Get ready for a shrimp dish that’s packed with flavor and ready in no time! Our Easy Grilled Shrimp takes 16 minutes from start to finish. We’ve got 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.

Add these to a pasta salad or turn them into a shrimp ceviche for a grilled, smoky twist.

Why Our Recipe

  • Bold flavors that taste like hours of marinating without the time commitment.
  • Use skewers, a grill basket, 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.

These shrimp are ready in just 16 minutes from start to finish, making it the perfect solution for weeknight dinners or casual backyard cookouts. Serve them with grilled veggies, over a salad, or pile them into tacos. You’ll want to keep this one on repeat.

Ingredient Notes

An overhead view of the ingredients needed to make easy grilled shrimp.
  • Shrimp: Jumbo shrimp are about 3 to 4 inches in length, and one pound is equal to approximately 16 to 20 jumbo shrimp. Fresh or frozen both work, just make sure they’re peeled and deveined and thawed. You can leave the tails on or off.
  • Lemon Juice: Freshly squeezed is always preferred for the best flavor, but bottled lemon juice works too!
  • Olive Oil: Extra virgin olive oil is going to have a better flavor here, but any other neutral flavored oil will also work.
  • Smoked Paprika: Not the same as regular paprika, this has a smoky 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 another easy option is a grill basket, which keeps all the shrimp contained and makes flipping a breeze—no skewering needed. 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 one of those ingredients that goes from raw to overcooked in what feels like five seconds flat. The trick is to keep an eye on the color and shape. You’ll know they’re ready when they turn from a translucent gray to an opaque pink with bright red accents on the edges. That’s your cue to flip or pull them off the grill.

They also curl up into a loose “C” shape when they’re perfectly cooked. If they’re super tight like an “O,” they’ve probably gone a bit too far. They’ll still taste good, but they won’t be quite as juicy and tender. Just a couple of minutes per side is all it takes, so stay close and don’t try to multitask.

Serving Suggestions

Serve them as a main dish with your favorite sides like grilled veggies, corn on the cob, a green salad, or a pasta salad. Pile them onto a salad, or turn them into tacos with a little slaw and a squeeze of lime.

They’re also great on top of rice or pasta, or served family-style on a big platter if you’re feeding a crowd. However you serve them, they’re sure to disappear fast.

Storage & Reheating Instructions

Refrigerate leftovers 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. Avoid microwaving as it’ll make them rubbery.

Serve your shrimp with…

Watch the video below where Rachel will walk you through every step of this recipe. Sometimes it helps to have a visual, and we’ve always got you covered with our cooking show. You can find the complete collection of recipes on YouTube, our Facebook Page, or right here on our website with their corresponding recipes.