Garlic Grilled Shrimp

This grilled shrimp recipe is quick, garlicky, lemony, and perfect for summer dinners, BBQs, or easy appetizers. The shrimp marinate briefly, then cook on the grill in about 5 minutes, so they stay juicy instead of turning tough. Serve them on skewers with grilled vegetables, corn, rice, potato salad, or tuck them into tacos.

Outstanding recipe. Great flavor! There will definitely be a next time.

Rick

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Shrimp Cook Fast, So Be Ready

Grilled shrimp are one of those recipes where the prep takes longer than the cooking. Once they hit the grill, things move quickly, so have your tongs, clean platter, sauce, and sides ready before you start.

I pull shrimp off the grill as soon as they turn opaque and pink with light char marks. They should curl into a loose C shape, not a tight O. That “O” usually means they’ve gone too far and may taste rubbery instead of juicy.

Grilled Shrimp Marinade

The marinade for this grilled shrimp is simple: olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, parsley, salt, and pepper. It gives the shrimp bright, fresh flavor without covering up their natural sweetness.

Shrimp only need 15–20 minutes in the marinade. Don’t leave them much longer, especially with lemon juice, or the texture can become firm and rubbery.

Ingredients for Grilled Shrimp Marinade

• Shrimp: Use raw shrimp, fresh or frozen and thawed. I like 21–25 count shrimp because they’re large enough to grill without overcooking too quickly. Peeled shrimp work best here because they soak up the garlic lemon marinade. Avoid pre-cooked shrimp for this recipe.
• Olive oil: Helps coat the shrimp and keeps them from drying out on the grill. Avocado oil also works.
• Lemon juice: Adds bright, fresh flavor to the marinade.
• Garlic: Fresh minced garlic gives the shrimp the best flavor. Use more if you like extra garlicky shrimp.
• Parsley: Adds freshness after grilling. You can swap in cilantro if you’re serving the shrimp in tacos.
• Salt and pepper: Simple seasoning is enough here because the garlic, lemon, and grill add plenty of flavor.

How To Make Grilled Shrimp on Skewers

1. Marinate Shrimp: Place the shrimp in a medium bowl and add olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, parsley, and garlic. Give everything a good stir and allow it to marinate for 15-20 minutes. 
2. Skewer: Thread the shrimp onto skewers. Depending on the size of your skewers you can fit 3-6 shrimp on each. I used stainless steel skewers, but you can also use wooden ones. See notes below for tips. 
3. Prepare Grill: Preheat the grill to medium high heat, clean, and oil the grates to prevent sticking. Place the shrimp on a grill.
4. Grill: Grill shrimp on each side for 2-3 minutes or until the shrimp is opaque and white/pink.
5. Serve: Serve warm with a drizzle of lemon juice. 

Tips for Grilling Shrimp

• Don’t marinate the shrimp too long. Since this marinade has lemon juice, 15–20 minutes is enough. Any longer and the shrimp can start to turn firm before they cook.
• Preheat the grill and oil the grates. A hot, oiled grill helps prevent sticking and gives the shrimp better color.
• Use skewers or a grill basket. Skewers make shrimp easier to flip quickly, but a grill basket also works well. If you’re using wooden skewers, soak them for at least 30 minutes first.
• Serve right away. Grilled shrimp are best hot off the grill while they’re juicy and tender.

What to Serve with Grilled Shrimp

Grilled shrimp make an easy summer dinner with simple sides like grilled corn, red cabbage slaw, crushed new potatoes, smashed potato salad, or coconut rice. You can also use the shrimp in grilled shrimp tacos, serve them over salad, or pair them with grilled veggie kabobs for a lighter meal.

Storage and Reheating

Grilled shrimp are best served right away, while they are juicy and warm. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Reheat gently in a skillet over low heat just until warmed through, or enjoy the shrimp cold in salads, wraps, or tacos. Avoid microwaving for too long, as shrimp can turn rubbery quickly.

Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!

Recipe

5 from 18 votes

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Garlic Grilled Shrimp

Prep Time: 20 minutes mins

Cook Time: 5 minutes mins

Total Time: 25 minutes mins

Author: Diana

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Fun grilled summer recipe of marinated shrimps threaded on skewers and then cooked on the grill to perfection.

4 servings

Fun grilled summer recipe of marinated shrimps threaded on skewers and then cooked on the grill to perfection.

Ingredients 

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• ▢ 1 ½ pounds raw jumbo shrimp thawed, peeled and deveined leaving tails on
• ▢ ¼ cup olive oil
• ▢ 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• ▢ ½ teaspoon salt
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
• ▢ 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• ▢ 3 cloves garlic minced

Instructions 

• Place the shrimp in a medium bowl and add olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, parsley, and garlic. Give everything a good stir and allow it to marinate for 15-20 minutes.
• Thread the shrimp onto skewers. Depending on the size of your skewers you can fit 3-6 shrimp on each. I used stainless steel skewers, but you can also use wooden ones. See notes below for tips.
• Preheat the grill to medium high heat, clean, and oil the grates to prevent sticking. Place the shrimp on a grill.
• Grill shrimp on each side for 2-3 minutes or until the shrimp is opaque and white/pink.
• Serve warm with a drizzle of lemon juice.

Notes:

• Use sturdy skewers. I like to use stainless steel kabob skewers. They are reusable and easy to wash, and they don’t require any prep before using. You can use bamboo skewers if you like, but make sure to soak them in water for at least 30 minutes before using If you don’t soak them they will light on fire and burn.
• Don’t marinate too long. The acid from the lemon juice in this shrimp marinade will start to cook the shrimp if you leave it in there for too long. Plan ahead so that the shrimp only sits in the marinade for 15 to 20 minutes.
• Don’t overcook the shrimp. Shrimp really only need a few minutes on a hot grill to cook, and they will continue to cook for a minute after you remove them from the grill as well. Pull them off just as soon as the color of the shrimp changes from translucent to opaque for best results.
• Grill the lemon. Juice half of a lemon and add the juice to the marinade, and save the other half to add on to the grill. Warming the lemon will release more juice that you can then squeeze over the shrimp once they’re cooked.
• Feel free to add some crushed red pepper to the marinade to kick up the flavor a bit. Or try other herbs like basil or cilantro in place of the parsley.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 295kcal, Carbohydrates: 1g, Protein: 35g, Fat: 16g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 10g, Cholesterol: 429mg, Sodium: 1614mg, Potassium: 166mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 170IU, Vitamin C: 13mg, Calcium: 255mg, Iron: 4mg

This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.

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