Made with a sweet and spicy honey garlic marinade and grilled to perfection, this easy recipe for Grilled Shrimp produces outrageously delicious results.
Grilled Shrimp is a fast and flavorful easy recipe that you will find yourself making again and again! Whether enjoying as an appetizer, or paired with Grilled Vegetable Kabobs or Succotash for a simple dinner, you can't go wrong with these Grilled Shrimp Skewers!
why you will love this recipe
- Quick & Easy Recipe. This recipe for Grilled Shrimp Skewers comes together in less than 30 minutes! And YES, that includes the time it takes to marinate the shrimp!
- Crazy Good Flavor. The shrimp is seasoned with a flavorful honey garlic marinade that is also featured in my recipes for Honey Garlic Salmon and Honey Garlic Pork Chops--it is so easy and so good!
- Simple Ingredients. The shrimp is marinated in a really simple marinade with ingredients you likely always have on hand.
- Bottom Line: Grilled Shrimp is a fast and flavorful easy dinner recipe that you will find yourself making again and again!
Notes on Key Ingredients
- Shrimp: I recommend using peeled and deveined large or jumbo shrimp for this recipe. The larger size shrimp still cook insanely fast, but are much easier to skewer than smaller-sized shrimp and less prone to burning.
- Grilled Shrimp Marinade: The marinade is made with garlic, honey, lemon juice salt, paprika, and cayenne pepper. It adds a slightly sweet, slightly spicy, slightly acidic flavor to the shrimp that is perfectly balanced.
- Garlic: Use minced jarred garlic, grated, or finely minced fresh garlic.
- Lemon Juice: Be sure to use FRESH lemon juice, not jarred lemon juice. The flavor is simply not comparable.
- Cayenne Pepper: A bit of cayenne pepper adds a nice little kick to the marinade and helps to balance out the sweetness of the honey. Feel free to omit the cayenne if you are sensitive to spicy foods.
Kristen's Tip
While I am all for saving money, this is one time that it is WELL worth the added cost of purchasing shrimp already peeled and deveined, as this will save you so much time!
How to Make Grilled Shrimp Skewers
- For the marinade, whisk together the lemon juice, honey, olive oil, garlic, spices, and salt in a large bowl. Use a large bowl so that you can add the shrimp right to the bowl rather than dirtying another dish.
- Remove ¼ cup from the marinade and set aside for brushing onto the shrimp while grilling. That is really going to finish this grilled shrimp with amazing flavor.
- Then add the shrimp to the remaining marinade and toss to coat.
- Cover the bowl and refrigerate to marinate the shrimp. Allow the shrimp to sit in the marinade for 15 minutes and up to 1 hour. Do not marinate the shrimp for longer than 60 minutes or the acid from the lemon juice will begin to cook the shrimp.
- Preheat a grill or grill pan to medium-high heat.
- While the grill is preheating, remove the shrimp from the marinade and thread them on the skewers.
- Grill shrimp until they are pink and opaque, about 2-3 minutes per side, brushing with reserved ¼ cup marinade before and after flipping the skewers.
- Once the shrimp are cooked, remove them from the grill and serve immediately.
∗tips for the best grilled shrimp ∗
- Fresh is best. While you can use fresh shrimp or frozen shrimp, it is crucial to prepare the shrimp as soon as possible. Plan to grill fresh shrimp within 24 hours of purchasing and use the frozen shrimp as soon as it is defrosted, for the best flavor.
- Peeled is the way to go. This recipe calls for shrimp that has been peeled. This allows the shrimp to absorb the flavor of the marinade. It also makes for easier eating and allows the shrimp to achieve char marks that also flavor the meat.
- Don't marinate shrimp longer than 60 minutes. Marinating any longer than 60 minutes will cause the acid from the lemon juice in the marinade to begin to cook the shrimp.
- Skewer the shrimp. Use metal or wooden skewers to thread the shrimp onto before grilling. This will make flipping the shrimp easier and prevent the shrimp from falling through the grill grates. If you use wooden skewers, be sure to soak them in water for at least 30 minutes prior to using them to prevent the skewers from catching fire on the grill.
- Grill Over Direct Heat. It will only take a few minutes for the shrimp to cook through. The shrimp are finished cooking once the outside is a pink color and the inside should be white and opaque. Be careful not to overcook the shrimp or else it will become tough.
How to Defrost Frozen Shrimp
If using frozen shrimp for this recipe, your shrimp will need to be fully thawed before adding to the marinade.
To thaw shrimp, you have two options.
- Traditional Method: Place a bag of frozen shrimp in a large bowl to catch any potential leaks, and place it in the refrigerator to thaw overnight.
- Fast Method: For faster thawing, take the shrimp out of its package and place them into a sealed storage bag. Submerge the bag of shrimp in a large bowl of cold water and let sit at room temperature for no longer than 15-20 minutes, allowing the shrimp to thaw.
Important Tip
After the shrimp has defrosted fully, it is best to cook within 12 hours.
Storing Leftover Shrimp
Grilled shrimp is best enjoyed the day it is prepared. However, if you have leftovers, allow the shrimp to cool, and store the cooled shrimp in an airtight container for up to 2 days in the refrigerator. Enjoy the leftover shrimp cold on a salad or in a wrap, or heat to enjoy in shrimp tacos or over cheese grits.
To reheat the leftover grilled shrimp, lightly heat them in a dry skillet over medium heat until just warm. Do NOT microwave, as that will cause the shrimp to become rubbery.
More Favorite Grilled Entrees
- Grilled Pork Tenderloin
- Grilled Burgers
- Grilled Chicken Kabobs
- Grilled Teriyaki Chicken
- BBQ Chicken Burger
Need more inspiration for planning meals that your family will love? Sign up for my FREE Meal Plans and each week you will get a meal plan with a shopping list.
This grilled shrimp makes one of the fastest, most flavorful meals. I would love to hear how much you enjoy the sweet and spicy marinade on this Grilled Shrimp. Please leave a comment and review below.
Grilled Shrimp
Made with a sweet and slightly spicy honey garlic marinade and grilled to perfection, this easy recipe for Grilled Shrimp produces outrageously delicious results.
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Servings: 8
Calories: 202kcal
Ingredients
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 2 pounds jumbo shrimp peeled and deveined
- Lemon wedges for serving
Instructions
- If using wooden skewers, soak in water for at least 30 minutes before placing shrimp on the skewers. This will prevent the skewers from catching fire on the grill.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, honey, cayenne pepper, and paprika.
- Reserve ¼ cup marinade for brushing onto shrimp while grilling.
- In a large bowl, toss shrimp with remaining marinade. Cover the bowl and refrigerate. Allow the shrimp to sit in the marinade for 15 minutes up to 1 hour. Do not allow the shrimp to sit in the marinade for longer than 60 minutes or the acid will begin to cook the shrimp.
- Preheat grill or grill pan to medium-high heat.
- While the grill is preheating, remove the shrimp from the marinade and thread on skewers.
- Grill shrimp until pink and opaque, about 2-3 minutes per side, brushing with reserved ¼ cup marinade before and after flipping the skewers.
- Serve hot with lemon wedges.
Equipment Needed
Notes
Notes on Shrimp: Use frozen or fresh shrimp, with or without the tails. I prefer shrimp with the tails removed for easier eating, but the choice is yours. If you use shrimp that is are not jumbo in size keep in mind that that the cooking time will change slightly. Watch for the shrimp to be pink and opaque.
Frozen Shrimp: If using frozen shrimp, thaw overnight in the fridge. Or for faster thawing, take the shrimp out of its package and place them into a sealed Ziploc bag. Submerge the bag of shrimp into a large bowl of cold water and let sit at room temperature for 15-20 minutes for the shrimp to thaw.
This recipe can easily be cut in half.
Grilled shrimp is best enjoyed the day it is made but can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
Nutrition
Calories: 202kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 286mg | Sodium: 1173mg | Potassium: 112mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 175IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 169mg | Iron: 3mg
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David
Excellent. This is a winner, I’ll be making this again and again.
Kristen Chidsey
That is what I love to hear! Thanks for sharing David!
Chelsea
I don’t have honey, is there anything I can use in place of it?
Kristen Chidsey
You can use maple or agave syrup or even brown sugar. Enjoy!
Jess
Omg...thank u for this recipe! So easy and so unbelievably yummy!! It’s nice to have an easy dinner that tastes like I’ve slaved away. Total crowd pleaser!!
Beth
I live in AZ so we do a lot of grilling almost year round! I love how quick, easy and tasty this recipe is and I know I will enjoy it year round too!
Kristen Chidsey
I am so glad you enjoyed so much Beth!
Jean
Made this for dinner tonight. Absolutely delicious and so easy to make! We will definitely be having this again soon.
Kristen Chidsey
Thanks for sharing Jean! So glad you enjoyed!
Marilyn
Amazing with shrimp. Would this work with salmon?
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Marilyn! This glaze is delicious on Salmon. I typically bake it, but if you can grill as well. Here is my favorite Baked Salmon recipe.
Alli
Made this last night and it was a hit! My kids usually don’t like shrimp. I keep trying new recipes in hopes to find one they like. This is the ONLY time they said they liked it and ate it all!! It’s a winner 🙂
Kristen Chidsey
WAHOO!!! Love love hearing how much your kids enjoyed! Thanks for sharing Alli!
Stephanie
So stink'n good! I loved the hint of sweetness from the honey.
Kristen Chidsey
The honey really does add a great dimension. So glad you enjoyed.
Melissa
Yum - great recipe we'll have it make this again soon!
Erin
A delicious recipe! We loved the sweet and spicy flavor of the shrimp!
Kristen Chidsey
So glad you enjoyed this Erin!
ellen
I am really enjoying your recipes. This one "Grilled Shrimp" is on the menu for this weekend.
I appreciate all the work you must do to keep in-form our cooking skills. 😻😉🐞👫
eHw
Kristen Chidsey
Thank you so much Ellen! Enjoy the shrimp and your weekend.