Quick Look at these Smoked Shrimp Skewers
- Ready In: 1 hour!
- Difficulty Level: Easy, beginner-level
- Serves: 4
- Main Ingredients: large shrimp, oil, salt and pepper!
- Dietary Info: Whole30, Paleo, Dairy-Free, and Gluten-Free
- Equipment: Electric smoker (love our Traeger), metal skewers, and meat thermometer. No smoker? Try our easy grilled shrimp or pan fried shrimp.
- Best For: adding to pasta, rice bowls, tacos or salads (like our shrimp caesar salad)!
Share and summarize this recipe:
Why You’ll Keep Making These Perfectly Cooked Shrimp
- So Easy – you don’t have to be a smoking master to make these tender, smokey shrimp!
- Weeknight-worthy – a lean meat ready-to-eat in under 1 hour.
- Only 4 real, simple ingredients!
- Versatile – option to keep it simple or add more flavor with other seasonings.
- Works in so many meals from tacos to salads and everything in between.
- Great for meal prep!
Key Ingredients + Substitutions
Be sure to see the recipe card below for a full listing of ingredients, instructions, and estimated nutritional information.
- Shrimp – highly recommend jumbo or large (16/20) raw shrimp that are deveined with the shell on. Make sure they are fully thawed and the shell removed before cooking.
- Olive Oil – substitute avocado oil to make this recipe Whole30/Paleo compliant.
- Salt and Pepper – simple seasonings that are always a must!
How To Smoke Shrimp
Step 1 – Fully thaw the shrimp and remove the shells, but leave the tail on.
Step 2 – Skewer each shrimp in two spots (do not overcrowd them) and pat them dry.
Seasoning Variations
Kept your smoked shrimp simple with salt and pepper. Or try a seasoning or marinade, if you want. We love blackened seasoning, lemon pepper or a creole seasoning! If you are looking to try a marinade, you have to try our shrimp marinade.
Step 3 – Drizzle shrimp with oil and season with salt and pepper.
Step 4 – Smoke directly on the grates for 30-60 minutes or until fully cooked.
How To Know When Smoked Shrimp Are Done
The best way to know if shrimp is fully cooked is to use a meat thermometer and make sure it is 165°F at the thickest part of the shrimp. They will look pink in color and curve into a c-shape when done, but the color is harder to see if you use a seasoning. Therefore, checking the internal temp is the best, foolproof way to guarantee they are fully cooked.
Erin’s Testing Tips: What We Learned
- After rounds of testing it was determined that 225°F was the best temperature for smoking shrimp. They cook very quickly, so the lower heat gives it more time to absorb the smokey flavor. Also, 225°F is the optimal temperature for giving any foods the maximum amount of smokiness.
- Use metal skewers! So much easier for flipping and no need for soaking in water (like you do with wooden skewers.
Best Ways To Serve Smoked Shrimp
There are so many great ways to enjoy perfectly smoked shrimp! Here are a few ideas:
- On their own with side dishes – they can easily be served as the main dish with some easy smoked broccoli and the best smoked potatoes on the side. Nothing better than a whole meal made right on the smoker!
- Toss on a salad – we also love placing them on our Ultimate Shrimp Salad or on a Shrimp Caesar Salad.
- Enjoy on pasta – another great option is to enjoy them on pasta with vegan alfredo sauce!
- Make a rice bowl – to keep it really simple you could make a simple shrimp rice bowl. This is one of our all-time favorites on a busy weeknight or for a simple weekend lunch!
Meal Prep Tips
Store smoked shrimp in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Feel free to enjoy cold without reheating or gently reheat in the microwave or on the stove top. If they get too hot or reheat for too long, they will become tough.
Smoked Shrimp FAQs
No, shrimp need to be fully thawed and dried to cook evenly with the best smokey flavor.
Yes, this easy recipe works great on pellet grills like Traeger, Pit Boss, etc.
After testing, we found that shrimp smokes the best at 225°F. They will be on the smoker for about 30-60 minutes or until their internal temp reaches 165°F.
Highly recommend a more mild wood like an alder or a fruit wood. If you like something a little stronger, you might try a maple or hickory wood.
Yes, you can leave them on but they will block some of the seasoning and the smokiness. For best results and the most flavor, remove the shells before smoking.
A rubbery texture happens when shrimp are overcooked. Closely monitor the internal temperature of the shrimp and remove them as soon as they reach 165°F.
Other Shrimp Recipes For Dinner You Might Like
Made this recipe and loved it?!
We would love it if you would take a minute and leave a star rating and review – it is also helpful if you made any substitutions or changes to the recipe to share that as well. THANK YOU!
Follow Us on Social
Equipment
- Metal Skewers
Ingredients
- 1 pound raw large shrimp, deveined and shell removed, tail on
- extra virgin olive oil
- kosher salt and ground black pepper
Instructions
- Prep: Preheat smoker to 225℉.
- Skewer Shrimp: Ensure 1 pound raw large shrimp are fully thawed and pat dry with paper towel. Take a skewer and add shrimp one at a time until every shrimp is on a skewer.
- Season: Drizzle both sides with extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle both sides with kosher salt and ground black pepper.
- Grill: Place shrimp skewers directly on the smoker grates and close the lid. Let cook 30-60 minutes or until fully cooked (shrimp is fully cooked when it reaches an internal temp of 165℉ – use a meat thermometer).
- Rest + Serve: Remove and let rest 5 minutes. Carefully remove from skewers and serve however you like – we love serving them in a shrimp caesar salad, ultimate shrimp salad or on shrimp rice bowls!
Notes
- Optional Marinade: if you want to marinade your shrimp beforehand this Easy Shrimp Marinade is our favorite!
- Optional Reverse Sear Method: after you have smoked the shrimp maybe 30 minutes and they are a few degrees below fully cooked, transfer them to a hot grill set to High Heat and sear for 30 seconds on each side (searing could also be done on the stove top in a cast iron skillet). This will help achieve more of a char on the outside that some people prefer.
- Remove Shells: I know a lot of flavor is in the shell, but we recommend removing it here so that the shrimp meat takes on that rich, smokey flavor.
- Storage: store leftover shrimp in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Leave a Rating & Comment