Get ready for a shrimp dish that’s packed with flavor and ready in no time! Drive past those fast food places and go straight to your 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 touch of heat from cayenne and smoked paprika, delivering a taste that seems like it took hours of marinating. Pair up this juicy shrimp with some rice or a baked potato and you’ve got yourself a restaurant-quality meal that took you maybe 5 minutes longer than that drive-thru would have.

Why Our Recipe

  • Bold flavors that taste like hours of marinating.
  • Use skewers or place them directly on the grill.
  • Because it’s ready in 16 minutes.
An overhead view of grilled shrimp on skewers sitting on a black serving platter.

When we bite into one of these Easy Grilled Shrimp, it’s like a combination of summer grills and the beach. We love how versatile these little bottom dwellers are, but we’re especially fans of this smokey citrus combination. Shrimp are their own little party food and while they might taste expensive, they’re actually an inexpensive and healthy way to mix up your menu.

Ingredient Notes

An overhead view of the ingredients needed to make easy grilled shrimp.
  • Shrimp: Jumbo shrimp are about 3-4 inches in length, and one pound is equal to approximately 16 to 20 jumbo shrimp. Peel and devein the shrimp, leaving the tails on. You can also purchase your shrimp already peeled and deveined for a quicker process.
  • Lemon Juice: Freshly squeezed is always preferred, but bottled lemon juice works too!
  • Olive Oil: Extra Virgin Olive Oil has a richer flavor than vegetable or canola oil.
  • Smoked Paprika: Not the same as regular paprika, this has a smokey taste and smell.
  • Cayenne Pepper: Adds a mild amount of heat along with some flavor – double the amount if you want more kick.

To skewer or not to skewer?

Shrimp can be placed directly on the grill grates, but if you’re worried about them falling through (losing even one shrimp makes us sad), you can cook them on the grill on skewers, a grill mat, or wrapped in aluminum foil. Cook for 2-3 minutes per side – these little guys cook quickly so don’t walk away.

We like using metal skewers that you can purchase in the grilling utensils area or cooking utensils area of any large grocery store. The benefit to stainless steel or non-stick kabob skewers is that you can simply skewer the shrimp as soon as you’re done mixing all the seasonings together.

Bamboo or wooden skewers require being soaked in water for at least 10 minutes before you can skewer the shrimp and place them on the grill. If you don’t soak them they will burn and can catch on fire, then you have skewer pieces cooked inside of your shrimp. Wood skewers can also splinter when removing the cooked food.

A close up view of a skewer of grilled shrimp with more in the background.

How to Know When Shrimp Are Done

Shrimp is perfect to cook quickly on high heat where it can sear and get a slightly crispy outer edge. You’ll know the shrimp is cooked through when it’s no longer translucent. If you’re worried about it being undercooked, set a timer for 2 minutes on the first side and 3 minutes on the second side. There’s a chance it could be overcooked, but the only difference is the shrimp have a more rubbery texture instead of the juicy, meaty bite that you want.

Storage and Reheating Instructions

Refrigerate leftovers wrapped in plastic wrap and placed in an airtight container for no more than 3 days. Discard if you notice any off smell or discoloration.

Reheat leftovers in a skillet on the stovetop on medium heat for 1-2 minutes per side, until heated through.

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