Quick Look at these Simple Grilled Shrimp Skewers
- Ready In: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Serves: 4
- Main Ingredients: jumbo raw shrimp, lemon juice, garlic, old bay seasoning, and soy sauce.
- Dietary Info: Whole30, Paleo, Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free
- Tools Needed: metal skewers or wooden skewers (soak for 30 minutes in water)
- Best For: adding a quick protein to rice bowls, tacos, pasta, salads, etc.
Share and summarize this recipe:
Why You’ll Love This Grilled Shrimp Recipe
- As a grill master for 10+ years, I can tell you that shrimp is a favorite to cook!
- Fast cooking → only 5 minutes!
- Less than 10 real, simple ingredients.
- Amazing flavor in the marinade or skip it and just season with salt and pepper.
- Tested & approved pro tips to achieve shrimp that is NOT rubbery.
- Versatile – so many ways to enjoy perfectly grilled shrimp!
Key Ingredients + Substitutions
Be sure to see the recipe card below for a full listing of ingredients, instructions, and estimated nutritional information.
- Jumbo Shrimp – using raw, deveined, easy-to-peel shrimp (not pre-cooked) that are jumbo in size (16-20 count) are the perfect one for making grilled shrimp kabobs! Fully thaw in cold water and remove the outer shell (plus the tail, if you want but not required).
- Soy Sauce – swap it out for tamari or coconut aminos to make this recipe gluten-free and Whole30/Paleo compliant.
- Lemon Juice – a touch of acidity for freshness and to brighten all the flavors.
- Old bay seasoning – classic seasoning that is perfect on any grilled seafood!
Shrimp Size Chart for Grilling
| Shrimp Size | Count per pound | Best For | Grill Time |
| Jumbo | 16-20 | skewers | 2-3 minutes/side |
| Large | 31-40 | skewers | 1-2 minutes/side |
| Small | 51+ | grill basket | 1-2 minutes total |
How To Grill Shrimp Perfectly (Without Overcooking)
Step 1 – Mix up the marinade and pour over the thawed shrimp.
Step 2 – Pierce each shrimp by the tail and through the thick end – continue until all are on skewers. Space them out – don’t overcrowd!
Skip the Marinade: Grilled Shrimp Seasoning
- If you don’t want to use a marinade or are short on time, skip that step and season shrimp with kosher salt and ground black pepper.
- Variations: Feel free to use any other seasoning, depending on how you plan to serve skewered shrimp. Homemade fajita seasoning or an easy blackened seasoning would be delicious!
Step 3 – Sear shrimp on a hot, clean grill for 2 minutes.
Step 4 – Flip skewers over and finish cooking for 1-2 minutes.
How To Know When Shrimp Are Done?
Cooked shrimp will turn pink in color and will no longer be translucent. They will also form a loose c-shape. If your shrimp curl into tight O-shapes instead of loose C-shapes, they’re overcooked.
Step 5 – Carefully remove shrimp from the skewers and enjoy any way you want!
Erin’s Testing Tips: What We Learned
Here are a few pro tips to keep in mind to avoid rubbery shrimp:
- Keep a close eye and do not overcook! Shrimp cook very fast and if they are overcooked they will have a rubbery texture. Remove from the grill when they are no longer translucent and they have a loose c-shape.
- Marinade Time – due to the acidity in the marinade (lemon juice) you don’t want to let the shrimp sit in it for more than 30 minutes or it will affect the texture of the shrimp.
- Grill Tips – preheat the grill to 450-500 degrees F, clean the grates, and spray with a non-stick cooking spray before adding the shrimp.
How To Serve Grilled Shrimp
Grilled shrimp are so delicious and can be enjoyed a variety of different ways. Here are a few ideas:
- Solo: On their own with a side dish, like cooked rice and easy grilled broccoli.
- Rice Bowl: Enjoy in a simple shrimp rice bowl!
- Salads: Toss them on a fresh summer salad, like a Shrimp Caesar Salad or Easy Greek Salad.
- Tacos: Love this lean protein in a tortilla – Easy Shrimp Tacos.
- Pasta: Make up a homemade alfredo sauce, add noodles, and these perfectly grilled shrimp for a delicious dinner!
- Spring Rolls: Go with traditional spring rolls or try our Shrimp Spring Roll Bowls.
Grilled Shrimp Skewers FAQs
For best results, take the shell off before grilling so that you don’t have to later when they are super hot. Also, if you are choosing to marinate them, the marinade will work better when shells have been removed.
This is also totally up to you! The recipe will work either way. We chose to leave the tails on but you can decide what works for you.
Metal skewers are preferred because they are ready-to-use and can be reused in the future. Wooden skewers need to soak in water for at least 30 minutes before using to limit the charring and then have to be thrown away.
Just a quick marinate time of 20-30 minutes will add a good amount of flavor!
For best results, it is best to use skewers. Jumbo shrimp shouldn’t fall between the grates, but since they cook so fast it is best to have them on skewers for faster flipping. If your shrimp tend to spin on the skewer, feel free to use two skewers for one line of shrimp to keep them from turning.
Simply place it on the grill for 2 minutes, flip, and let it cook for another 1-2 minutes – delicious shrimp in less than 5 minutes!
Other Shrimp Recipes For Dinner You Might Like
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Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, sub avocado oil
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
- ½ teaspoon soy sauce, sub tamari for gluten-free
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon dried oregano leaves
- ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 pound jumbo 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℉).
- Marinate Shrimp: In a large bowl, add 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 2 teaspoons garlic, 1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning, ½ teaspoon soy sauce, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon dried oregano leaves, and ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper. Whisk to combine. Toss 1 pound jumbo shrimp in the bowl with the marinade. Let marinate for 20-30 minutes.
- Skewer Shrimp: 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 used. Option to season with a little more salt and pepper.
- Grill: Place over direct heat and close lid. Let cook 2 minutes. Flip and close lid again. Let cook for an additional 1-2 minutes. Shrimp is done cooking when the meat is no longer translucent.
- Rest + Serve: Remove from grill and let rest 5 minutes. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- Leaving tails on: up to you if you want to leave the tails on or not – the recipe will work the same either way.
- Skewers: use metal or wooden skewers, but if using wooden skewers, be sure to soak them for 30 minutes before adding the shrimp to cook to reduce charring.
- Marinade: the marinade it totally optional – kosher salt and ground black pepper work well too!
- Fresh or Frozen Shrimp: flavor will be best when you can buy fresh shrimp the day you plan on cooking them, but frozen will definitely work too! Thaw before cooking.
- How to Serve: we love serving them in these yummy Shrimp Avocado Rice Bowls!
Bridget says
Love making these for dinner in the summer!!