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Shrimp kebabs with flavorful shrimp in a quick, flavorful marinade seasoned is one of my favorite ways to cook shrimp. Just 6 minutes on the grill will get you an incredibly delicious, healthy, party-worthy dish.
Grilled Shrimp Skewers
“Nothing says a party like shrimp!” That’s what my brother Tom proclaimed years ago during a menu rundown for one of our gatherings in Chicago. Little did he know weโd be saying that for the rest of our lives, for any party big or small!
Shrimp, with its delicate texture, requires a bit of finesse to cook just right. That usually means: donโt overcook shrimp! Shrimp cook quickly. Taking this party to the grill may seem opposite to shrimpโs usual poaching or quick sautรฉ. But with the right timing and temp, char and shrimp can be used in the same sentence!
Ingredients Youโll Need
Jumbo Shrimp: Fresh shrimp is ideal, but frozen shrimp works as well. Just be sure you start with raw shrimp and deveined shrimp (or devein it yourself). The size of the shrimp is crucial; large shrimp or jumbo shrimp will cook much more easily on the grill as shrimp kebabs, to yield juicy shrimp.
Olive Oil and Lemon Juice: Essential for any great marinade, these ingredients add richness and a citrusy tang. Substitute lime juice for the lemon, equally or even more delicious.
Sumac: A bright and citrusy spice that echoes the lemon and enhances seafood really nicely. Learn more about sumac in my post, What is sumac?, and buy fresh Sumac in my shop!
Fresh Garlic: Minced garlic adds the depth we love to the marinade. Substitute garlic powder if needed.
Bamboo Skewers or Metal Skewers: Soak bamboo skewers ahead of time for at least 30 minutes, or use metal skewers (find my favorites here) to avoid burning.
Optional veggies. Add veggies to the skewers if you’d like; I typically do not add them to skewers just to be sure the shrimp is cooked just right. But you can include vegetables to your skewers for added flavor and color.
Favorite Fresh Herbs: Also optional, but try mint, cilantro or parsley, to finish your dish.
How to Grill Shrimp Successfully
- Marinating the Shrimp: Do this before threading them on skewers. Combine marinade ingredients in a large bowl. Marinate the shrimp for no more than 30 minutes in the fridge to maintain texture. Marinating shrimp for too long can make it mushy. Also, be sure to discard the leftover remaining marinade.
- Preparing the Grill: Preheat your grill to medium-high heat. Make sure to coat the grill grates lightly with cooking spray or brush on oil to prevent sticking to the hot grill.
- Threading the Skewers: Carefully thread the marinated shrimp onto the skewers. Place skewers on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper or foil as you work. Can you grill shrimp without the skewering? Yes, but in that case use a grill pan or flat top grill grate so they won’t fall through to the flame.
- Grilling Perfection: Grill times matter here! Grill the shrimp kabobs for about 2-3 minutes per side, and not longer. The shrimp cooks quickly and will turn an opaque pink when done.
- Serving: Serve this delicious grilled shrimp hot off the grill, garnished with lemon zest and wedges, and accompany with your favorite side for a complete meal. It’s also good room temp or cold, atop a salad or as a side.
Quick Tips for Perfect Shrimp Kabobs
- Use large shrimp to avoid overcooking.
- Pre-soak wooden skewers to prevent burning.
- Serve immediately to enjoy the best partโthe juicy, tender shrimp that’s bursting with flavor!
Storage and Leftovers
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They can be enjoyed cold or very quickly, very gently reheated on medium heat.
In this Recipe:
Shrimp Skewers Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon sumac, plus more for finishing
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- Few grinds black pepper
- 1 1/2 pounds large or jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined with tail on
- 1 lemon, cut in wedges, for serving
Instructions
- In a medium nonreactive (non-metallic) bowl, combine the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, sumac, salt and pepper.
- Add the shrimp and coat each one well with the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Heat the grill to medium high. Coat the grates with oil spray.
- Thread the shrimp on skewers, about 5 per skewer. Discard remaining marinade.
- Coat the grill grates with a bit of oil, using tongs and a folded paper towel. Lay the shrimp skewers on the coated grates and cook for 2-3 minutes. Turn and grill the other side of the shrimp skewers for 2-3 minutes, or until the shrimp are opaque and light pink.
- Remove the skewers from the grill and brush the hot shrimp generously with olive oil. Dust them with more sumac, then push the shrimp off of the skewers to serve. Serve with lemon wedges, if you like.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
FAQs
Always peel and devein the shrimp. The best way to do this is using a sharp knife to cut through the back curve of the shrimp where the vein is, and pull the vein out.
Watch your grill temperature and cook time very closely when you make grilled shrimp skewers. They cook in a matter of minutes, which is less time than you might think! Quick cooking shrimp requires close attention–stay right by the grill and so you can turn them and pull them off the grill when they are ready.
Do not grill frozen shrimp. Always thaw the shrimp first. If not, the shrimp will overcook on the exterior before the interior is cooked through. It is best not to soak them in water if the shrimp is frozen, but to thaw in a colander or in a bag in the refrigerator.ย
Shrimp is best peeled before grilling for this recipe. This way the shrimp gets the char grill flavor that grilling imparts, plus cooks properly very quickly without the shells on.
Can this be done in an oven? If so, at what temperature and for how long?
Yes Kris, bake the shrimp at 400ยฐF for about 6-8 minutes, until pink and opaque.
Visiting my son in Boise Idaho…Always nice to read your news and receive your newsletter..Make sure you come and visit us when you go to Lebanon! We would love to host you there and show off our local specialties!
Naji yes!! I will LOVE that very much! Thank you and enjoy your visit.
Hi Christine. Any recipe with sumac gets my attention. This is a delicious,light and tasty dressing. Thank you ,
Thank you! Delicious!
I just made another batch of your toum which I love and use in just about everything. My question is can I use some to marinate the shrimp?
Listening to you speak Arabic makes me so happy!
Christine you absolutely have the right idea! All things garlic start with toum! Perfect in marinades like this. Hugs about the ARABIC!!!
Can you use already cooked shrimp then marinate & heat?
The shrimp can get overcooked so easily if it’s cooked again, but you could give it a whirl with a very light touch on the reheat. You could marinate and then serve chilled like cocktail and that would be delicious!
This was really wonderful? Thanks. I was moved with your story of your father.
Mine left us when I was 19, I never got to cook for him. Memories are so very precious, always love your recipes and posts
Grilled/roasted new potatoes would also go FANTASTIC with the marinade recipe…add some Aleppo pepper or cayenne for some heat. WOW. Thank you for such a versatile marinade/dressing
LOVE this recipe and extra marinade serves as a salad dressing, mmmmm!
Love this dressing but adding sumac for a new flavor. Use it on salary and grilled chicken k-bobs. Thanks. Enjoying your blog.
Thank you Mickey!