Grilled seafood is a staple of every barbecue party. Of all the smoky treats, grilled shrimp skewers are foolproof favorites. Cooking shrimp on the grill gives a unique flavor that’s better than simply sautéing or frying.
Aside from meat slices, you can add this grilled shrimp skewers recipe on your next cooking session. Here’s a simple recipe to make sumptuous and juicy BBQ shrimp skewers.
Ingredients
- 1 pound of large shrimps
- 1 tablespoon of parsley
- 1/4 cup of olive oil
- 2 teaspoons of chopped garlic
- 2 tablespoons of lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning
- 3/4 teaspoons of salt
- 1/4 teaspoon of pepper
For the sauce:
- 1 teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce
- 1/8 teaspoon of Tabasco hot sauce (optional)
- Juice of a ½ lemon
- 1/2 cup of butter
- 1 clove of crushed garlic
- A pinch of kosher salt
Equipment:
- Skewers
- Resealable bag
Prepping the shrimp
You might be surprised that there are two ways to grill shrimp. It’s either with the shell or without the shell. If you want something that’s ready to eat fresh from the grill, it’s better to peel the shrimp. Peeling will also let the seasoning seep into the shrimp’s meat even more.
To prepare the shrimp, peel it off and devein it. You have the option to leave the tail or to cut it off.
If you’re still about to shop for your shrimp, make sure that you choose fresh shrimp. The freshness of the shrimp will affect its juiciness. Also, you can choose prawn skewers if you find shrimps too small.
Fresh shrimps will have a mild saltwater smell and a little fishy tinge. If you smell any rancid or rotten odor, the shrimp isn’t good for eating.
Once you have the shrimp ready, proceed to the next steps:
How to grill shrimp skewers
Here’s an easy grilled shrimp skewers recipe that you can prepare at home. You have the option to use a charcoal/electric/gas grill or broil in your oven. Below, we will give specific details for both methods:
Step 1.
Season the shrimp using the above-mentioned ingredients. Mix all the ingredients above inside the resealable bag to make a grilled shrimp skewers marinade. Once it’s perfectly mixed, put the shrimps inside and shake it well. Make sure that you seal the bag properly to avoid a mess. You can also add cayenne pepper if you want spicy grilled shrimp skewers.
Step 2.
Let the shrimp marinate inside the bag for 15 minutes. If you want the flavors to stick to the shrimp even more, marinade it for at least two hours.
Step 3.
Get your skewers and thread the shrimps. Here’s one trick to keep the shrimps juicy after grilling. Thread the first shrimp from the tail end and out to the head end. Slide this down the skewer to serve as the base.
Next, thread the succeeding shrimps on the head end only while wrapping the tail on the opposite side of the first shrimp. Do this to create a seemingly large chunk of shrimp. Since the shrimps are squeezed together, their juices are less likely to drip from all sides.
Step 4.
Pre-heat the grill to high-heat around 450F to 550F. If you are to cook shrimp skewer that is smaller, you should use a higher temperature.
Step 5.
Place your barbecue shrimp skewers into the grill and cook it. How long to grill shrimp skewers? Cook it for 2 minutes on every side. Flip it repeatedly until the shrimp has an orange and pearly white color. If you still see a silvery film color, cook it for another two minutes. If the shrimp tends to stick to the grate, brush it with some oil.
Step 6.
Once the shrimp is cooked, remove it from the grill right away. This will prevent it from becoming too dry or overcooked.
Step 7.
You can serve the best shrimp skewers with lemon wedges and parsley. But if you want a more savory taste, you can prepare a BBQ shrimp sauce. Mix all the ingredients for the sauce on a pan. Heat this for two minutes then drizzle it into the grilled shrimp.
For those broiling on their oven
In case you can’t use a grill, you can still enjoy this BBQ shrimp skewers recipe by using your oven. Here’s a short guide:
Step 1.
Pre-heat the broiler with the same temperature as that of a grill.
Step 2.
Place the BBQ grilled shrimp on a sheet pan with a coat of cooking spray. This will prevent the shrimps from sticking to the surface.
Step 3.
Broil each side for two minutes until the shrimps are fully cooked.
Grilled shrimp nutrition
Here are the approximate nutrition facts for this grilled shrimp recipe:
Protein: 24 grams
Cholesterol: 315 grams
Sodium: approx. 1,400 milligrams
Iron: 16%
Potassium: 95 milligrams
Additional instructions
To make sure that your grilled shrimp skewers will be well-cooked, here are some additional tips to keep in mind:
*Soak the wooden skewers in water. If you’re using wooden skewers, soak it first in clean water for 30 minutes before threading the shrimps into it. This prevents the wood from splintering plus it provides added moisture so the wood won’t burn while grilling.
*Do not re-freeze thawed shrimp. This is a matter of maintaining the freshness of the shrimp. Make sure that the shrimps you’re going to thaw are the same amount you want to cook right away.
*Peel the shrimp. If you’re serving the grilled shrimps to guests, make sure that you peel the shell off. It’s also best to let the marinade seep through the meat.
*Experiment with the seasonings. Aside from the recipe we included above, feel free to add more herbs and spices. You can even grill shrimps with different flavors.
*Keep an eye on the temperature. Contrary to common belief, seafood should be cooked in high temperatures. In fact, the smaller the shrimp gets the higher the heat should be.
*Use a glaze. If you want more flavors to lock into the shrimp skewer, you can use the marinade mixture as a glaze while grilling. This will also prevent the shrimps from getting too dry during the high-heat cooking.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this your first time to grill shrimp skewers? Here are some questions from newbies like you with our answers:
A: The rule of thumb is to grill a shrimp for two minutes on each side. Continuously flip the skewer every two minutes for an even cook and to avoid burning the shrimp.
A: This is a matter of preference, actually. If you want a large serving per skewer, you can use prawns. The only problem with small shrimps is that it’s more difficult to peel and devein.
A: One trick here is to slather it with a small amount of oil and to soak the wooden skewers to water first. You can prevent the shrimp from drying by removing it from the grill right away once it’s cooked.
A: Yes, you can. However, you shouldn’t grill it at the same temperature as fresh shrimps. A re-heating temperature would be better.
A: Yes, but you should apply oil to non-porous vegetables like peppers and tomatoes to keep it from burning.
A: Actually, it’s normal for shrimps to have a smell of iodine in them. It’s likely that the shrimp ate planktons. You can easily remove this smell by soaking the shrimps to a mixture of water and two tablespoons of baking soda. Soak it for 10 minutes then rinse it with cold water afterward.
A: Of course, you’re free to do such way of grilling. However, the shrimps will likely fall into the gaps of the grates. Also, it would be difficult to flip one shrimp after the other.
Conclusion
Grilled shrimp skewers are excellent treats during a barbecue party or if you’re hosting guests. To ensure that they will enjoy every bite, you can use this recipe for better-tasting shrimps. Feel free to experiment with the marinade and sauce. A little creativity can go a long way when it comes to taste.
