Why You Must Pre-Cook the Bacon First
Raw bacon needs 15 to 20 minutes in the oven to get crispy. Shrimp cooks in 8 to 10 minutes. Start them together and your shrimp turns into tiny rubber erasers by the time the bacon crisps up.
Pre-cooking solves this timing problem. You give the bacon a head start, rendering some fat and getting it halfway to crispy. Then when you wrap it around the shrimp, both finish cooking at the same pace. The bacon gets that satisfying crunch. The shrimp stays plump and tender.
This isn’t optional fussiness. It’s the technique that makes bacon wrapped shrimp actually work.
Step-by-Step Cooking Method
Pre-Cook the Bacon (5-10 Minutes)
Set your oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil for easier cleanup.
Lay thin-cut bacon strips in a single layer on the sheet. No overlapping. Slide it into the oven and set a timer for 5 minutes if using thin bacon, 8 minutes for regular cut.
You’re looking for bacon that’s started to render its fat and shows some browning on the edges, but still bends easily. It should feel warm and pliable, not crispy. If it snaps when you try to wrap it, you’ve gone too far.
Pull the bacon out and transfer to paper towels. Let it drain and cool for 5 minutes while you prep the shrimp.
Wrap and Bake (8-10 Minutes)
Cut each bacon strip in half. You want just enough length to wrap once around the shrimp with a small overlap.
Take a large or jumbo shrimp (peeled, deveined, tail on). Start the bacon at the thick end and spiral it toward the tail, leaving the tail exposed. Secure with a toothpick, pushing it through the bacon overlap to lock everything in place.
Arrange the wrapped shrimp on a clean baking sheet or, better yet, on a wire rack set over the sheet. The rack lets hot air circulate underneath, which helps the bacon crisp evenly instead of steaming in its own grease.
Space them out. Crowding creates steam, and steam is the enemy of crispy bacon.
Bake at 400°F for 8 to 10 minutes. Check at 8 minutes. The shrimp should be pink and opaque all the way through, and the bacon should look golden and mostly crisp.
Optional: Broil for Extra Crispness (2-3 Minutes)
Want bacon that shatters when you bite into it? Switch your oven to high broil after the initial bake.
Slide the pan about 6 inches from the heating element. Watch it closely. Broilers are aggressive and can go from perfect to charred in 30 seconds. Rotate the pan halfway through if your broiler has hot spots.
Two to three minutes under the broiler caramelizes any glaze you’ve brushed on and gives the bacon those dark, crispy edges everyone fights over.
How to Tell When They’re Done
The shrimp: Pink all over, no translucent gray spots. The flesh should be opaque and firm but still give a little when you press it. Overcooked shrimp feels hard and rubbery.
The bacon: Golden brown with darker, crispy edges. If you see pale, flabby spots, it needs more time. If it’s black in places, you’ve gone too far.
When you pull a toothpick out, it should slide free easily. If the bacon unravels, it wasn’t quite done.
Common Mistakes That Ruin Bacon Wrapped Shrimp
Skipping the pre-cook. We’ve covered this. Don’t do it unless you enjoy disappointment.
Using thick-cut bacon. It’s delicious on its own, but it takes too long to crisp. By the time it’s done, your shrimp has the texture of a pencil eraser. Stick with thin or regular cut.
Choosing small shrimp. Those tiny cocktail shrimp cook in 4 minutes. You can’t get bacon crispy in 4 minutes. Use large or jumbo shrimp (21-35 count per pound). They have the mass to stay tender while the bacon finishes.
Crowding the pan. When shrimp touch each other, they trap moisture and steam instead of roasting. Leave space between each piece.
Forgetting to flip. If you’re baking on a flat sheet without a rack, flip the shrimp halfway through. Otherwise the bottom stays pale and soft while the top crisps.
Best Shrimp Size and Bacon Type
Go for large or jumbo shrimp, the 21-35 count per pound size. They’re big enough to wrap easily and substantial enough to stay juicy during cooking.
Leave the tails on. They make a built-in handle for eating and they look better on a platter.
Thin-cut bacon is your friend here. It crisps faster and wraps more neatly than thick-cut. Regular bacon works too, but add a minute or two to the pre-cook time.
Center-cut bacon has less fat, which means it gets crispy more reliably. But honestly, any decent bacon works as long as you pre-cook it properly.
Quick Tips for Perfect Results
Use a wire rack if you have one. The elevation prevents the shrimp from sitting in bacon grease, which makes everything soggy. The airflow crisps both sides at once.
Don’t marinate too long. If you’re using lemon juice or anything acidic, 20 to 30 minutes maximum. Longer than that and the acid starts breaking down the shrimp texture.
Rest for 2 minutes after pulling them from the oven. The bacon firms up as it cools slightly, making it easier to bite through without the whole thing sliding off the shrimp.
Wooden toothpicks work fine, but soak them in water for 10 minutes first so they don’t scorch under the broiler.
Serve them hot. They’re still decent at room temperature, but straight from the oven is when the bacon has that perfect crispy-chewy contrast and the shrimp tastes sweet and briny.
The magic is in the timing. Pre-cook the bacon, bake until the shrimp are just cooked through, and you’ll have that perfect bite where salty, crispy bacon gives way to tender, juicy shrimp. It’s worth the extra step.
