By ShowMeStepByStepPublished Updated
Based on a video by Downshiftology.
Grilled shrimp is the gateway dish that turns a casual cookout into a real meal. The marinade is a simple herb-and-garlic blend you whisk together while the grill heats. The shrimp marinate for 30 minutes, then go on the grill for 6 minutes total. That's it.
Two key tips: use frozen wild shrimp that you thaw yourself (almost always fresher than 'fresh' shrimp at the supermarket counter), and use flat metal skewers instead of round wooden ones (the shrimp won't spin when you flip them). Both upgrades make a real difference in the result.
Credit to Downshiftology for the source video.
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.
Tip
Stack the leaves, roll them up tight, and slice across the roll to chiffonade quickly. Then run the knife back through to chop fine.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Tip
Cooking indoors? Turn on the overhead vent before you start. The marinade smokes when it hits the hot grill pan.
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.
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