These grilled shrimp skewers are quickly marinated in a simple, zesty lemon-garlic marinade, then grilled for maximum flavor.
A Garlicky Marinade Infuses These Shrimp with Tons of Flavor
I’m always looking for quick and easy dinner recipes to add to my repertoire. And in the summertime, I’m all about grilling. That’s why these garlic shrimp skewers are a new weeknight dinner favorite. Similar in flavor to my shrimp scampi, these shrimp are marinated in a zesty lemon garlic marinade punctuated with dried oregano and red pepper flakes.
This recipe is healthy, flavorful, and fast. The shrimp marinate quickly and grill fast (unlike other proteins). If using metal skewers, you can just throw them right on the grill (no need to soak).
Serve these shrimp over my pesto pasta, lemon fettuccine, or lemon rice. It also goes with a whole lot more, like grilled vegetable skewers, or over my Greek or Caesar salad.
Enjoy!
The 6 Main Ingredients
The full recipe, with amounts, can be found in the recipe card below.
- Garlic — Grated or pressed garlic packs more of a punch than minced garlic.
- Lemon juice — Freshly squeezed is preferred, but bottled works too.
- Dried oregano — Won’t burn on the grill like fresh oregano.
- Red pepper flakes — Doesn’t make the grilled garlic shrimp spicy, it just adds flavor.
- Shrimp — Look for 16/20 large, shelled, and deveined shrimp (keep the tails on). I always use frozen shrimp, so you can too. Just thaw them completely and pat dry before submerging in the marinade.
- Fresh parsley — The perfect finishing touch to add a pop of fresh flavor to the smoky, garlicky shrimp.
How to Grill Shrimp Skewers
- Make the garlicky marinade. Whisk together the olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, oregano, kosher salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes in a large bowl, then toss the shrimp to coat.
- Chill for 20 minutes. This gives the marinade time to penetrate the shrimp, both tenderizing and flavoring it.
- Prep the grill. Preheat the grill for cooking on high heat with the lid closed. Once hot, brush the grates clean.
- Thread your shrimp on the skewers. I can usually fit about 5 shrimp onto each skewer.
- Grill the shrimp over high heat with the lid closed. Flip the shrimp just once about halfway through the cook time so they develop grill marks. You’ll know they’re done cooking when they’re opaque and firm to the touch.
- Garnish and serve. Another squeeze of lemon and a sprinkling of parsley finish the dish beautifully.
Heidi’s Tips for Recipe Success
Instead of a bowl, marinate the shrimp in a resealable plastic bag. You’ll coat every nook and cranny of the shrimp this way since the bag is squishable.
If using bamboo skewers, soak in water for 30 minutes. If you don’t soak them, bamboo skewers will burn. (Or just have metal skewers ready.)
Skewer through the shrimp twice, at the base of the tail to the top of the body, forming a backward letter C. This way they’re more sturdy when flipped during cooking.
What to Serve with Grilled Shrimp Skewers
If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating on this recipe below and leave a comment, take a photo and tag me on Instagram with #foodiecrusheats.
Grilled Garlic Shrimp Skewers Recipe
Ingredients
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic , pressed, grated, or finely minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice , from ½ lemon
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 pound 16/20 large shrimp , shelled and deveined with tails on
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
Instructions
- Marinate the shrimp for 20 minutes. Whisk the olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, oregano, kosher salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes in a large bowl. Add the shelled and deveined shrimp to the marinade and toss to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 20 minutes. You can also do this step in a resealable plastic bag instead of a bowl.
- If using bamboo skewers, soak in water for 30 minutes. Or have metal skewers ready.
- Preheat the grill. Turn it to high heat with the lid closed. Once hot, brush the grates clean.
- Assemble the skewers. Remove the shrimp from the marinade and thread 5 shrimp per skewer. Discard any extra marinade. TIP: Skewer through the shrimp twice, at the base of the tail to the top of the body, forming a backward letter C. This way they're more sturdy when flipped during cooking.
- Grill. Grill the shrimp over high heat with the lid closed for 3-4 minutes on the first side, flip, then grill for another 2-3 minutes on the other, or until the shrimp are opaque and firm to the touch. Remove from the grill and drizzle with more olive oil and a squeeze of lemon before serving.
Nutrition
FAQs
If using large shrimp as I recommended, they’ll only taking about 5 minutes or so. Keep an eye on them so they don’t overcook.
Yes. As soon as the shrimp turn pink on one side, flip them so they can cook evenly on the other.
If you don’t own an outdoor grill, you can also make this recipe on an indoor grill pan or follow my baked garlic shrimp recipe to make it in the oven.
More Easy Shrimp Recipes to Try
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Maria
Hi Heidi happy summer !!! Enjoy life !!!thanks for amazing recipes !!!you are de master chef !!!!!