USAUse jumbo shrimp, not medium. Small ones overcook before you've had time to react, and they can slip right through the grill grates. Bigger shrimp give you a few extra seconds of margin.
A pinch of sugar in the marinade helps the shrimp char on the grill grates rather than just cook — it makes a real difference to the color and flavor.
Grilled Shrimp
By Sergei Martynov
Jumbo shrimp marinated in garlic, lemon, smoked paprika and olive oil, then grilled fast over high heat. Ready in 30 minutes, works as a main or an appetizer.
Key Ingredients
What you'll need
Ingredients
- 700 g
See recipes with jumbo shrimpjumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails on
i - 4 tbsp
See recipes with olive oilolive oil
i - 4
See recipes with garlic clovesgarlic cloves, minced
i - 3 tbsp
See recipes with lemon juicelemon juice
i - 1 tsp
See recipes with smoked paprikasmoked paprika
i - 0.5 tsp
See recipes with red pepper flakesred pepper flakes
i - 1 tsp
- 1 tsp
- 0.5 tsp
See recipes with black pepperblack pepper
i - 3 tbsp
See recipes with fresh parsleyfresh parsley, chopped
i - 1See recipes with lemon
lemon, cut into wedges for serving
i
How to make it
Instructions
- 1
If using wooden skewers, soak them in cold water for at least 30 minutes.
- 2
Mix olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, smoked paprika, red pepper flakes, sugar, salt and pepper in a bowl. Add shrimp, toss to coat and marinate for 15–20 minutes — no longer if the marinade contains lemon juice.
- 3
Thread 4–5 shrimp onto each skewer, piercing through the tail and the thick part of the body so they lie flat.
- 4
Preheat the grill to medium-high heat and oil the grates. Grill shrimp 2–3 minutes per side until pink, opaque and curled into a 'C'. Pull them off the moment they hit that shape.
- 5
Transfer to a plate, scatter parsley on top and serve immediately with lemon wedges.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did my grilled shrimp turn out rubbery and tough instead of juicy?
Two things cause this. First, overcooking: jumbo shrimp on a medium-high grill need exactly 2–3 minutes per side. The moment they curl into a 'C' and turn pink all the way through, get them off the heat. Second, marinating too long: lemon juice starts chemically denaturing the protein after about 30–40 minutes, so by the time the shrimp hit the grill they're already partially 'cooked' and the heat finishes them into rubber. Keep the marinade time to 15–20 minutes.
Do you need to soak wooden skewers before grilling shrimp on them?
Yes, at least 30 minutes in cold water. Dry wood on a hot grill catches fire, chars and leaves a bitter taste on the shrimp. If you grill skewers often, metal ones are worth it — they don't burn, don't warp, and last for years. Double-pronged skewers are especially good here because the shrimp can't spin when you flip them, which makes turning the whole batch much cleaner.
How to properly grill frozen shrimp — do you need to thaw them first?
Full thaw is necessary. Frozen shrimp carry surface moisture that prevents browning and causes steam rather than char. Fast method: submerge frozen shrimp in cold water for 15–20 minutes, drain in a colander and pat completely dry with paper towels before marinating. Don't marinate shrimp that still have ice on them — the marinade won't penetrate and just dilutes when the shrimp defrost.
How long to marinate shrimp for grilling so they stay juicy and don't get tough?
15 to 20 minutes is the sweet spot, 30 minutes absolute maximum when the marinade contains lemon juice or vinegar. Acid tenderizes protein, but too much contact fully denatures it — the shrimp go dense before they even hit the grill. A marinade without acid (just oil, garlic and spices) can go up to 2 hours without causing that problem.
Can you grill shrimp without skewers so they don't fall through the grill grates?
Three options work. A grill basket or grill mat is the easiest — no threading, no skewers, just toss the shrimp in and flip the basket. A cast iron grill pan on the grill works just as well and gives real char marks. And if you're using jumbo shrimp (21–25 count per kilogram), they sit flat across two grill bars without falling through — just don't use anything smaller.
UK
China
France
Join the conversation
Comments (1)
Fresh seafood should smell like the ocean, not like fish. If your jumbo shrimp smells strongly when you buy it for grilled shrimp, it's past its prime. Your nose is the most reliable freshness test.