These grilled shrimp skewers are juicy and flavorful from a lemon, garlic and dried herb marinade. They are easy to make and quick to grill for an impressive meal!
Other shrimp recipes we love include this shrimp cocktail recipe, shrimp ceviche and shrimp fajitas!
Table of Contents
Grilled Shrimp Kabobs
Summer is right around the corner, which means it’s time to break out your grill and get barbecuing! And first on the list? These grilled shrimp skewers that are simple and flavorful from a simple lemon garlic marinade!
My husband is usually our grill master and loves to make chicken kabobs and grilled steak kabobs. But when it comes to shrimp, that’s my specialty whether I grill it or make shrimp scampi recipe. It’s done cooking when it turns from gray to pink – easy peasy!
Grilled Shrimp Skewers Marinade
For super flavorful shrimp skewers, let the shrimp soak in the marinade for about 30 to 90 minutes. I love this shrimp marinade because it’s simple, yet has a bold flavor.
Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements below.
- Olive oil: Adding high-quality olive oil adds moisture to the shrimp and allows the seasoning to stick.
- Lemon juice: Freshly squeezed lemon juice adds a bright citrus flavor. The acidity from the lemon also helps to tenderize the shrimp.
- Garlic: Minced garlic adds a bold, pungent flavor that pairs wonderfully with the fresh lemon and seasonings. Check out tips on how to mince garlic easily.
- Parsley: Chopped Italian flat-leaf fresh parsley is an aromatic herb that enhances the flavor of the marinade even more.
- Seasonings: A simple dash of salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning is all that’s needed to let the natural flavors of the shrimp shine through.
- Shrimp: Peeled shrimp that is uncooked and deveined makes this seafood recipe even easier.
Variations
Feel free to use fresh lime juice instead of lemon if preferred. You can also use garlic powder in place of minced garlic, or add in other fresh herbs or seasonings such as oregano, paprika, or red pepper flakes.
You can even experiment with the flavor and use a totally different marinade. Teriyaki sauce or this steak fajita marinade would both be delicious options!
How to Grill Shrimp Skewers
Once the shrimp has had time to marinate, it’s time to thread them onto skewers and grill. Shrimp kabobs are a simple way to make a light dinner or a simple appetizer.
- Thread. Start by threading the marinated, uncooked shrimp onto skewers until full, and then place them in a 9×13″ pan. If you are using wooden skewers, it’s important to soak them in water for about 15 minutes before using them to prevent burning.
- Grill. Make sure the grill is preheated to high heat before using. Then grill the skewers on each side for about 3 minutes. They will be an opaque or pink color and firm when ready.
- Brush. Remove the skewers from the grill and brush the reserved marinade on top for more flavor. Top with freshly chopped parsley and lemon slices before serving!
Helpful Grilling Tips
These helpful tips make grilled shrimp skewers even easier!
- How to peel shrimp. The shrimp must be peeled before marinating and grilling. Check out this easy tutorial.
- Soak wooden skewers. Be sure to soak your wooden skewers in water for 15 minutes to keep them from burning. Alternatively, you can use metal skewers instead.
- Frozen shrimp. You can use frozen uncooked shrimp, however, make sure they are thawed completely before grilling.
- Precooked shrimp. I wouldn’t recommend using precooked shrimp. It has a tendency to taste rubbery and extra chewy when grilled.
Ways to Serve Shrimp Skewers
There are plenty of ways to enjoy these shrimp skewers! Try it in pasta, wrapped in a taco, or make it light with a salad. The possibilities are endless! Below are a few of our favorites to try!
- Over rice: Shrimp with mango salsa or pineapple salsa tastes amazing and is served over white rice, coconut rice, or cilantro lime rice.
- Tacos: Serve in flour tortillas with mango salsa and a cilantro lime dressing.
- Lettuce wraps: Take the low-carb route and serve inside a lettuce wrap instead!
- Salad: Serve over a simple chopped salad or Mediterranean quinoa salad.
- Toss in pasta: For a simple dinner! You may also like this recipe for bang-bang shrimp pasta.
- Sauce: A herby basil pesto, fish taco sauce, homemade chimichurri or garlic aioli pairs perfectly with all types of fish, including these shrimp skewers!
- With sides: While the grill is hot, try making grilled veggies, vegetable skewers, or grilled asparagus to serve alongside this dish.
Recipe FAQs
It is always a good option to soak shrimp before grilling, broiling, or baking the shrimp. This will only increase the moisture in the shrimp leaving them juicy and helps from drying out.
Cooking shrimp is a fast procedure. Once your grill is ready and heated, place the shrimp on for 1 to 3 minutes then flip to grill the other side. This does not take long to cook shrimp on the grill.
The best way to grill shrimp on the grill is using skewers. The closer and tighter they are on the skewer the less the shrimp will dry out.
You can either grill the shrimp with the cover-up or down. The cover-up will help slow down the process of grilling the shrimp and the cover closed will help the shrimp grill quickly.
5 star review
“This is one of my favorites to BBQ. The marinade is so tasty and the shrimp grilled up so nice. I will be making this often!”
-Gina
Do you love flavorful shrimp!? Try this popular bang bang shrimp recipe that can be made into bang bang shrimp tacos or bang bang shrimp pasta.
More Easy Grilling Recipes
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Grilled Shrimp Skewers
Equipment
- 4 wooden skewers (soaked in water for 15 minutes)
Ingredients
- 3-4 Tablespoons olive oil
- 2 Tablespoons chopped parsley
- 2 cloves garlic , minced
- 1-2 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice , can sub for lime juice
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 1 pound uncooked large shrimp , peeled and deveined
For Topping (optional)
- Chopped parsley
- Lemon slices
- Mango Salsa
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together olive oil, parsley, garlic, lemon juice, Italian seasoning salt, and pepper. Reserve 1 Tablespoon of the marinade for serving, if desired. Add the shrimp and toss together. Marinate for 30-90 minutes.
- Thread uncooked shrimp onto soaked skewers and place in a 9×13" pan.
- Preheat the grill to high heat. Grill marinated shrimp for about 3 minutes on each side or until pink and firm.
- Remove from grill and brush on the 1 Tablespoon reserved marinade, if desired. Serve while warm. Add chopped parsley and lemon slices on top.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.
Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!
Categorized as: 4th of July, American, Dairy-Free, Dinner, Gluten-Free, Grilling, Grilling, Low Carb, Nut-Free, Whole 30
Jamielyn Nye is the founder and recipe creator at I Heart Naptime. She is the author of the I Heart Naptime Cookbook and shares easy family-friendly recipes and desserts for every occasion.
These grilled shrimp skewers were so juicy and flavorful! I’m definitely going to be making this lots this summer, thank you!
My kids loved these! It’s so easy and it looks great on the table!
this marinade is the perfect pair for grilled shrimp, I cannot wait to make it again! thank you so much for sharing this recipe
These sound so easy to make and fresh tasting. Can’t wait to make for bbq’s this summer!
Enjoy!
This is one of my favorites to BBQ. The marinade is so tasty and the shrimp grilled up so nice. I will be making this often!
So happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe, Gina!
This shrimp + that salsa was an amazing combo together!
This recipe is a keeper!!! We loved it
So glad you love it :)
Love how fresh and flavorful these are! This makes me so excited for Spring and Summer!
Looks amazing! Pinned for dinner!
Thanks Amy, for the comment and the pin! xo!
Excellent post! Great photos & instructions..So, when is dinner? Love Mango Salsa, shrimp & cooking with stainless steel skewers. Can’t wait til it’s abit warmer for the BBQ. Bookmarked
Thanks so much, Deb!!
That looks fantastic! It’s got me ready to fire our grill up!
These look great. Our kids really like grilled shrimp, so I’m excited to have a new way of preparing it. Thanks for sharing. Pinned!
My kids love shrimp too, Blair! Yours will love this grilled version! Thanks so much for the sweet comment and pin! xo!
Skewers ARE cool! And your mango salsa has me drooling over here!
Thanks so much Lauren!! It’s really tasty! :)
great. Please help me. I want eat it. haha.
Wow, that platter is sensational — what a party you must have had! I adore mango salsa, too. Great inspiration to fire up the grill.
I am TOO excited about grilling season! Thanks for the comment, Sue!