Quick Look at the Best Grilled Blackened Shrimp Recipe
- Ready In: 10 minutes!
- Serves: 6
- Main Ingredients: jumbo shrimp & a variety of warm spices
- Dietary Info: Whole30, Paleo, Dairy-Free, & Gluten-Free
- Best For: adding protein to salads, tacos, pasta for a quick & easy weeknight dinner!
- Why You’ll Love It: These grilled blackened shrimp skewers are the fastest way to cook a lean protein with bold and smoky flavors! This homemade blackened seasoning is made up of 9 common pantry spices. With a cook time of only 4-5 minutes, this is a delicious weeknight dinner and the perfect summer grilling recipe!
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Key Ingredients + Substitutions
Be sure to see the recipe card below for a full listing of ingredients, instructions, and estimated nutritional information.
- Shrimp or Prawns (deveined & shelled) – use fresh or frozen, but if they are frozen be sure to fully thaw them before cooking.
- Paprika – feel free to use regular paprika or smoked paprika for some added flavor.
- Cayenne Pepper & Chipotle Pepper – increase the amounts of these to increase the spice level of the best blackened seasoning.
What Is Blackening
A cooking technique that is often associated with Cajun cuisine and incorporates a variety of bold spices like cayenne pepper, paprika, chipotle pepper, salt, and garlic powder. These spices combine to give fish, seafood or meat a nice warm and slightly spicy seasoning.
How To Make Blackened Shrimp
Step 1 – Thaw shrimp, if frozen, and remove any shells.
Step 2 – Mix all of the spices together.
Step 3 – Toss the shrimp with the seasoning.
Step 4 – Put all of the seasoned shrimp on skewers.
Pro Tip
Use metal skewers to grill shrimp! Wooden skewers can be used too, but they need to soak in water for 30 minutes before using and, even then, they still burn and char quite a bit.
Step 5 – Cook shrimp skewers over direct heat for 2-3 minutes per side or until cooked through.
Other Cooking Methods
Grilling shrimp will give them a wonderful char and slightly smoky flavor, but feel free to cook your blackened shrimp another way. Here are some options:
What Goes Well With Grilled Blackened Shrimp
Let me count the ways… there are so many great ways to enjoy these amazingly flavorful shrimp for lunch or a healthy dinner. Here are a few suggestions:
- Salads: an Ultimate Grilled Shrimp Salad with a Green Goddess Dressing.
- Pasta: on top of some Alfredo Pasta with some easy grilled broccoli.
- Tacos: toss them in a tortilla to make some blackened shrimp tacos with mango pineapple salsa on top.
- Solo: all by themselves with a little homemade dill sauce for dipping and a side of rice.
Grilled Blackened Shrimp FAQs
Yes, this is possible but you will want very large shrimp and be very careful when flipping to prevent them from falling through the grates. Grill pans would also be an option.
Make sure the grill grates are preheated and very hot. Then grease the hot grates by spraying them quickly with a non-stick cooking spray or use tongs to rub a paper towel with oil on it over the grates. Doing both of these things should help prevent sticking.
They will turn pink in color (no longer translucent) and will become more plump, creating a loose C-shape.
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Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon chipotle pepper
- 1 pound large shrimp, deveined and shelled (ensure thawed if previously frozen)
Instructions
- Prep: Ensure grill grates are clean and preheat grill to medium-high heat (Approx. 400-450℉).
- Make Seasoning: In a small bowl, add 1 tablespoon paprika, 2 teaspoons onion powder, 2 teaspoons garlic powder, 1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves, 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper, ½ teaspoon ground black pepper, and ¼ teaspoon chipotle pepper. Mix to combine.
- Season + Skewer: Pat 1 pound large shrimp dry with a clean paper towel and season generously with Blackened Seasoning (shrimp should be fully coated). Taking a metal skewer, pierce the shrimp through the tail and then again through the thickest part and slide all the way to the bottom. Continue until all the shrimp are skewered.
- Grill: Give the hot grates a quick spray with non-stick cooking spray. Place the shrimp skewers directly on the greased, hot grates and cook over direct heat for 2 minutes. Flip and let cook for an additional 1-2 minutes. Shrimp is done cooking when the meat is pink and no longer translucent.
- Rest + Serve: Remove from grill and let rest 5 minutes. Serve and enjoy – we love using these in our Grilled Shrimp Salad!
Notes
- Leaving tails on: it is totally up to you if you want to leave the tail ends on or not – the recipe will work the same either way.
- Skewers: you can use metal or wooden skewers, but if you use wooden skewers be sure to soak them for 30 minutes before using to reduce charring.
- Fresh or Frozen Shrimp: flavor will be best when you buy fresh shrimp the day you plan to cook them, but frozen will definitely work just fine! Fully thaw in cold water before patting dry to season.
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