20 Quick and Easy Grilled Shrimp Recipes to Try This Summer (2024)

FAQs

Should you peel shrimp before grilling? ›

Shrimp can be grilled with or without their shells. I like to peel the shrimp prior to grilling. Remove all of the shell except for the part that is around the tail of the shrimp. Removing the shell will allow the marinade to penetrate the meat and give the shrimp more taste.

Large shrimp are best for grilling, as their size aids in preparing them for the grill and from falling through the grates or overcooking.

While the shell can act like a heat buffer while grilling (which is good), it prevents the marinade from penetrating into the shrimp (which is not so good). It also puts the exterior char on the shell not the meat. That's why like to remove and discard the shells before we begin the marinade.

You can also opt to cook shrimp with the shell on—not only do the shells add flavor, but they also keep the shrimp from overcooking and help them retain moisture when exposed to heat.

Jumbo shrimp can be cooked directly on the grill; if you use smaller shrimp, you'll need to make grilled shrimp skewers. I recommend threading them through two skewers instead of one, which will keep them from flipping when you have to turn them over.

Shrimp are very tender and juicy on their own so if you marinate them it isn't to tenderize them. It's to give them some extra flavor. Go ahead and choose bold flavorings for your shrimp marinade. Fresh lemon juice and lime juice are both great choices for the acid.

Treating the shrimp with salt and baking soda helps them stay plump and juicy and brown more efficiently as they grill. Drying the shrimp out in the refrigerator gives them a jump-start on browning. Squeezing the shrimp together on a skewer gives them less surface area, which helps them stay juicier as they cook.

Grill the shrimp for 2 to 3 minutes per side, until they're slightly pink with opaque flesh.

Sauté the shrimp until pink and opaque.

The tails will also turn bright red. Cook the shrimp, stirring occasionally, until the flesh is totally pink and opaque, and you see no more grey bits. Depending on the size of your shrimp and how many you have in the pan, this will usually take 4 to 5 minutes.

Is it better to peel shrimp before or after cooking? ›

Cooking shrimp with the shell on may seem convenient, but it can also hinder the absorption of flavors in your shrimp, making peeling at the table a messy affair as well. Remember to remove the shell before cooking if you want your sautéed shrimp to absorb intense flavors.

The vein in shrimp is entirely edible, and removing it or not is a matter of preference. That said, a dark vein can be a bit unsightly in some preparations, like boiled shrimp for shrimp co*cktail, and can also add a noticeable grittiness to dishes. For this reason it's usual to devein shrimp, but it's up to you.

The most important step you can take to keep shrimp from sticking to the grill is to clean the grates before anything touches them. (This is easiest when the grill is hot and any gunk can be scraped off without much force.) If you plan on marinating the shrimp, the oil in the marinade will prevent sticking.

When you can, boil shrimp shell-on. The shell keeps them slightly more flavorful and promotes even cooking. Devein first. Deveining shrimp before cooking is best since it's a little harder to do it neatly after they're cooked.