Grilled Shrimp
Updated May 13, 2026
Simple grilled shrimp skewers marinated with pantry spices and fresh lemon. Come together fast, and you won't lose a single shrimp to the grill.
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Try My Easy Grilled Shrimp!
Shrimp is genuinely one of my favorite things to put on the grill. But I know a lot of people avoid it because they’re nervous about pieces slipping through the grates, and that’s a real concern. Putting them on skewers solves that completely. The grilled shrimp hold together, they’re easy to flip all at once, and when they’re done, you can eat them straight off the skewer or slide everything off in one go without losing a single one.
The marinade is olive oil, lemon juice, oregano, paprika, and garlic powder. It takes about a minute to pull together, and after 15 minutes of marinating, these grilled shrimp skewers are on and off the grill in five. I’ll throw them over rice, put them in pita with some vegetables, or eat them just as they are with extra lemon. My kids always go straight for the skewer, which saves me from plating anything.
Happy Grilling!
– Yumna
Grilled Shrimp Ingredients
- Shrimp: Use large shrimp, peeled and deveined (for help, read my tips on how to peel shrimp). Large shrimp hold up better on the grill and give you a slightly wider window before they overcook. Fresh or frozen, both work. If using frozen, thaw completely and pat dry before adding to the marinade. Any surface moisture will keep the marinade from coating evenly.
- Marinade: Olive oil, lemon juice, oregano, paprika, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper. Garlic powder works better here than fresh garlic because it distributes evenly through the marinade and won’t burn on high heat the way minced garlic can. If you only have smoked paprika, it works as a swap. Just know the flavor will be slightly smokier. Whisk everything together in the bowl before the shrimp goes in.
- For serving: Chopped parsley and lemon slices. Use a generous handful of parsley, not just a pinch for color. It adds some freshness that balances the olive oil in the marinade. The extra lemon at the end is worth it too.
How to Make Grilled Shrimp Skewers
These photos walk you through the process step by step. For the full ingredient list and instructions, head to the recipe card below, or skip straight to the → Grilled Shrimp Recipe
1. Make the Marinade
Whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, oregano, paprika, garlic powder, salt, and pepper right in the bowl you’re using for the shrimp. One bowl, less cleanup.
2. Add the Shrimp
Pat the shrimp dry before dropping them in. Any surface moisture keeps the marinade from sticking evenly to the shrimp.
3. Coat and Refrigerate
Once the shrimp is evenly coated, cover the bowl and move it to the fridge. Give it at least 15 minutes but don’t push past 2 hours. The lemon juice will start to break down the texture if it sits too long.
4. Thread the Skewers
Add 4 to 6 shrimp per skewer, threading through both the top and the tail so they lay flat on the grill. If you’re using wooden skewers, they should already be soaked in water for at least 20 minutes at this point.
5. Grill the Shrimp Skewers
Grease the grates and heat the grill to medium-high. Lay the skewers down and leave them alone for 2 to 3 minutes. Resist the urge to move them.
6. Flip and Finish
Once the first side is done, turn each skewer and grill until the shrimp are pink all the way through and fully opaque. Pull them off the moment they’re done.
Full Grilled Shrimp Skewer Recipe
Grilled Shrimp Recipe
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.
Recipe Tips
- 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.
- Don’t move the shrimp right after placing them on the grill. Give them a full 2 to 3 minutes per side so they can develop some color. Moving them too early pulls the shrimp off the grates and tears them.
- Soak wooden skewers for at least 20 minutes before threading. This keeps them from burning through on the grill. If you spot any splinters, rub two skewers against each other to smooth them out before using.
- Pull the shrimp off the second they’re done. Shrimp go from perfectly cooked to rubbery fast. The moment they’re pink and opaque all the way through, they’re ready to come off.
Serving Ideas
- Serve over rice. Grilled shrimp work really well over something simple that lets the shrimp be the main. Try my Lebanese rice, lemon rice, or cilantro lime rice.
- Pair with a salad. A fresh salad on the side is my usual. My fattoush, tabbouleh, or Lebanese cabbage salad all work really well alongside.
- Tuck into pita. If you want to make it more of a handheld meal, slide the shrimp off the skewer and into warm homemade pita with some chopped vegetables.
- Add other things to the grill. If the grill is already going, it’s easy to throw on a few other things at the same time. My grilled chicken kabobs, beef shish kabobs, or grilled veggie kabobs all cook around the same temperature, making it easy to put a full spread on the table without much extra work.
FAQs
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.
Comments
I made this recipe tonight for dinner absolutely delicious 😋 Thank you
Aw yay! I’m so happy you enjoyed it! Thank you!
This was Very Flavorful!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Happy grilling season!
My go to grilled shrimp recipe. No changes necessary. It’s PERFECTLY DELICIOUS! 🤤
Aww, that makes me so happy to hear! I love when someone finds a recipe that just works for them. I hope you keep enjoying it!
Delicious! Very easy and just the right amount of acidity.
Yay, so glad you liked it! Thank you!!
I doubled the recipe for 1 lb of jumbo shrimp and it was a good amount of marinate. The grilled shrimp were excellent.
Amazing!! So happy you liked it!
Your recipe serves 4. Does this allow 2 skewers per person?
It depends on how many shrimp you have, how large they are, and how many you put on each skewer. But yes, you should have approximately 6-8 skewers total and can always put fewer shrimp on each one to make sure everyone gets the same amount. Hope that helps!
This turned out great. I used smoked paprika that added to the grilled flavor!
Love that!! Thanks for sharing, John! So glad you liked the recipe.
Delicious and so easy!!!
Yay, so happy you liked it!! Thanks!
Best shrimp recipe ever! The shrimp are tasty and the recipe is so simple. It’s on our go to recipes now. Thank you!
Yay, so happy you love it!! Thank you so much!
Hi Yumna,
Is there a way to air fry these? Thanks in advance!
I haven’t tried air frying this recipe myself but I think it should work out! I recommend air frying at 400ºF for 5-7 minutes. Let me know how it turns out!
Just the right combination of spices!
Thank you! So happy you enjoyed it!!
This was great, and easy too! I marinated for a little over an hour.
Yay!! So happy you liked it, Brenda! Thank you!
My wife said this was the best grilled shrimp recipe I ever made; marinated for about 45 minutes. Thank you!
Wow, what a compliment!! Thank you so much, Skippy! Glad your wife enjoyed it!
Always looking for new recipes to please my hubby (and myself). This was so easy, fast and delicious. Already added to my repertoire. LOVED it❤️
Yay, so happy you loved it!! Thanks, Lynn!
I was going to buy steamed shrimp from the grocery store and peel it for Easter and it would be cold. However, I saw your recipe and I was wondering if I grilled these in the morning and then refrigerate it could we eat them cold or room temperature and have you ever done this and how do they taste?
You can absolutely grill raw shrimp in the morning and pop them in the fridge to eat cold later in the day! Grilling them gives a wonderful flavor and they taste great hot or cold. Hope you and your family enjoy!!
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.
I made these for a bbq the other day. I had also made some stuffed mushrooms that were just okay. When we put out a platter of these shrimp, my brother-in-law took one and his eyes just lit up! They were perfect! I’m going to make these again, and serve them as a dinner with a side of garliccy angel hair pasta!
So glad the skewers were a hit, Lois!! I think they’ll be delicious with garlic angel hair pasta!
Made 2 lbs for a party and people raved and all wanted the marinade recipe. Delish.
Aww, I’m so happy they all loved it! Thanks for sharing, Amy!!
Dang, I could have eaten another dozen of these. I recommend doubling recipe if you’re cooking for four.
Thanks, Andrea! I’m so glad you liked them!
Absolutely fantastic! Simple, healthy, easy and SOSOSOSOOOOO GOOD! Thank you for providing us with delicious recipes that are healthy!
Yay! So happy you liked this one, Lisa!!
This was excellent on shrimp! I was also barbecuing salmon fillets so used some of the marinade on the salmon and that turned out great too. Thank you for sharing such a delicious recipe!
Ooh yum! I’ll have to try this marinade on salmon, sounds so good!!
This recipe has way too much olive oil that left the shrimp drenched while overpowering all other ingredients. 1/4 cup or a few tablespoons of oil would have been more than sufficient. I won’t be using this recipe again.
Hi Michael, the recipe only calls for 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Is it possible you misread the amount?
Found this recipe for a last-minute marinade when my other dinner plan for shrimp didn’t work out. It did not disappoint! Amazing flavor in less than 20 minutes. Will definitely make this one again. Only change – I reduced the olive oil to 1.5 T. It was perfect.
Yay, I’m so glad you had all the ingredients to throw this recipe together last minute and liked how it turned out!! Thanks, Elaine!
I made this last night for dinner. I added about a tablespoon of minced garlic to the marinade. Basted the shrimp with the leftover marinade while on the grill. Turned out excellent!
Yay, I’m so happy you liked the recipe!! Thanks so much, Frances!
Best ever!
Thanks, Viktorija!!
Great marinade. Got lots of compliments on the grilled shrimp! It paired well with a caesar salad.
Thanks, Kelsey! Caesar salad sounds like the perfect pairing, yum!!
Can these be sautéed on a pan instead?
Yes, definitely!
Good
So happy you liked it!!
This was so simple and delicious! Perfect on those nights I don’t have a lot of energy to cook! Served with grilled zucchini and parmesan orzo.
Thanks, Dawn! So glad you liked it. Those pairings sound yummy!
Great recipe!
Thanks, Mabell!
I love this recipe, it is so simple and yet taste great! I make it every time i have a party and there’s usually never any left over. I usually just did the old boil in old bay and serve but then I found this recipe one night to try and kick it up a notch since i had a chef coming over and he loved it. thank you very much for sharing. I’ve also had a few parties were I forgot to pick up skewers so i did them loose in the broiler and on the grill, just as good
I’m so happy to hear this! And thanks for the tip about making them without skewers in a pinch.
Delicious!! Best simple grilled shrimp recipe we’ve ever made. Let them marinade for 2 hours with the recipe provided & they were full of flavor. Only grilled 3 minutes per side on a freezing Christmas day & everyone raved about them. It was definitely worth switching up to a new recipe! Loved them!
Yay so glad to hear!
Tailgating hit. Enuff said. Do this people.
LOL thank you so much, John!
I made it off the skewer and heated the residual marinate to make a bit of a sauce. I put it over rice and it was absolutely delicious!! I’ve actually never cooked shrimp before and the recipe helped me learn. This will be a staple in my house.
Thank you!
You’re so welcome! So happy to hear that you took a chance and made shrimp at home!
Excellent! Everyone was asking what the spices were that I used on the shrimp. Loved it!
So happy to hear that they were a hit!
Great recipe!
Thanks for sharing!
Thanks so much!
Brian shrimp with salt and sugar then add it to this mixture use fresh garlic 6 clothes instead of powder added chop basil and margerum Is came out fantastic on the barbecue
So glad you liked it, John!
I made this for my wife and I last night! It was great. Put it on an arugula salad with a homemade dressing she does that olive oil based. Would recommend to anyone. Quick and good!
That sounds amazing! So glad you guys enjoyed it!
This was delicious and a big hit with my family – thank you! I am curious if it would work well with chicken?
Thank you so much! You can absolutely make chicken kabobs! I have a recipe for them that you can try here. If you make this one you’ll have to let me know what you think!
The best shrimp I’ve ever had and so easy! I drizzled with lemon juice when they came off the grill.
So happy to hear that, Theresa! So glad you enjoyed the shrimp!
Quick and easy. I used frozen shrimp and they were excellent.
Thank you so much!
Amazing recipe. Really elevates basic shrimp in a short time with few ingredients
Thank you so much, Maggie!
I tried the marinade today! It was a big success 🙂 thx a lot Yumna for another amazing recipe!!
Aw, thank you for making my recipes, Nad!
OM to the Double G – this was FABULOUS ! Tried for 1st time and on Mother’s Day no less with my own Mother/dad over for dinner. A WIN-WIN for sure. Even used Frozen peeled/deveined shrimp and this was absolutely delicious. Served with a lemon wedge and melted butter. AWESOME – Will definitely make again 🙂
LOL love the OM to the Double G, too cute. So glad it was a hit for everyone!
Oh my this was so good! Just the right amount of spice. We dipped them in just a little butter and they were a hit. Thank you so much.
You’re so welcome!!
I was skeptical at first when I came across this because I make a lot of my own recipes. I thought this was to simple but thought what the heck. Let’s give someone else’s a try. I was not disappointed and shocked to be honest.
My step son who is picky loves it and so did my wife’s guest who came over for surf and turf. In fact I was asked to make this again for the weekend and I said sure I’ll come up with something and I was told no do it this way again. Lol. So a little humble pie thrown at me.
Aw, thank you so much, Drew. It really means a lot to me! I am sure your shrimp recipe tastes amazing too!
Amazing recipe, thank you! We have used this recipe for jumbo and colossal shrimp kabobs all summer! Last week I actually used this marinade for steak Kabobs, and they too were amazing. Best steak and shrimp I’ve ever made, rave reviews from the family!
You are so welcome! That sounds perfect. I’m so glad to hear it!
The grilled shrimp came out so flavorful, I loved the oregano in this recipe!
Sorry Yumna, but we call these Adam’s grilled shrimp. My son found this recipe and makes them quite often.
The flavor is great and no Old Bay in sight. Not everyone on the East Coast is a fan of Old Bay and this recipe is fantastic!
So glad you’re loving this recipe! Thank you!
I enjoyed this recipe. I ‘d like to have Mexican recipe’s please and any other that you have..
Thank you so much! I have a few on my website, but will keep that in mind as I publish more recipes!
Excellent recipe Yumna! I followed the recipe exactly and the shrimp were amazing. I will definitely make this again. Thank you for sharing your recipe!
Thank you so much! I’m so glad to hear it. Happy to have shared!
Absolutely delicious and easy to prepare! Thank you
I love that! You’re so welcome.
So delicious! I am watching my oil, so I did 1 part olive oil: 2 parts vegetable broth, everything else as it calls for, and it was AMAZING!
Thank you! Glad it still worked out that way too.
Made this for a special occasion for visiting family. All commented how unbelievable the taste. Will make again.
That’s amazing! Yay!!
Fresh, light, and REALLY GOOD! Make this tonight. You won’t regret it!
I used fresh Meyer lemons from my tree for the juice and garnish. I used 3 cloves of fresh garlic in place of the powder and added a pinch of cayenne and fresh thyme. Marinated for an hour. Drizzled once with lemon juice while they were cooking and another drizzle before serving. Positively delicious.
That sounds absolutely beautiful! Thank you!
Awesomely mouth watering good..
Thank you so much!
Sooo good thank you Yumna !
I love all your recipes. I followed your recipe but instead of barbecuing I sautéed it. Came out great! Thank you!
Love that idea during the colder months!
These were super-delicious, simple, healthy and tastes unique with its flavors. You’ll relish this if you’re a person, who prefers medium-spice level. We absolutely loved it 💗
Thank you so much for the great feedback!!
I tried this recipe and it came out perfect and delicious 😋
I’m so glad you enjoyed it. Thank you!!
So fast, simple and delicious! My family has enjoyed this recipe…it’s become a summer staple.
That’s so awesome to hear! Thank you!!
Loved it! Perfect summer flavors!
Yay! So glad you liked it!
I have been recommending your grilled shrimps recipe to everybody ever since I made it. Super delicious. Never had better shrimps.
So glad to hear it. Thank you!
This was such an easy recipe. I don’t have a grill, so I broiled it and it was perfect! 😊
So glad to hear you broiled it and enjoyed it!
Made these yesterday. They were so good!!! Thanks for the recipe 😊😋😋😋
So glad to hear that you enjoyed it. Thank you so much!