Juicy, flavorful Grilled Shrimp Skewers with a hint of lemon, garlic and herbs that are ready in 30 minutes. Perfect for summer grilling!
Why You’ll Love This Grilled Shrimp
Meet my improved flavorful grilled shrimp skewers! It’s a very old recipe of mine that I thought deserved a makeover including new photos.
Previously it was a shrimp recipe that called for 0 marinating time, which you can still pull off, by the way. But after testing it on my family one more time, I think the lemon, garlic and herb shrimp marinade infuses the grilled shrimp with a bit more flavor if you let it sit in the fridge just for 15 minutes.
After you grill the shrimp just for 5-6 minutes, pair with made the day before healthy potato salad or cauliflower potato salad and lighter summer dinner is on your table in 30 minutes. Enjoy!
Ingredients for Grilled Shrimp Skewers
You will need just 8 simple ingredients.
- Shrimp: I use large raw shrimp, around 21-25 count per pound. To save time, buy peeled and deveined shrimp. This time I went for fresh shrimp but often I buy frozen shrimp. Just be sure to thaw it in a colander in the fridge overnight or place in a bowl with cold water, thaw for 20 minutes, drain and gently squeeze.
- Olive oil: For marinating, I like its flavor the best as you can really taste it in this grilled shrimp skewers recipe.
- Lemon juice: Use freshly squeezed lemon juice, not from a bottle, for a bit of flavor and to tenderize the shrimps. Lime juice will also work. You can also add lemon zest to the shrimp marinade or throw some lemon slices onto the grill to serve up alongside the shrimp.
- Garlic: I always use freshly minced garlic, not from a jar. It truly makes entire dish taste much better.
- Seasonings: I add dried oregano, smoked paprika for more smoky depth to the charred grilled shrimp flavor, salt and pepper. I don’t recommend to use fresh herbs in the marinade, they don’t add flavor and make final dish look less appealing. Sprinkle fresh parsley, cilantro or mint after and that’s when you truly can taste them.
Variations
- Italian seasoning: Swap out the dried oregano for a mixed herb seasoning like Italian seasoning.
- Honey: A little bit of honey added to the marinade will caramelize on the grill and add a subtle sweetness to the grilled shrimp skewers.
- For heat: A pinch of cayenne pepper, red pepper flakes or Cajun seasoning is a great way to add a pop of heat. Or you can just prep and grill my Cajun shrimp, so good!
- Sweet chili: Swap out the marinade entirely for a Thai sweet chili sauce.
- Add vegetables: It’s possible to add extra veggies and make shrimp kabobs but choose carefully. Due to their short cooking time, you need to choose veggies that cook as quickly or are tasty when par-cooked like tomatoes, bell peppers, mushrooms or zucchini.
How to Grill Shrimp Skewers
Here is a quick photo overview. Full recipe card is located down below.
Only prep might be the skewers. If you are using wooden skewers, pre-soak them in cold water for 30 minutes. Otherwise, you can use reusable metal skewers. I prefer flat metal skewers, which keep the shrimp from rotating too.
- Prepare the marinade: In a small bowl, add olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, oregano, smoked paprika, salt, pepper and whisk.
- Marinate the shrimp: Coat shrimp in marinade and place in refrigerator for 15 minutes or up to 2 hours.
- Assemble: Thread around 5-6 shrimps per each skewer. I like to do this right through the center twice to keep them securely in place.
- Grill the shrimp: Place shrimp skewers on the grill, cover and grill for 2-3 minutes. Then flip the skewers with spatula, cover and grill for 2 more minutes or until they are pink and no longer transparent.
Recipe Tip
If you want the charred skewer marks, then you can press on shrimp skewers with a spatula. Do this at the end of the grilling but be careful not to overcook the shrimp.
Tips for Best Results
- Use proper size shrimp: The larger the shrimp, the easier it is to grill without overcooking. However, they also go up in price. You can use from jumbo shrimp to small shrimp, as long as you can skewer it and remember to adjust the cook time.
- Don’t over marinate: If you marinate the shrimp for more than 2 hours, the acid will start cooking its flesh. To cut down on prep time, prepare the marinade for up to a day in advance.
- Shrimp is ready when: As soon as the grey color is gone, the shrimp flesh is pink with no brown or grey spots, it is ready. The shape of the shrimp also helps. When cooked to perfection, shrimps form a loose “C” curved shape.
- Don’t overcook: How long to grill shrimp will depend on the size of the shrimp and the grill you use. Overcooked shrimp will often curl up into a tighter “C”. If you see this, they’re probably tough.
Serving Ideas
You can enjoy these grilled shrimp skewers warm or cold with a tons of meals. Here are just a few of my favorite suggestions:
- Cold pasta dishes: Like this healthy pasta salad or Mediterranean pasta salad.
- Grains: Serve with a side of Instant Pot brown rice, cooked quinoa or couscous.
- Veggies: Grilled veggies like grilled zucchini or grilled vegetables.
- Toss into a salad: Grilled shrimp is neutral enough to pair with all sorts of salads. For example, with avocado corn salad, Mediterranean quinoa salad, or this lemon parmesan kale salad.
How to Store
Store: Allow grilled shrimp to cool down, then remove shrimp from skewers into an airtight container and refrigerate for 2-3 days. It tastes fantastic cold and is perfect to add to salads!
Freeze: Place cooled leftovers into a freezer-safe container for up to 2 months. Try to do this within a couple of hours of cooking them to prevent bacteria growth.
FAQs
Yes, you can use cooked shrimp but it’s harder to make sure they don’t overcook. The key is to grill just enough to heat them up and no more. This will usually take between 1-2 minutes in total.
More Shrimp Recipes to Try
Also check out all of our grill recipes!
Grilled Shrimp Skewers
Ingredients
- 2 pounds raw large shrimp, peeled & deveined
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, extra virgin
- 2 large garlic cloves, grated
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon oregano, dried
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- If using wooden skewers, pre-soak for 30 minutes. Metal skewers work great too!
- In a large bowl, add olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, oregano, smoked paprika, salt, pepper and whisk. Add shrimp, stir gently to coat and refrigerate for 15 minutes or maximum up to 2 hours.
- Skewer 5-6 shrimp onto each skewer and place onto a platter. Repeat with remaining shrimp.
- Preheat grill on medium heat and lightly oil the surface. Place shrimp skewers, cover and grill for 2-3 minutes. Flip, cover and grill for 2-3 more minutes or until no longer transparent and pink.
- Serve warm or cold with fresh parsley and lemon slices as a garnish, if desired.
Notes
- Store: Refrigerate covered for up to 2 days. Shrimp skewers taste amazing cold!
- Freeze: Cool the shrimp before transferring to a freezer-safe container for up to 2 months.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This recipe is excellent!!! My husband and I were tempted to eat out tonight, but decided to eat our own groceries. We marinated our shrimp skewers with this recipe and it was better than any shrimp we would have had at our local restaurants. 5 Star Rating!!!
Awesome!!! Restaurants are overrated haha. Glad you liked my shrimp!
Loved how easy these shrimp skewers were to make.