Grilled Shrimp Skewers

5 from 1195 votes

These grilled shrimp skewers are so quick and easy to make and wonderfully flavored with a lemon and herb marinade.

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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.

Grilled Shrimp Skewers garnished with parsley
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How do you make grilled shrimp

  1. 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.
  2. Place the ingredients for the marinade into a bowl large enough to fit the shrimp.
  3. Whisk to combine the ingredients.
  4. Add the shrimp and coat evenly with the marinade. It helps to just use your hands here for even coating.
Four shots to show how to marinate the shrimp

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!

The shrimp on skewers before cooking

Tips for grilling shrimp

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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

Can you use frozen shrimp?

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.

Can you cook shrimp ahead of time?

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.

Why do you skewer the shrimp?

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.

Grilled Shrimp Skewers served on a white plate with lemon slices

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.

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Grilled Shrimp Skewers

These grilled shrimp skewers are so quick and easy to make and wonderfully flavored with a lemon and herb marinade.
5 from 1195 votes
Servings 4 servings
Calories 216
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes

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

Storage: Store any leftovers in an airtight container. They will last up to 3 days in the fridge. Reheat in the microwave or in a skillet with a little olive oil.
Make Ahead Tips: You can marinate the shrimp in advance but be careful not to do it for more than 2 hours because the acid from the lemon will end up cooking the shrimp. You can mix the marinade up to 5 days in advance though.

Nutrition

Calories: 216kcal, Carbohydrates: 3g, Protein: 24g, Fat: 12g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Cholesterol: 286mg, Sodium: 1173mg, Potassium: 109mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 203IU, Vitamin C: 16mg, Calcium: 176mg, Iron: 3mg

Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.

Cuisine American

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Comments

  1. 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

  2. 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!

  3. 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!

  4. 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

  5. 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!

  6. This was delicious and a big hit with my family – thank you! I am curious if it would work well with chicken?

    1. 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!

  7. The best shrimp I’ve ever had and so easy! I drizzled with lemon juice when they came off the grill.

  8. 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 🙂

  9. 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.

  10. 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 shot. 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.

  11. 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!

  12. 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!

  13. I enjoyed this recipe. I ‘d like to have Mexican recipe’s please and any other that you have..

    1. Thank you so much! I have a few on my website, but will keep that in mind as I publish more recipes!

  14. 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!

  15. 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!

  16. Made this for a special occasion for visiting family. All commented how unbelievable the taste. Will make again.

  17. 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.

  18. I love all your recipes. I followed your recipe but instead of barbecuing I sautéed it. Came out great! Thank you!

  19. 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 💗

  20. I have been recommending your grilled shrimps recipe to everybody ever since I made it. Super delicious. Never had better shrimps.

  21. This was such an easy recipe. I don’t have a grill, so I broiled it and it was perfect! 😊