Simple Grilled Shrimp (Ready in Minutes and Full of Flavor)
This Simple Grilled Shrimp is a pop-’em-in-your-mouth bite that will activate the reward pathway in your brain as soon as it hits your palate.
If you’re that fire-up-the-grill any season kinda gal or fella, then you’ll want to keep this simple grilled shrimp recipe stored in that beautiful cranium of yours. This all-season recipe is a perfect summer appetizer, a healthy gameday treat, or make them fancy passed hor d’oeuovre’s at your next holiday cocktail party. Heck, have it as a side dish with a steak or grilled chicken burger, or simply make it a meal and stack it on top of some rice, pasta, or salad. If you love shrimp, you will love this recipe! And if you are a little iffy about shrimp, this recipe might change your mind.
I know we think of summertime when we think of seafood, but frozen shrimp is top-notch any time of year. Unless you are positive there is a Jenny boat (please tell me you know what I am referring to) pulling into your nearest fishing pier, frozen shrimp is your best bet. Most “fresh” shrimp sold in your supermarket are in the same bags you find in the freezer department, just thawed out for you.
Simple Grilled Shrimp Ingredients
- Large Raw Shrimp – buy easy-to-peel, deveined frozen shrimp. The larger, the better.
- Olive Oil – the fat from the olive oil will enhance the flavor and help the fresh garlic from burning.
- Garlic – use freshly minced garlic for the best flavor.
- Lemon Juice – freshly squeezed always! The acidity gently tenderizes the shrimp.
- Oregano – dried is preferred; the flavor of the dried herb is more subtle.
- Salt – kosher salt is preferred; its coarser grain dissolves into the marinade evenly.
- Parsley – an optional ingredient for garnish.
How to Make Simple Grilled Shrimp
First, combine olive oil, minced garlic, lemon juice, oregano, and salt in a ziplock bag or an airtight container.
Next, peel the thawed shrimp and toss them in the marinade. If you prefer, you can leave the tail on—marinate for at least 30 minutes but no longer than two hours.
Quick Tip
To thaw shrimp overnight, place the bag in a bowl and place it in the refrigerator. Place the shrimp in a large strainer and run under cold water in the sink for a quick thaw.
Lastly, place the shrimp on a hot grill and turn the heat to medium, turning once, until charred and pink, about 3-4 minutes. Cook times vary based on the heat of your grill—gauge doneness by color and firmness. Fully cooked shrimp range in color from pink to orange and are firm when poked.
Finally, plate the shrimp, garnish with parsley and lemon wedges, and start crowd-pleasing. You can serve it with an easy garlic aioli dip, but you really don’t need to. These shrimp pack a powerful punch of flavor and are simply delicious on their own.
Storing Simple Grilled Shrimp
YES, you can store these delicious bites in the refrigerator—that’s if you have any leftovers. Please keep them in a zip-lock or an airtight container for up to four days. They are great to eat cold. They are best reheated in the air-fryer for about a minute or two.
FAQ for perfectly grilled shrimp
Nope. This is why I recommend buying large or jumbo shrimp. With larger shrimp, you can avoid skewers altogether because they won’t fall through the grates. When buying frozen shrimp, find the numbers on the bag. These numbers represent the size of the shrimp. The lower the numbers, the bigger the shrimp. So, 13-15 is the number of shrimp per pound.
This is a matter of personal preference. I personally like to pop these babies right in my mouth without worrying about the tail. Plus, nobody is counting the tails on my plate and questioning my gluttonousness.
Most bags of frozen shrimp will be labeled “Deveined” on the bag. To check if the shrimp is deveined, inspect its back. A shrimp not deveined has a dark line running along the back from the head to the tail. Deveined shrimp are butterflied along the back.
This is also a personal preference. Veined shrimp will not harm you in any way; it just looks a bit unpleasing. We are pleasers, so let’s take that **it out!
Other Seafood Recipes To Try
If you love anything with shrimp, try my Sweet Corn Chowder recipe; the chowder is filled with creamy goodness and the ever-craving succulent shrimp. Or try my Ahi tuna appetizer, which will become a go-to recipe for special occasions. Join the Cozy Crew for more crowd-pleasing recipes and cabin comforts!
Simple Grilled Shrimp
Ingredients
- 1 pound shrimp peeled and deveined
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/2 lemon juiced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tbsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp kosher salt
Instructions
- Combine olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, oregano, and salt in a bowl or resealable zip-lock bag.
- Peel thawed, deveined shrimp and place in the bag or bowl.
- Allow shrimp to marinate for 30 minutes, but no longer than two hours.
- Heat the grill to medium heat—about 425 degrees.
- Add shrimp to the preheated grill. Cover and cook for about 3-4 minutes per side, turning once.
- Garnish with fresh parsley; add more lemon juice if desired. Enjoy!!!
Have tried this recipe…..easy to make & delicious….will definitely be my go to recipe to impress.
Awesome Claire! Thank you soooooo much for your comment!
Delicious and easy to follow your recipe! This simple grilled shrimp on the Bar-B is my new yummy summer meal
Sue, thank you so much for your message. I am thrilled to hear you are going to make this you’re new summer meal.
So far the best shrimp marinade!! The shrimp tasted so good. Will definitely make this again!!
Yeah! It’s so easy too! We love to dunk these into my garlic aioli.