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Shrimp skewers are one of the easiest, quickest ways to get dinner on the table fast. They grill perfectly crispy and juicy in less than 6 minutes.
Any type of shrimp is always a big hit at my house. And honestly, I love to cook any type of shrimp dish because they cook fast and easily take on any flavor combo.
Why This Recipe Is So Good
- These shrimp are full of fresh herb flavor from the fresh parsley, a bit tangy from the splash of lemon juice, slightly spicy from the red pepper flakes, and warm and crispy from the extra virgin olive oil.
- They are on a stick – and seriously who doesn’t like food on a stick?
- You can serve these as an appetizer or as a meal.
- You can serve these hot off the grill or at room temperature.
- And did I say they cook fast? They do – in less than 6 minutes.
Simple Ingredients
Shrimp – I used Key West Pink Shrimp because I love the sweetness and tenderness of pink shrimp. You can certainly use any type of shrimp.
Fresh lemons – fresh lemon juice is a must in this recipe. I also grill the lemons for a smokey lemony spritz on the grilled shrimp.
Red pepper flakes – I tend to use red pepper flakes in many of my recipes because I like just a little bit of spicy heat and shrimp is the perfect canvas for a little spiciness.
How To Make Grilled Shrimp Skewers
- If you are using wooden or bamboo skewers, it’s important to soak them in water for 1-2 hours before using them so they do not char or burn on the grill.
- Cut both lemons in half and slice only one of the halves. Also finely dice the fresh parsley leaves and grate the garlic.
- Add olive oil, lemon juice from one of the slices, parsley, garlic, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper to a zip-top bag. Close the bag and mix it together with your hands. Add the shrimp and let it marinate for 1-2 hours in the refrigerator.
- Skew the shrimp on to the skewers and grill for 2-3 minutes per side.
- Lightly brush the 3 lemon halves with olive oil and grill for 2-3 minutes per side.
- Service with Lemon Herb Aoli (recipe in recipe card) and a squeeze of the grilled lemons and fresh lemon slices
Frequently Asked Questions
This type of shrimp is caught year round in the Florida Keys. They are tender and sweet. Most shrimp turn a pink color when they are cooked, but Key West Pink Shrimp is pink before it cooks and turns and opaque color after it’s cooked.
For skewers, I use large or extra-large shrimp so they hold up on the skewers while grilling. Shrimp are sold by the count. Large shrimp is usually 31-35 shrimp while extra-large gives you 26-30 shrimp.
It’s perfectly acceptable to cook shrimp with the shells still on them. Of course, you still need to devein the shrimp to remove the shrimp excrement.
I actually find that shrimp shells have a lot of shrimp flavor and I do leave the shells on for many of my recipes.
This is always a debate at my house because I like them on and my husband likes to take them off. I like to leave the tails on if the shrimp recipe is for an appetizer. That way you have a little handle to hold them by. I also think leaving the tails on makes the entire dish look better. Of course, you cannot eat shrimp tails, they must be discarded.
You can always go traditional and serve these grilled shrimp kabobs with cocktail sauce. For this recipe, I made a lemon herb aloi by mixing together mayonnaise, chopped parsley, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. The exact measurements are in the recipe card below.
Krazy Kitchen Mom Tips
- It’s important to “devein” all shrimp before using it. You can ask the fishmonger at your local market to do it or you can easily do it yourself. Here’s how to devein shrimp:
- Using a paring knife, slice through the shell on the back of the shrimp. This will expose a black or gray colored “vein”.
- Use the point of the knife to lift the “vein” out of the shrimp flesh and discard it.
- Now you can easily peel the shrimp by peeling back the shell.
- Do not over marinate the shrimp. I used a small amount of lemon juice in this marinate that will actually cook the shrimp if you marinate over 2 hours.
- Do not overcook shrimp. If you overcook shrimp, it will lose all of its juices and become very rubbery and chewy in texture. Shrimp should have a slight snap when you bite it, be juicy and moist, and very tender.
More Easy Weeknight Recipes
- Weeknight Pepper Steak
- Filet Mignon with Boursin Mushroom Sauce
- Grilled Chicken Caprese
- Huevos Rancheros
Lemon Parsley Grilled Shrimp Skewers
Ingredients
For the shrimp
- 1 lb. large or extra large-sized shrimp
- 1 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 2 whole lemons
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
For the Lemon Herb Aoli dip
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp chopped parsley
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- pinch salt
- pinch black pepper
Instructions
Prepare the skewers
- Place the skewers in a long shallow baking dish and cover with water. Let them soak for 1-2 hours while the shrimp is marinating.
Shrimp and Marinade
- Clean, devein, and peel the shrimp leaving the tails on
- Chop the fresh parsley leaves
- In a zip-top bag, add chopped parsley, 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice from one of the slices, olive oil, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. Close the bag and mix everything with your hands
- Add the shrimp and gently massage it into the marinade so all of the shrimp is covered. Place it n the refrigerator for 1-2 hours. Do not exceed 2 hours.
- Remove the shrimp from the marinade and discard the excess.
- Brush the three halves of lemon with olive oil and grill, cut-side-down, for 3 minutes. You can grill these at the same time you are grilling the shrimp.
- Skewer the shrimp on the skewers and grill on a medium-hot grill for 2-3 minutes per side.
For the Lemon Herb Aoli
- Mix all of the ingredients together and serve as a dipping sauce for the shrimp.
Notes
- It’s important to “devein” all shrimp before using it. You can ask the fishmonger at your local market to do it or you can easily do it yourself. Here’s how to devein shrimp:
- Using a paring knife, slice through the shell on the back of the shrimp. This will expose a black or gray colored “vein”.
- Use the point of the knife to lift the “vein” out of the shrimp skin and discard it.
- Now you can easily peel the shrimp by peeling back the shell.
- Do not over marinate the shrimp. I used a small amount of lemon juice in this marinate that will actually cook the shrimp if you marinate over 2 hours.
- Do not overcook shrimp. If you overcook shrimp, it will lose all of its juices and become very rubbery and chewy in texture. Shrimp should have a slight snap when you bite it, be juicy and moist, and very tender.
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