Grilled Shrimp (Perfect For Cookouts)

Grilled shrimp are perfect for cookouts! Shrimp cook up in just about 5 minutes on the grill so they are great for parties or quick and simple weeknight meals! You will love this simple, healthy recipe that is gluten free, paleo, Whole30 and low carb friendly! 

Think outside of burgers and hot dogs the next time you have a cookout. Grill some shrimp up to go alongside those grilled veggies and corn. Grilled shrimp makes a beautiful presentation, so they’re perfect for a fancier get together or just in time with the family. And since they grill up in about five minutes, they’re ready in no time! Shrimp are naturally low fat, high protein, so they are a perfect healthy option when eating at a cookout!

How to serve grilled shrimp

To make presentation and grilling easier, I like to put the peeled shrimp on wooden skewers that have been soaked in water. This way you don’t have to chase the shrimp around on the grill and they are easy to flip! 

You can serve grilled shrimp with a simple dipping sauce instead of trying to put a sauce over the shrimp while on the grill. You can serve the shrimp on the skewers or quickly take the shrimp off the skewers and serve them in a serving bowl or as part of a meal.

Tips on how to grill shrimp

• My first tips would be to ask your butcher at the seafood counter to peel and de-vein the shrimp. Oh make sure their head’s are removed. Bleh I had to learn that one the hard way.
• The second tip would be to soak your wooden skewers in water for about an hour or two before you use them. The shrimp are only on the grill for about five minutes so this is less of an issue then if you’re cooking veggie, beef or chicken kabobs, but it still best practice to soak your skewers so they don’t catch fire on the grill.
• My next tip is to stay close to those little shrimp. They cook up quick and when they are overdone, they are overdone. So be prepared have a clean plate, clean tongs and eliminate distractions for five minutes.

How to choose shrimp for grilling

When choosing shrimp at the store, and make sure that you purchase wild caught and not farm raised shrimp. Also size of the shrimp matter. You don’t want to buy salad shrimp for grilling, you want at least a medium or large shrimp. Shrimp are often measured by how many shrimp per pound. You want at 41-60 or less per pound.

Wild caught shrimp can be a bit more expensive, but you can often find it on sale. When you do find wild caught shrimp on sale, buy two or three extra pounds that are frozen, take them home and store them in the freezer. Don’t let them defrost though, you can’t refreeze shrimp once they defrost.

Shrimp defrost very quickly, so you can pull the shrimp out of the freezer the morning of a cookout and you will have defrosted, ready to cook shrimp by the afternoon. Just store them in the fridge to defrost. If you are really short on time, you can defrost them in the sink with cold water. This takes about 30 minutes or so.

Other ways you can use grilled shrimp

Think outside the box when you think about what to do with your shrimp. What about in tacos or with pesto? Grilled shrimp are also a great appetizer since it cooks up so quickly. I always make more than I think I’ll need, and honestly, I rarely have leftovers, it’s really a popular dish!

I served my shrimp with the spinach basil pesto for dipping. This pesto has more veggies than usual pesto and goes perfect with the shrimp, adding a few squeezes of lemon over the shrimp once they are done cooking. Another great option would be chimichurri sauce!

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Grilled Shrimp

Grilled shrimp is always a crowd pleaser! This quick and easy dish is a healthy option at your next cookout! Serve with pesto or chimichurri sauce for an unexpected twist!

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Course: dinner

Cuisine: American

Keyword: shrimp

Prep Time: 1 hr

Cook Time: 5 mins

Total Time: 1 hr 5 mins

Servings: 10

Author: Samantha Rowland

Ingredients

• 1 lb shrimp - peeled and de-veined
• 2 tsp. dried basil
• 1/2 – 1 tsp. salt
• 1 clove garlic - finely minced
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• 1-2 tbs. olive oil
• 1-2 lemons - cut into wedges

Instructions

• In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients. Cover and shake or stir until shrimp are covered evently.
• Use wooden skewers that have been soaked in water for 1-2 hours. Place 5-6 shrimp per skewer.
• Once all skewers are done place shrimp on grill that has been preheated on medium.
• Cook for 2-3 minutes. Carefully flip and cook additional 2 minutes. Remove from heat and place on clean platter for serving.
• Serve shrimp with lemons and dipping sauce of choice

See how I calculate food cost.

Nutrition Information

Nutrition Facts

Amount per Serving

Calories

64

Fat

 

2

g

Carbohydrates

 

1

g

Protein

 

9

g

Where does nutrition info come from? Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy, sourced from the USDA Food Database.

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