Easy Grilled Shrimp

Get ready for a shrimp dish that’s packed with flavor and ready in no time! Skip those fast food joints and head straight to the kitchen, because our Easy Grilled Shrimp takes 16 minutes from start to finish. Our grilled jumbo shrimp recipe combines a bold seasoning blend with a hit of heat from cayenne pepper and smoked paprika, delivering a flavor that tastes like it took hours of marinating. Pair these juicy shrimp with some rice or a baked potato and you have a restaurant-quality meal that took you maybe 5 minutes longer than that drive-thru.

When you bite into one of these easy grilled shrimp, it’s like a combination of summer grilling and the beach. We love the versatility of these little bottom dwellers, but we’re especially fans of this smoky citrus combo. Shrimp is their own little party food, and while they may taste expensive, they’re actually a cheap and healthy way to mix up your menu.

Notes on ingredients

• Shrimp: Jumbo shrimp are about 3-4 inches long and one pound equals about 16-20 jumbo shrimp. Peel and empty the prawns, leaving the tails. You can also purchase shrimp already peeled and stripped for a quicker process.
• Lemon juice: Fresh squeezed juice is always preferable, but bottled lemon juice is also fine!
• Olive oil: Extra virgin olive oil has a richer flavor than vegetable or canola oil.
• Smoked paprika: It is not the same as regular paprika, it has a smoky taste and smell.
• Cayenne pepper: It adds a light amount of heat along with some flavor – double the amount if you want more kick.

To skewer or not to skewer?

The prawns can be placed directly on the grill, but if you are worried about them falling off (losing even a prawn makes us sad), you can cook them on the grill on skewers, on a grill or wrapped in aluminum foil. Cook for 2-3 minutes per side – these little guys cook fast, so don’t leave.

We like to use metal skewers which you can purchase in the grilling tools area or cooking utensils area of ​​any large grocery store. The advantage of stainless steel or nonstick skewers is that you can simply skewer the shrimp as soon as you’ve finished mixing all the seasonings.

Bamboo or wooden skewers should be immersed in water for at least 10 minutes before you can skewer the prawns and place them on the grill. If you don’t submerge them, they will burn and may catch fire, so you will have cooked skewer pieces inside your shrimp. Wooden skewers can also splinter when removing cooked food.

How to know when shrimp are ready

Shrimp are perfect for cooking quickly over high heat where they can sear and get a slightly crispy outer edge. You’ll know the shrimp are cooked when they are no longer translucent. If you’re concerned it’s undercooked, set a timer for 2 minutes on the first side and 3 minutes on the second. It’s possible that they’re overcooked, but the only difference is that the shrimp have a chewier texture instead of the juicy, meaty bite you want.