A loaded baked potato doesn't need bacon and sour cream to feel like dinner. This one gets shrimp instead, tossed in a lemon and herb garlic butter, with a handful of peppery arugula on the side.
No heavy sauces, no fussy technique. Just a hot oven, a few minutes of stirring, and a butter mixture that does most of the work for you.
You wonder how something this simple ends up tasting this good? It's the butter. Once it melts into the warm potato and mixes with the shrimp juices, you get something closer to a sauce than a topping.
(Quick aside: I actually made the version in these photos using my LG NeoChef's roasting setting, which cuts the cook time roughly in half if you have a microwave oven with that feature - but the oven instructions below work for everyone.)
📷 Recipe Snapshot
📌 Recipe: Baked Potatoes with Shrimp and Garlic Butter
⏲️ Time: 1 hour 10 minutes (10 min prep, 1 hour cook)
👥 Serves: 4 servings
🌏 Cuisine: American
📝 Quick Summary: Crispy baked potatoes topped with juicy shrimp, lemon garlic butter, fresh parsley, and green onions. An easy dinner made with simple ingredients.
🌟 Main Ingredients: Baking potatoes, cooked shrimp, butter, garlic, green onions, parsley, lemon, ancho chili flakes, arugula, cherry tomatoes.
💡 Pro Tip: Bake the potatoes without foil and rub the skins with a little oil and salt before baking for the crispiest skin.
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I love recipes that don't need a long shopping list, and this one is exactly that. Most of the ingredients are things I already have at home, and frozen cooked shrimp make dinner even quicker.
The potatoes bake while you prepare the garlic butter, so there isn't much to do while you wait. If you have an air fryer, you can cook the potatoes even faster and still get wonderfully crispy skins.
Another reason I keep coming back to this recipe is how easy it is to change. Sometimes I add spinach, swap the shrimp for salmon, or use extra herbs depending on what's in my fridge.
❤️ Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Bright lemon and herbs instead of heavy cream or cheese
- Great for a warm-weather dinner when you don't want anything too rich
- Works for picky eaters too - the shrimp and butter can be served on the side for kids who like to keep things separate
- Made with simple grocery-store ingredients
🦐 Ingredients
*See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
- Potatoes - I use Russet or Idaho. They're floury rather than waxy, which means the skin actually crisps up instead of staying soft. Pick potatoes that are roughly the same size so they finish baking together.
- Butter - Pull it out of the fridge a good hour ahead. Cold butter won't blend evenly with the garlic and herbs. Or added it to the microwave for a few seconds.
- Garlic - Fresh, not jarred. Jarred garlic turns slightly bitter once it sits in cold butter.
- Lemon - Unwaxed if you can find one, since the zest goes straight into the butter. Waxed peels can carry a bitter, chemical taste once zested.
- Ancho chili flakes - Milder than standard red pepper flakes. If that's all you have, use half the amount instead.
- Shrimp - Cooked and peeled, from the freezer section. If you can find wild-caught, go for it - it has a firmer bite than farmed. Got raw shrimp instead? Cook it through in a hot pan first before adding it to the potatoes.
♻️ Variations
- Air fryer: Prick and salt the potatoes, then air fry at 400°F/200°C for 35 to 40 minutes, flipping halfway, until the skin is crisp. My favorite shortcut when I want oven-level crispiness without heating up the kitchen.
- Swap the shrimp for cooked, flaked salmon if that's what you have on hand.
- Chives can replace the green onions for a milder bite.
- For a dairy-free version, use a plant-based butter alternative in the same amount.
- Add a handful of baby spinach to the butter mixture for extra greens.
- No ancho chili flakes? Regular red pepper flakes work as a stand-in.
👩🍳 How To Make Baked Potatoes with Shrimp and Garlic Butter
Step 1: Prick the potatoes, sprinkle with salt, and bake at 400°F for 50 to 60 minutes until the skin is crisp
Step 2: Mix the softened butter with green onion, garlic, parsley, lemon zest and chili flakes.
Step 3: Once cool enough to handle, split the potatoes down the center and fluff the inside with a fork.
Step 4: Top each potato half with shrimp, then spoon the garlic butter over before the final bake.
*See the recipe card for detailed instructions.
Claudia's Top Tips
#1 Crisp skin. For the best texture on the outside of the potato:
- Prick the potatoes well before baking so steam can escape and the skin can crisp up properly
- Rub a little oil and sea salt onto the skin before baking - it helps the skin crisp up
- Don't wrap the potatoes in foil. Foil traps steam and you'll end up with a soft skin instead of a crisp one
#2 Butter. I always make a double batch of the garlic butter and keep half in the fridge. It's there for the next time I want this, or for melting over grilled vegetables or corn on the cob.
🥗 Serving Suggestion
I recommend serving this right away, while the potato is hot and the butter is still melted into it.
If you're serving guests, plate the potatoes individually rather than piling everything onto one tray - it keeps the shrimp and butter from sliding off and looks better on the plate too.
This works as a full meal on its own, or alongside a simple green salad if you want something extra on the table. A side of crusty bread is good for mopping up any extra garlic butter.
Storage
How to make this ahead:
- The garlic butter can be made and stored in the fridge for up to 2 days
- Bake the potatoes a few hours ahead and reheat them in a hot oven for 10 minutes before topping with the butter and shrimp
- Assemble just before serving so the potato stays hot and the shrimp doesn't overcook
Leftovers: store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Reheat in the oven or microwave until warmed through, since shrimp is best eaten within a couple of days.
More Shrimp & Seafood Recipes
❓ Recipe FAQs
A russet or another floury baking potato is your best bet. They have less moisture than waxy potatoes like red or new potatoes, which means the skin crisps up properly in the oven instead of staying soft.
It's better to thaw it first. Cooking shrimp from frozen tends to release extra water into the garlic butter, which waters down the sauce instead of letting it coat the shrimp properly.
Yes, every ingredient here is naturally gluten-free, so no substitutions are needed.
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📖 Recipe
Baked Potatoes with Shrimp and Garlic Butter
Video
Ingredients
- 4 baking potatoes
- 5 tablespoons butter, softened ⅓ cup
- 4 green onions finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves crushed
- Zest and juice of ½ lemon
- Small bunch parsley chopped
- 1 teaspoon ancho chili flakes
- 6 ounces cooked peeled shrimp, thawed
- Salt and black pepper to taste
To serve
- Arugula (rocket)
- Cherry tomatoes
Instructions
- Bake the potatoes: Wash the potatoes and prick them all over with a fork. Sprinkle with sea salt, then bake at 400°F for 50 to 60 minutes, until the skins are crisp and a fork slides in easily.4 baking potatoes
- Make the garlic butter: While the potatoes bake, mix the softened butter with the green onions, garlic, parsley, lemon zest, chili flakes, salt and pepper until well combined.5 tablespoons butter, softened, 4 green onions, 2 garlic cloves, Zest and juice of ½ lemon, Small bunch parsley, 1 teaspoon ancho chili flakes
- Thaw the shrimp: Thaw the shrimp under cold running water for a few minutes, or leave them in the fridge overnight if you're planning ahead.6 ounces cooked
- Assemble and finish: Split the potatoes down the center and fluff the inside with a fork. Spoon the shrimp, then garlic butter mixture over the top, and return the potatoes to the oven at 400°F for 5 to 7 minutes, until everything is warmed through and the butter has melted. Finish with the lemon juice and serve with arugula and cherry tomatoes.
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