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These Easy Grilled Shrimp Skewers are the kind of easy dinner recipe you will find yourself making on repeat during grilling season. Juicy shrimp are tossed in a quick honey garlic marinade, threaded onto skewers, and quickly grilled until beautifully caramelized, delivering maximum flavor with very little effort.
Along with crispy baked fish sticks and sheet pan salmon and veggies, these honey garlic shrimp skewers are one of my favorite picky-eater approved seafood dinner recipes. The sweet-savory glaze makes them especially kid-friendly.
Key Takeaways: Grilled Shrimp Skewers
- Servings: 8; easy to scale
- Total Time: 25 minutes, including marinating time
- Dietary Notes: Dairy-free & gluten-free
- Suited For: Busy weeknights, cookouts, or quick summer dinners
- Pairs Well With: Rice, pasta, salads, or grilled vegetables
- Why This Recipe: A quick sweet-and-tangy marinade adds big flavor to every bite, and grilling the shrimp on skewers ensures they cook evenly and are easy to handle on the grill.
In This Post
Kristen's Key Tips
Shrimp cook incredibly fast, which is both the beauty and the danger of this recipe. A few small details make the difference between juicy grilled shrimp and rubbery disappointment.
- Use jumbo shrimp. Smaller shrimp overcook before the marinade has time to caramelize.
- Marinate the shrimp no longer than 60 minutes! The lemon juice starts breaking down the shrimp if left too long, which can make them mushy. 15-30 minutes is ideal.
- Reserve a few tablespoons of the marinade. You will use this to glaze the skewers during the last minute or two of grilling to build an extra layer of sticky honey garlic flavor.
- Soak wooden skewers before using. Let them soak in water for at least 30 minutes so they don't catch fire on the grill.
- Don't overcook the shrimp. They are done when they turn pink and opaque and curl into a loose (NOT TIGHT) "C" shape. Because shrimp can't curl as easily when threaded onto skewers, it's best to rely on color as your indicator of doneness.
Happy Cooking! xo Kristen
Notes on Ingredients
- Shrimp: Use peeled and deveined large or jumbo shrimp for the easiest grilling and best texture. Tail-on shrimp look pretty for serving, but tail-off shrimp are easier for kids and weeknight family dinners.
- Honey Garlic Marinade: This simple marinade combines honey, garlic, lemon juice, paprika, and cayenne for sweet heat and lots of flavor in very little time. Opt for fresh lemon juice for the best flavor and adjust cayenne as needed to control spice level. No fresh lemons? Fresh lime juice works just as well here.
How to Make Honey Garlic Grilled Shrimp Skewers
Mix the marinade, marinate the shrimp, skewer, and grill. From start to finish, you will be sitting down to dinner in under 30 minutes.
Step One: Prepare Marinade & Soak Skewers
Mix honey, lemon juice, minced garlic, salt, paprika, and cayenne pepper together.
If using wooden skewers, place them in a shallow dish, cover with water, and let soak while the shrimp marinates.
Step Two Marinate Shrimp
Before adding the shrimp to the marinade, peel and devein if needed, then pat the shrimp dry with paper towels so the marinade doesn't become watered down.
Add the prepared shrimp to the marinade and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 15-30 minutes. That is plenty of time for the shrimp to become flavored by the marinade.
Step Three: Skewer Shrimp
Skewer the shrimp unto metal skewers or soaked wooden skewers through both the tail and thicker end so they stay secure and cook evenly.
Step Four: Grill Shrimp Skewers
Place the shrimp skewers on a lightly greased preheated grill over medium-high heat. Grill for 2 minutes, then flip and cook for 2 minutes more.
Flip the skewers again and brush the tops with some of the reserved marinade.
Flip one final time, brush with the remaining marinade, and continue grilling for about 1 minute, or until the shrimp are pink, opaque, and lightly charred around the edges. Immediately remove the shrimp from the grill to prevent overcooking.
How to Serve Honey Garlic Grilled Shrimp
These grilled shrimp skewers pair well with almost anything and can be used as a standalone entree or added to bowls or salads for a protein boost. Below are a few of my favorite pairings:
- Serve with marinated grilled vegetable kabobs, grilled corn on the cob, or an easy pasta salad with Italian dressing for a dinner perfect for a summer BBQ menu.
- Add to salads (like a homemade caesar salad or quinoa spinach salad) for a fast protein-packed lunch.
- Serve over creamy southern grits for a flavorful spin on shrimp and grits.
- Pair with southern succotash with bacon or roasted red potatoes for family-favorite meal fit for any time of the year.
- Kids love these skewers served with fruit and buttered noodles.
Note on Leftovers
Grilled shrimp, like most shrimp recipes, is best enjoyed the day it is prepared. But that doesn't mean you should toss your leftovers! The shrimp can still be enjoyed up to 2 days after preparation.
- Storage: Allow the shrimp to cool, transfer to an airtight container, and refrigerate for up to 2 days.
- Reheat: Warm gently in a skillet over medium-low heat just until heated through. Avoid microwaving if possible, as shrimp become rubbery very quickly.
- Enjoy Cold: Add to a salad or in tuck in a wrap. Fold into fajita vegetables right before serving or add to vegetable fried rice the last minute of cooking.
Recipe FAQs
Absolutely! A cast iron grill plate (like the one pictured in the step-by-step photos) works nearly as well a gas or charcoal grill. You can also use my recipe for Air Fryer Honey Garlic Shrimp for similar flavor.
The skewers make flipping the shrimp easier and prevents the shrimp from falling through the grill grates. A grill basket works, but the cooking isn't quite as even as when using skewers.
Yes. If the shrimp cook faster than expected, remove them from the grill and immediately brush both sides with the reserved honey garlic glaze while still hot. The heat from the shrimp will help the glaze coat evenly without overcooking the shrimp.
Absolutely! Just be sure to fully defrost in the refrigerator and pat dry before adding to the marinade.
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Grilled Shrimp Skewers
Video
Ingredients
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice, ~2 large lemons
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper, adjust to taste
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 2 pounds jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined
- lemon wedges, for serving
Instructions
- If using wooden skewers, soak in water for at least 30 minutes before threading shrimp on the skewers. This will prevent the skewers from catching fire on the grill.
- In a large bowl, whisk together ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, ¼ cup fresh lemon juice, 4 cloves garlic (minced), 3 tablespoons honey, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper, and 1 teaspoon paprika. Remove and reserve ¼ cup marinade for brushing onto the shrimp skewers while grilling.
- If needed, devein the shrimp. Pat dry with a paper towel, then add the shrimp to the marinade and gently toss to coat. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 15 minutes up to 1 hour. Do not allow the shrimp to sit in the marinade for longer than 60 minutes or the acid will begin to cook the shrimp. 15-30 minutes is ideal.
- When ready to grill the shrimp skewers, lightly grease a grill pan or grill grates with a bit of oil then preheat to medium-high heat. (~400℉)
- While the grill is preheating, remove the shrimp from the marinade and thread onto skewers, ensuring the skewer goes through both the tail and thicker portion of the shrimp.
- Once the grill is preheated, place the skewers on the grill or grill plate and grill for 2 minutes. Flip and continue to grill for an additional 2 minutes.
- Flip the skewers again and brush the tops with about half the reserved marinade. Cook for 1 minute, flip, brush the opposite side with the remaining marinade, and continue to cook for 1 minute longer or until the shrimp are opaque, pink, opaque, and lightly charred around the edges.
- Remove immediately from the grill to stop the cooking process and serve with lemon wedges.
Equipment
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
How can you make this recipe without a grill?
Hi Kathy! You can saute the marinated shrimp in a hot skillet until cooked through, about 4 to 6 minutes.
My family loved this!! Delicious and so easy to make!
Thanks for sharing Sheila!