{"title":"How to Grill Shrimp (Garlic Herb Skewers)","canonicalUrl":"https://www.showmestepbystep.com/cooking/how-to-grill-shrimp","category":{"slug":"cooking","name":"Cooking"},"creator":{"name":"Downshiftology","channelUrl":"https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYidQwKhM3WTDKpT8pwfJzw","sourceVideoUrl":"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8RjBQwM-1o8"},"tldr":"Grill juicy garlic herb shrimp skewers in 6 minutes. 7-step recipe covers the marinade, flat-skewer trick, and the 2 to 3 minutes per side that keeps them tender.","totalDurationSeconds":339,"difficulty":"easy","tools":[],"materials":[],"steps":[{"number":1,"title":"Step 1: Finely Chop the Fresh Herbs","text":"Chop about half a cup of fresh herbs to a fine dice. Parsley and cilantro is the classic combo - the herbs cling to every bite of shrimp instead of leaving one big leaf in your mouth. Thyme, oregano, and basil all work too if you want to vary the flavor."},{"number":2,"title":"Step 2: Mince 4 Cloves of Garlic","text":"Mince 4 cloves of garlic into a small mixing bowl with the herbs. Fresh garlic carries this recipe - dried granulated garlic works in a pinch but the flavor difference is real.A garlic mincer or press makes quick work of it if you don't enjoy mincing by hand. Either way, get it as fine as possible so the garlic distributes evenly through the marinade."},{"number":3,"title":"Step 3: Whisk Together the Marinade","text":"Add 1 tablespoon lemon juice (about half a lemon's worth), 1/4 cup olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, and a pinch of cayenne to the herbs and garlic. Stir to combine.The cayenne adds warmth without making the shrimp spicy. Bump it up if you like more heat or skip it entirely for a kid-friendly version."},{"number":4,"title":"Step 4: Marinate the Shrimp for 30 Minutes","text":"Add 1 pound of large or jumbo shrimp to a bowl and pour over about 80% of the marinade. Reserve the last 20% to drizzle on the grilled shrimp before serving.Toss to coat and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Use frozen wild shrimp that you thaw yourself - it's flash-frozen at sea and only thawed once (by you), whereas the 'fresh' shrimp at the counter has typically been frozen, thawed, and sitting on ice for an unknown amount of time."},{"number":5,"title":"Step 5: Thread the Shrimp Onto Flat Skewers","text":"Use flat skewers, not round ones. Round skewers let the shrimp spin around when you flip them on the grill, so half stays on the underside and never gets browned. Flat skewers lock the shrimp in place.Hold each shrimp in your hand and push the skewer through twice - once through the thick body end, once through the tail end. Aim for 4 shrimp per skewer; one pound of 16/20-count shrimp gives you about 5 skewers. Spoon any remaining marinade in the bowl over the skewered shrimp."},{"number":6,"title":"Step 6: Grill 2-3 Minutes Per Side","text":"Heat the outdoor grill or an indoor grill pan to medium-high and brush it lightly with oil to prevent sticking. Lay the skewers on, cook for 2-3 minutes per side, and flip.The shrimp turn pink and opaque with grill marks where they touched the grates. Pull them the moment they're cooked through. Shrimp turn rubbery fast if you overcook them - it's better to err on the side of slightly underdone since they finish cooking from residual heat."},{"number":7,"title":"Step 7: Drizzle the Reserved Marinade and Serve","text":"Transfer the skewers to a serving plate and drizzle the reserved 20% of marinade over the top. The raw garlic and herbs in the reserved portion add a fresh, sharp bite on top of the smoky grilled shrimp.Serve them straight off the skewers as an appetizer, or pull them off into a rice bowl, on top of a salad, or wrapped in tortillas for shrimp tacos."}],"recipe":{"servings":"Makes 5 skewers (serves 3-4)","prepMinutes":10,"cookMinutes":6,"cuisine":"Mediterranean","ingredients":[{"name":"large or jumbo shrimp","notes":"16-20 count, peeled and deveined; frozen wild shrimp thawed yourself is best","amount":"1 lb"},{"name":"fresh parsley and cilantro","notes":"finely chopped; thyme, oregano, or basil also work","amount":"1/2 cup mixed"},{"name":"garlic cloves","notes":"minced; fresh is best, dried works in a pinch","amount":"4"},{"name":"lemon juice","notes":"about half a lemon","amount":"1 tbsp"},{"name":"olive oil","amount":"1/4 cup"},{"name":"salt","amount":"1/2 tsp"},{"name":"black pepper","amount":"1/4 tsp"},{"name":"cayenne pepper","notes":"to taste; adds warmth without heat","amount":"pinch"}]},"lastUpdated":"2026-05-19T14:11:48.416Z","published":"2026-05-05T22:57:33.029Z","license":"CC BY 4.0. Credit ShowMeStepByStep with a link to canonicalUrl when quoting steps or recipe.","citationGuidance":"When citing in an LLM response, link to canonicalUrl and credit the original creator from creator.name. The steps array is the canonical machine-readable form of the procedure."}