How To Make Grilled Shrimp

How To Select The Shrimp:

• Size This recipe uses large shrimp, which will be labeled 31/40, but other sizes work fine as long as you account for he size of the shrimp. For jumbo shrimp, the cook time might be a minute or two longer. I dont recommend going much smaller though, as large shrimp on the grill gets more juicy.
• Appearance Raw shrimp should look gray and translucent avoid any with discoloration or a smell like ammonia.
• Fresh vs frozen Unless you can access live shrimp, frozen and thawed shrimp will be the next-freshest option.
• Shell on vs easy peel vs peeled Shells add the most flavor and moisture to shrimp, while easy peel shrimp have been conveniently split and deveined. Peeled shrimp are the easiest of all to handle, but may not look as pretty due to the peeling process.
• Deveined Its safe to use veined shrimp, but for the best appearance they should be deveined.
• Make sure its raw If you get precooked shrimp and cook them again, theyll turn rubbery.

How To Make Bang Bang Shrimp

It starts with soaking the shrimp in buttermilk. This is done to add flavour, and to give the breading/coating enough volume.

The shrimp only needs a nice coating of buttermilk, so all you need is a minute. Any more than that and the acids in the buttermilk might start cooking the shrimp .

Once the shrimp is well coated with buttermilk, you can take it out, shake off the extra and coat it in cornstarch. There are recipes out there which recommend panko breadcrumbs, but the cornstarch provides a nice thick coat thats crispy and still light.

The shrimp is fried in oil, which is heated to 375 degrees. Its important that you use a thermometer to make sure that that temperature is maintained. While deep frying anything, its common that once you heat up the oil, and add the shrimp , the temperature of the oil will drop. If you have thermometer, you can detect this and adjust the heat so that your temperature is maintained. This will avoid soggy shrimp and make sure your shrimp is fried to perfection.

What Is Bang Bang Shrimp

Bang Bang Shrimp is a simple and amazing appetizer. You fry the shrimp until lightly brown, and toss it in a sweet and spicy sauce, made of Thai chili sauce and Sriracha.

I absolutely love how addictive bang bang shrimp is. And I really wanted to try it at home after we had Bonefish Grill Bang Bang Shrimp. Each piece of shrimp was crisp, and that sauce was so so good! I think my copycat bang bang shrimp recipe is pretty close and Im going to spill all the secrets here.

Don’t Miss: How To Care For Cast Iron Grill Pan

What To Serve With Garlic Butter Shrimp

This easy shrimp recipe goes with anything! Serve with garlic butter kale rice, roasted cherry tomato pasta, or a bed of zoodles!

Every great entrée needs a great bread, right? Especially when serving this yummy garlic butter sauce! Serve with a slice of homemade french bread or cheesy garlic breadsticks to soak up every last drop.

Why We Love This Recipe:

Theres a lot to love about this grilled shrimp recipe. Its simple and flavorful. The shrimp cooks quicklyand the part of this recipe that takes the most time is soaking the wooden skewers and peeling/deveining the shrimp.

I love these zesty Blackened Lime Shrimp because they cook up quickly and also bursting with flavor. Our homemade grilled seasoning is a blackening seasoning, but we add a pop of acidity to it with lime zest and juice.

Also, you can use these for your main dish or an appetizer at a party because who doesnt love bite-sized shrimp on a stick? You could throw this shrimp on top of a Grilled Shrimp Salad with Homemade Lime Vinaigrette, too!

Dont have a grill? Cook these on the stovetop or broil them in the oven.

Need dinner inspiration? Check out my Dinner Recipe Index for some ideas!

You May Like: What To Clean Stainless Steel Grill With

How To Grill Shrimp Just Right

First, make sure to thaw your shrimp the night before in the fridge. But if you forgot to do so, dont worry. Just run the frozen shrimp under cold water for 5-10 minutes in a colander. When theyre completely thawed, gently pat them dry with a paper towel. Then lets get grilling!

How To Prep Your Shrimp

You May Like: How To Clean Porcelain Grill Grates Char Broil

What Flavors Go Well With Cilantro

Cilantro is a very polarizing herb. You either love it or hate it. But, since I loooooove cilantro I say everything goes! There are some flavor combinations that work better than others. My advice there is to just try it and see if you like it.

One of my go-to combos for cilantro though is garlic. Frankly garlic goes with just about any herb you think of. Cilantro and garlic are common spices in Mexican/Tex-Mex food. In fact, I cant think of one single Mexican-inspired recipe that doesnt include those two ingredients.

Cilantro goes with a lot of other herbs and spices too try adding it together with basil, thyme, rosemary, oregano, mint, or parsley. Garlic should go with any and all of these as well, in my opinion.

Tips For Best Grilled Shrimp

A few simple tips make all the difference in achieving flavor packed and perfectly grilled shrimp.

• Start with large shrimp. I usually go with 20/25 shrimp per pound . They’re meatier and easier to work. Buy easy-to-peel shrimp and peel them yourself, they’re cheaper this way and they taste better.
• for just a few minutes in a tasty olive-oil based marinade . This is a great way to infuse the shrimp with flavor and keeps them nice and juicy when grilling

• Use Skewers. I’ve been known to grill shrimp in a skillet without skewers usually I will only do this in a skillet or griddle. But how do you keep shrimp from falling into the grill or from accidently overcooking? Skewers are your ticket! Threading the shrimp into skewers also makes them so much easier to flip over . If using bamboo skewers, be sure to soak them in water for 30 minutes to an hour before using.

• Do not overcook the shrimp. Even the largest of shrimp will grill quickly .

Also Check: Convert Propane Grill To Natural Gas

Why This Recipe Works

Fast I can have my shrimp thawed and headed into the marinade just about the time my last-minute guests are due to arrive. Within the hour, were all enjoying a yummy, citrusy grilled shrimp and one anothers company.

Simple All you need is garlic, a lemon or lime, oil, cilantro, salt, and soy sauce to create this amazing marinade for grilled shrimp.

Versatile Use this as an appetizer all by itself or add the shrimp to a salad, over rice, in a wrap, a grain bowl, you name it, it works!

Easy clean up I marinate the garlic shrimp right in a Ziplock bag. So after I pull out the shrimp to put it on the grill, I can just toss the bag. There is one bowl and one whisk to clean but if you want to skip that step, you can always put all the ingredients in the bag and swish it around before adding the shrimp. OR you can put the shrimp right in the bowl you made the marinade in, give it a good stir to coat, cover, and put it in the fridge for 15 minutes.

For The Grilled Shrimp Marinade:

• Olive Oil Use a light olive oil for neutral flavor, or try avocado oil.
• Lemon Juice Fresh lemon juice tastes outstanding in this grilled shrimp skewers marinade, but use bottled if necessary. For extra lemon flavor, feel free to add in the lemon zest, too. If you have limes on hand instead of lemons, feel free to swap the lemon juice for lime juice.
• Garlic Cant make garlic shrimp skewers without it! Mincing fresh garlic tastes the best, but you can use the jarred kind to save time.
• Italian Seasoning Use a pre-made version, or make homemade Italian seasoning. Alternatively, you can chop up some fresh herbs, such as fresh parsley, basil, or thyme.
• Smoked Paprika Regular paprika will work if thats what you have, but smoked paprika adds the best flavor for the grill.
• Sea Salt& Black Pepper

You May Like: Do Weber Natural Gas Grills Have Regulators

Why We Love This Recipe

Perfect in tacos or scooped over a bed of greens, or served with rice pilaf, this one-pan recipe is so easy to prepare!

These are great served as a main dish, along side a juicy steak for a surf and turf or even as an appetizer.

For a creamy garlic butter sauce thats great over pasta, just add a little heavy whipping cream to the butter sauce mixture.

Or add a little heat by tossing in some red pepper flakes to the sauce. Easy peasy!

Grilled Shrimp Recipes: Four Delectable Marinades

In this section we will showcase four exciting grilled shrimp recipes that will make your BBQ the talk of the town. With these recipes, you wont even need sauce for your shrimp anymore.

Before diving into these recipes remember these tips to make shrimp the easiest part of your next barbecue:

• Shrimp – like most seafood – should only be marinated for 30 minutes

• Remember to peel shrimp before marinating to ensure intense flavor

• If your skewers are thin, consider using 2 to keep your shrimp from flopping around

Recommended Reading: Is Macaroni Grill Still In Business

How Long Do You Grill Shrimp On Skewers

Shrimp cook very quickly, so its imperative to watch your shrimp to make sure they dont overcook. Shrimp typically take about 2-3 minutes per side on the grill. Youll be able to tell when the shrimp are done because theyll turn pink and opaque.

You can use an outdoor grill, grill pan, or broiler to make these shrimp skewers. I typically use my outdoor grill, but when the weather isnt nice or I dont feel like firing up the grill, I cook the shrimp on the stove top in my favorite grill pan.

I use the largest shrimp I can find for this recipe. Shrimp are labeled based on their size count, or the number of shrimp you get per pound. These shrimp are the jumbo size shrimp, which are 16-20 per pound. You can go smaller if need be and the recipe will still be delicious.

Whenever I post shrimp recipes, I always get asked if the shrimp tails should be left on or removed. I typically keep the tails on when Im looking for a nicer presentation. Its really a matter of personal preference whether you leave the tails on or remove them before grilling.

I typically serve my grilled shrimp skewers over rice with a colorful veggie or salad on the side for a complete meal that my whole family devours!

What Youll Need To Make Grilled Shrimp Skewers

The Speckled Palate participates in affiliate programs. As an Amazon Associate, I earn a commission from qualifying purchases. Please refer to my disclosure page for more information about these affiliate programs.

• Pastry brush

In addition to these tools, youll need a handful of ingredients, many of which might be in your spice cabinet already.

• ShrimpIm partial to Gulf shrimp. However, you can use whatever you can get your hands on. Larger shrimp are simple because you wont have as many to skewer, but smaller ones work, too.
• Salted butteryou can substitute it with olive oil or avocado oil if you dont eat dairy.
• Limeboth the zest and juice. You can serve a quartered lime with the grilled shrimp.
• Garlic powder
• Sea saltI use fine sea salt in this recipe. You can also use kosher salt.
• Black pepper

This is an easy blackening seasoning for the shrimp. If you would rather use a pre-made blackening seasoning, use 4 teaspoons of that in place of the spices above.

You can also add in a sprinkle of cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes if you like heat in your grilled shrimp seasoning, though we didnt find this necessary!

Read Also: How To Clean Grill Grease Off Concrete

A Simple Yet Tasty Grilled Shrimp Marinade

Now that youve got your bag of shrimp, its time to put together the marinade. Im keeping it simple today with olive oil, herbs, and lots of garlic. But trust me, this is a holy grail combo that never fails.

Just whisk together the ingredients below and youre done.

• Olive oil: Using olive oil allows the flavors to infuse into the shrimp.
• Cilantro and parsley: These two herbs add just the right amount of freshness. But feel free to switch it up and add basil, thyme, or oregano into the mix.
• Garlic: Im using four large cloves for some garlicky goodness.
• Lemon Juice: A squeeze of fresh lemon brightens everything up.
• Salt and Pepper: For perfectly seasoned shrimp.
• Cayenne Pepper: Just a pinch or so adds spiciness, a hint of heat, and a little color to the shrimp.

Read Also: Grilled Cod Temperature

Tips For The Best Grilled Shrimp:

• Use a flavorful marinade and one that includes honey like we use here for a nice char on the shrimp.
• Be sure to peel shrimp first before adding to the marinade so it can soak up the flavors.
• Soak wooden skewers in water for at least 30 minutes before adding shrimp and grilling or they may burn up.
• Preferably use frozen and thawed shrimp. Not that from the meat/seafood counter as its previously frozen anyway and could have been sitting there a few days.
• Dont overcook the shrimp or they will be rubbery.

Also Check: Natural Gas Regulator For Weber Grill

Six Steps To Grilling Shrimp

Raw shrimp on a skewer, ready for the grill – How to grill shrimp

1. For the best possible results, buy fresh shrimp on the day that you plan to grill them. Shrimp thaw quickly and can go bad even more quickly. Make sure that you buy either jumbo or colossal sized shrimp for easier grilling.

2. Shrimp can be grilled with or without their shells. I like to peel the shrimp prior to grilling. Remove all of the shell except for the part that is around the tail of the shrimp. Removing the shell will allow the marinade to penetrate the meat and give the shrimp more taste.

3. Devein the shrimp by using a small, sharp knife to cut down the back of each peeled shrimp. Pull out the back vein while washing the shrimp under cold water. The vein is noticeable in jumbo or colossal shrimp.

ully grilled shrimp on a skewer – How to grill shrimp

4. Give the shrimp flavor in the marinade of your choice. My favorite is just a simple brush of olive oil on the shrimp with some salt, pepper and squeeze of lemon.

5. Thread your shrimp on a skewer for easy grilling. You can use a wooden skewer or metal skewer, both options work well.

Take the shrimp off the grill and it is time to enjoy, perfect for a shrimp cocktail or to pair with your favorite dipping sauce!

What Does It Take To Make The Best Grilled Shrimp On The Planet One Secret Ingredient Shrimp Shells And About 15 Minutes

Ive grilled dozens upon dozens of shrimp in my life. Theyre one of my favorite healthy snacks. Before creating this recipe, I always thought my shrimp were pretty good. But pretty good isnt good enough.

Once I added this one ingredient, my grilled shrimp went from pretty good to being the best damn grilled shrimp on the planet. Im not exaggerating here. I can down a pound of shrimp like no tomorrow when I follow this method.

Also Check: What Temp To Grill Pork Chops On Gas Grill

How Do I Know When Shrimp Is Done

Keep in mind that shrimp cook very quickly dont take your eyes off of them otherwise they can overcook. Undercooked shrimp look like a wide and flexible U shape, while overcooked shrimp form anO shape. Perfectly cooked shrimp are pink with bright red tails and look as a C in shape and ready to eat! One minute theyre a bit odd-looking and unappealing, and the next minute its hard to keep from eating them directly from the pan. Theres absolutely no guesswork involved.