Easy Grilled Shrimp

This recipe for Grilled Shrimp is one of the easiest and tastiest ways to prepare shrimp. Made with a sweet and slightly spicy honey garlic marinade and grilled to perfection, the Shrimp Skewers are infused with flavor and coated in a rich glaze that is mouthwatering good!  

This recipe for Grilled Shrimp is a go-to dinner during the summer months. Including the time to marinate, the shrimp skewers are ready in less than 30 minutes, making this meal FAST. But the real reason this recipe is on repeat at my house is the FLAVOR!

The shrimp are marinated in a simple honey garlic sauce that is sweet and spicy and infuse the shrimp with incredible flavor. As the shrimp skewers grill, they are coated in a bit of the reserved marinade which creates a glaze that makes the shrimp out-of-this-world divine. We are talking lick your fingers kind of good!

Served alongside Grilled Vegetable Kabobs or Succotash, Grilled Shrimp is guaranteed to become a fast favorite on your dinner table as well!

Notes on Key Ingredients

This grilled shrimp recipe is made with fresh or frozen shrimp and a flavorful honey garlic marinade that is also featured in my recipes for Honey Garlic Salmon and Honey Garlic Pork Chops--it is so easy and so good! And you probably already have the ingredients on hand for this simple marinade

• Shrimp: You can use fresh or frozen shrimp for this recipe. You can also prepare the shrimp with or without the tails. Personally, I prefer to serve without the tails, as it makes for less mess. Just be sure your shrimp is peeled and deveined before proceeding with this recipe. Pro-tip: It is WELL worth the cost of purchasing the shrimp already peeled and deveined as this will save you so much time!
• Garlic: Use minced jarred garlic, grated, or finely minced fresh garlic. The garlic is key to the flavor in this recipe.
• Honey: Honey will sweeten the marinade and bring marry together the lemon, garlic, and paprika perfectly.
• Lemon Juice: Be sure to use FRESH lemon juice, not jarred lemon juice. The flavor is simply not comparable.
• Spices: A bit of cayenne pepper and paprika add a little kick to the marinade for the shrimp and helps to balance out the sweetness of the honey. Feel free to omit the cayenne if you are sensitive to heat.

Pro-Tips for the Best Grilled Shrimp

• Fresh is best. While you can use fresh shrimp or frozen shrimp, it is crucial to prepare the shrimp as soon as possible. Plan to grill fresh shrimp within 24 hours of purchasing and use the frozen shrimp as soon as it is defrosted, for the best flavor.
• Peeled is the way to go. This recipe calls for shrimp that has been peeled. This allows the shrimp to absorb the flavor of the marinade. It also makes for easier eating and allows the shrimp to achieve char marks that also flavor the meat.
• Skewer the shrimp. Use metal or wooden skewers to thread the shrimp onto before grilling. This will make flipping the shrimp easier and prevent the shrimp from falling through the grill grates. If you use wooden skewers, be sure to soak them in water for at least 30 minutes prior to using them to prevent the skewers from catching fire on the grill.
• Grill Over Direct Heat. It will only take a few minutes for the shrimp to cook through. The shrimp are finished cooking once the outside is a pink color and the inside should be white and opaque. Be careful not to overcook the shrimp or else it will become tough.

How to Make Grilled Shrimp Skewers

• For the marinade, whisk together the lemon juice, honey, olive oil, garlic, spices, and salt in a large bowl. Use a large bowl so that you can add the shrimp right to the bowl rather than dirtying another dish.

• Remove ¼ cup from the marinade and set aside for brushing onto the shrimp while grilling. That is really going to finish this grilled shrimp with amazing flavor.
• Then add the shrimp to the remaining marinade and toss to coat.
• Cover the bowl and refrigerate to marinate the shrimp. Allow the shrimp to sit in the marinade for 15 minutes and up to 1 hour. Do not marinate the shrimp for longer than 60 minutes or the acid from the lemon juice will begin to cook the shrimp.
• Preheat a grill or grill pan to medium-high heat.
• While the grill is preheating, remove the shrimp from the marinade and thread on skewers.

• Grill shrimp until they are pink and opaque, about 2-3 minutes per side, brushing with reserved ¼ cup marinade before and after flipping the skewers.
• Once the shrimp are cooked, remove them from the grill and serve immediately.

Using Frozen Shrimp

If using frozen shrimp, you want to use it within 12 hours of thawing for the best results.

To thaw shrimp, you have two options. You can place the frozen shrimp in the refrigerator to thaw overnight. Or for faster thawing, take the shrimp out of its package and place them into a sealed Ziploc bag. Submerge the bag of shrimp into a large bowl of cold water and let sit at room temperature for 15-20 minutes for the shrimp to thaw.

Storing Leftovers

Grilled shrimp is best enjoyed the day it is prepared. However, if you have leftovers, store the cooled shrimp in an airtight container for up to 2 days in the refrigerator. Enjoy the leftover shrimp cold on a salad or wrap, or heat to enjoy in shrimp tacos or over cheese grits.

To reheat the shrimp, lightly heat them in a dry skillet over medium heat until just warm. Do NOT microwave, as that will cause the shrimp to become rubbery.

More Favorite Grilled Entrees

• Grilled Pork Tenderloin
• Grilled Burgers
• Grilled Chicken Kabobs
• Grilled Teriyaki Chicken
• BBQ Chicken Burger

Need more inspiration for planning meals that your family will love? Sign up for my FREE Meal Plans and each week you will get a meal plan with a shopping list.

This grilled shrimp makes one of the fastest, most flavorful meals. I would love to hear how much you enjoy the sweet and spicy marinade on this Grilled Shrimp. Please leave a comment and review below.