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If you are planning a cookout, then these Grilled Shrimp Skewers need to make an appearance! Marinated in a lemon and herb dressing they take minutes to prep and are super quick to cook. Wonderfully juicy and full of flavor.
How do you make grilled shrimp
- Peel and devein the shrimp. You can keep the tails on or remove them. I like the presentation of grilled shrimp with the tails on.
- Place the ingredients for the marinade into a bowl large enough to fit the shrimp.
- Whisk to combine the ingredients.
- Add the shrimp and coat evenly with the marinade. It helps to just use your hands here for even coating.
Skewer the shrimp onto bamboo sticks or metal skewers. Then cook on a grill or grill pan until cooked through, opaque and pinkish-orangish in color. They really don’t need a lot of time on the grill!
Tips for grilling shrimp
- Don’t marinate the shrimp for longer than 2 hours. The acid from the lemon juice can actually cook the shrimp without any heat needed, which is what happens with a long marinade time.
- Broil the shrimp in the oven if you don’t have a grill. Once the broiler is preheated, place the shrimp skewers on a sheet pan coated with cooking spray or lined with parchment paper. Broil for 2-3 minutes, then flip and broil for another 2-3 minutes; watching it closely so it doesn’t over-cook.
- Peel and devein the shrimp before you marinade them. Otherwise all the marinade will be on the outside of the shrimp only. I prefer to leave the tails on, but you can remove them if you like.
- Don’t overcook the shrimp. Shrimp cook super fast, and only need 2 to 3 minutes each side. If you overcook them, they lose their juiciness and become rubbery. Th shrimp skewers are cooked when they turn an opaque pink, they are overcooked if they start to curl up.
Frequently asked questions
I prefer to use fresh shrimp for the grilled skewers, but you can use frozen if that’s what you have. Be sure to fully defrost them before adding to the marinade. Ideally, thaw them in the fridge overnight in a fine mesh sieve so the water drains out of them. If you are short on time, place them in a bowl in the sink and run them under cold water tap.
Cooked shrimp can be stored in the fridge safely for up to 3 days, but I recommend you serve them as soon as they are cooked for the best taste and texture. Be sure not to marinate the shrimps for more than 2 hours though.
Skewering the shrimp is the easiest way to cook them on the grill. They won’t fall between the grates and it means that you can turn them all at the same time so that they cook evenly. You can use either metal or wooden skewers, if you use wooden, soak them in water for an hour before grilling so they don’t burn.
These grilled shrimp skewers are so quick and easy to make and they make a fantastic addition to any cookout. The lemon and herb marinade is wonderfully fresh. You can serve them as an appetizer or alongside your favorite sides like Mediterranean potato salad, a Greek salad, or shredded red cabbage slaw.
More shrimp recipes
- Shrimp Avocado Salad
- Honey Walnut Shrimp
- Air Fryer Coconut Shrimp
- Healthy Shrimp Scampi
- Shrimp Avocado Bean Salsa
- Chili Lime Shrimp
- One Pan Shrimp and Rice
- Spaghetti Squash Shrimp Scampi
- Grilled Shrimp Tacos
If you’ve tried this healthy-ish feelgood Grilled Shrimp Skewers recipe or any other recipe on Feel Good Foodie, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave me a comment below! I would love to hear about your experience making it. And if you snapped some shots of it, share it with me on Instagram so I can repost on my stories!
Grilled Shrimp Skewers
Video
Ingredients
- 1 pound large shrimp peeled and deveined
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- Chopped parsley for serving
- Lemon slices for serving
Instructions
- Place the olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, oregano, paprika and garlic powder in a large bowl; whisk to combine.
- Add the shrimp to the bowl and toss gently to coat evenly with the marinade. Marinate for at least 15 minutes or up to 2 hours max.
- Skewer 4-6 shrimp on each soaked skewer and place on a plate while skewering the remaining shrimp.
- Heat a grill or grill pan over medium high heat and cook the shrimp for 2-3 minutes on each side until the color is pink and shrimp is opaque.
- Serve warm with fresh parsley and lemon slices, if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
My go-to shrimp recipe. Love it!
Yay, love that!! Thanks, Bonnie!
Mase these today. Amazing!
Yay, so happy you loved them!! Thank you!
Planned to make this recipe for large Christmas Eve party. Had niece make the marinade 4 hours in advance. Put peeled and deveined shrimp in marinade 2 hours before party. However, didn’t get to actually skewer and cook on grill since guests arrived early. We ended up with tons of food that night so ended up grilling next day. It was still delicious! Husband said recipe is a keeper. Very easy and forgiving recipe!
So happy you found it easy and forgiving!! Thank you so much, Christina!
Very good! Used jumbo (21/25) shrimp and cut salt down to 1/4 tsp.
So glad you liked it, Courtney! Thank you!!
Has anyone tried substituting a Cajun mix for the paprika? Or adding any Cajun seasoning? If so how much?
I haven’t but it sounds great! Let me know how it tastes if you end up trying it.
I ate an ungodly amount of shrimp the first time we made this. Easy, fast, and seriously delicious. We’re making it again tonight!
Haha yay, I’m so glad you love it! Thank you so much, Ally!!
Perfect recipe, delicious! Saved to favorites. I would cut salt to ¼ tsp. Marinated for 20 minutes grilled 2 1/2 minutes, flipped- 1.75 mins.
Thank you, Martha! I appreciate your notes!
This was delicious and my family LOVED it. Will cook again for sure!!!!
Aww, I’m happy your family loved this one! Thank you so much, Kristie!!
Alright seasoning. A bit too much salt
Thank you for the feedback, Jimmy. So sorry you didn’t find the seasoning to your liking.