Divine Bacon Wrapped Shrimp with Brown Sugar

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Brown Sugar Glazed Bacon Wrapped-Shrimp are amazingly delicious with fresh, briny shrimp wrapped in sweet and smoky bacon, topped with a mixture of brown sugar and chili powder, then baked in the oven until they reach perfection! Easy, simple, and utterly addictive.

Like my recipe for Oysters Rockefeller, they are versatile; they can be served as an entree, and they are just as incredible as an appetizer.

Baked bacon wrapped shrimp on a cutting board.

If you are like me, just the name of this dish is enough to send you into sensory overload. It contains my two favorite foods: smokey bacon and fresh gulf shrimp. But when you add brown sugar and chili powder to the equation, well, let’s say mouth-watering doesn’t even begin to describe how delicious this salty-sweet combination of shrimp wrapped in bacon is.

Here’s what’s in it:

A bowl of raw shrimp, bacon and seasonings for bacon wrapped shrimp.

Besides kosher salt and lemon pepper, which enhances the flavor, you only need four additional ingredients for bacon-wrapped shrimp:

Bacon – what’s not to love? The sweet, smoky flavor of bacon and fresh shrimp is a match made in heaven.
Shrimp – beautiful, jumbo shrimp with their slightly sweet and briny taste are the star of this dish.
Light brown sugar – if you have never had bacon dredged in brown sugar and chili powder, you are in for a treat.
Chili powder – adds just the slightest bit of heat, which pairs beautifully with the brown sugar.

You will also need toothpicks, a wire baking rack, a rimmed baking sheet, aluminum foil, or parchment paper.

Here’s how to make this recipe:

If you are ready to get started making this delicious dish, gather all of your ingredients, and preheat the oven to 400°F.
Line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil or parchment paper. Place a large wire rack (the kind you would use to cool a cake or cookies on after baking) on the baking sheet and spray liberally with non-stick cooking spray.
Add the brown sugar and chili powder to a shallow bowl and mix well.

Mixing brown sugar and chili powder in a bowl.

Cut the bacon in half and dredge both sides in the brown sugar mixture. Arrange the bacon slices in a single layer on the rack.

Pieces of bacon cut in half and dredged in brown sugar and chili powder.

Bake for ten minutes or until the bacon is partially cooked but still pliable. Cool five minutes or until you can handle it.
Sprinkle salt and pepper lightly over the shrimp and wrap each with a piece of bacon. Secure with a toothpick and place back on the wire rack. Sprinkle any remaining brown sugar mixture evenly over the top.

Shrimp wrapped with bacon on a wire rack.

Bake the bacon wrapped shrimp for another eight minutes, or until the bacon is crispy and the shrimp are done.

Baked bacon wrapped shrimp on a wire rack.

Serve immediately! Enjoy!

Frequently asked questions:

How to serve:

Bacon-wrapped shrimp is the ultimate appetizer, or it can also be served as a fantastic entree! Perfect for a game-day crowd, a holiday party, or just a cozy evening for two!

Serve either at room temperature or warm from the oven.

What’s the secret to perfectly cooked shrimp and bacon?

I tried my hand at making this dish several times before I got it right. I was never able to figure out how to get the two main ingredients done at the same time. If the bacon was nice and crispy, the shrimp was tough and overdone and vice versa.

The secret to making sure both are cooked perfectly is to precook the bacon for about ten minutes in the oven before wrapping them. The results, oh my goodness, well, you will have to try this recipe yourself to see if I got it right!

Are the tails left on or taken off in this recipe?

It’s up to you. If I am serving this dish as an appetizer, I usually leave the tails on. For an entree, I often pull them off. But I have also reversed this, and it works either way.

How many to serve per person?

Whether you are serving this dish as an appetizer, or an entree, it depends on the other appetizers or sides served with them. However, in general, you can plan on five to six per person for average appetites.

Nevertheless, my best advice is to make more than you think you need because these tasty morsels are irresistible.

How to store leftovers?

Cooked seafood should be stored tightly covered in the refrigerator for four days.

Can you make this recipe ahead of time?

The best way to make this dish ahead of time is to cook the bacon and wrap the shrimp. You can do this up to 24 hours ahead and then store covered in the fridge. Then, when you are ready to finish them up, take them out of the refrigerator at least 30 minutes ahead of time, then bake as directed.

How to tell when they are done?

Raw shrimp are a grayish translucent color. The thickest part should be slightly opaque and have more of a whitish hue when they are done.

They cook very quickly, so keep a close watch on them and take them out of the oven immediately when they are done.

Sharon’s tips:

This recipe works best if you use jumbo shrimp. This means that there are 16 to 20 shrimp per pound.
If you use larger ones, you will have to add a few extra minutes to the cooking time. On the other hand, if they are smaller, they will not need to cook quite as long. This also means that your bacon might not be quite as crispy either.
If the shrimp are small or medium, cut the bacon into thirds. The amount of bacon you will need depends on how many you have; you need one piece of bacon for every two.
You can add a little Old Bay seasoning when adding the salt and pepper if you like.
If your shrimp are frozen, you can quickly thaw them in minutes by putting them in a colander and running cold water over them.
You can use a broiler pan if you don’t have a wire rack.
Be sure to use regular sliced bacon, not thick.

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