Light up the grill and give the beloved happy hour classic that unmistakable kiss of smoke with quick marinated Grilled Shrimp Cocktail. Fresh herbs, a sunny burst of citrus, and bold pop of heat make this take on cocktail shrimp irresistible.
Shrimp cocktail has always been one of my absolute favorite things. It’s something I asked for every year for my birthday growing up and still look forward to now. As much as I love the snap of the classic poached shrimp and flavor, the combination of olive oil, garlic, parsley, lemon zest, and chili flakes combined with being cooked over fire transforms these shrimp. Whether you’re dipping them into a classic cocktail sauce or a creamy, spicy New Orleans remoulade, these will be the hit of any party.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Minimal Prep – The only real prep of making these grilled shrimp skewers is the easy to throw together marinade and soaking the skewers themselves if using bamboo. It’s easy enough for a weeknight.
- Make Ahead – Because there is no acid in the marinade, you can marinate your shrimp earlier in the day and even assemble your skewers if using metal skewers.
- Quick Cooking – These take less than five minutes to cook depending upon the size of shrimp you use. The longest part of this recipe is simply waiting for your grill to heat up or preparing your charcoal.
- Accessible Ingredients – Aside from the shrimp themselves everything is easy to pick up from the grocery store using just a few simple, fresh ingredients.
- Balance of Flavors – Part of what makes shrimp cocktail so good is the pure, clean flavor of the shrimp. This pays homage to that using flavors that accent the natural sweetness of the shrimp without overpowering it.
Ingredients
- Shrimp – You’ll want larger shrimp for this recipe. Look for jumbo to colossal shrimp. Jumbo shrimp are 21-25 shrimp per pound while colossal are 15 per pound.
- Olive Oil – This will not only add richness to the shrimp but it will also help keep them from sticking to the grill while allowing the other flavors to adhere to the shrimp.
- Parsley – Adds a grassy, fresh note. I like Italian flat leaf parsley but use what you like.
- Lemon Zest – The citrus oils in the zest give that sunny, bright flavor without the acid of the juice. Once you’ve grated your zest cut the lemon into wedges to serve along with the shrimp.
- Garlic – Adds a savory, sharp note that balances the sweetness of the shrimp.
- Seasoning – No need for anything fancy here. We’re keeping it simple with kosher salt, freshly cracked black pepper, and a pinch of spicy crushed red pepper flakes.
How to Make Grilled Shrimp Cocktail
- Clean the shrimp. Peel and devein your shrimp. Leave the tails on to make them easy to handle for serving.
- Prepare your marinade. Add the shrimp to a bowl along with the olive oil, salt, pepper, crushed red pepper, lemon zest, parsley, and garlic to a bowl and toss to fully coat the shrimp.
- Soak your skewers. If using bamboo skewers, allow them to soak for 30 minutes. You can do this step while you prepare your shrimp and grill.
- Skewer your shrimp. Put 4-5 shrimp on each skewer for easy and controlled flipping.
- Heat up your grill. Prepare your grill for direct grilling. If using a gas grill heat it to around 350-375 degrees. If using a charcoal grill spread your coals in an even layer. Make sure your grates are clean and fully heated.
- Cook your shrimp. Allow the first side to cook for two minutes. You will see the sides begin to turn opaque and the tails pinken up. Flip the skewers and allow the second side to cook for another one and a half to two minutes. The shrimp will be pink, opaque, and the tails slightly charred. Their internal temperature should be 120 degrees. Remove them from the grill.
- Serve it up. Allow the shrimp to cool enough to handle. Remove them from the skewers and serve with your favorite dipping sauces and lemon wedges.
Variations
- Swap out the parsley in this recipe for another soft herb like dill, tarragon, or cilantro.
- Replace the lemon zest with lime or orange zest.
- Instead of using salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper try using your favorite seafood seasoning like Old Bay.
- For a less spicy version omit the crushed red pepper flakes. For a spicier version give a little extra shake.
Tools
- Grill – Any type of grill will work for this grilled cocktail shrimp recipe.
- Skewers –Either bamboo or metal skewers will work for this recipe. Because this shrimp cocktail recipe cooks so fast there is less worry about the skewer burning. You could even use smaller cocktail sized skewers and plate these shrimp that way.
- Digital Thermometer – When in doubt, always temp check. Using an instant read thermometer is a great way to ensure you don’t overcook the shrimp.
Tips From the Beach
- For extra flavor, char your lemon wedges when cooking your grilled shrimp cocktail. Not only will it give the lemons that kiss of smoke, but it will also make them extra juicy.
- Avoid smaller shrimp for this recipe. Not only are large shrimp more impressive but because these are cooked over high heat you don’t want to risk rubbery shrimp. They’re also easier to skewer when they’re larger.
- No grill? No problem. You can make this same recipe on a grill pan or in a skillet. The shrimp will cook around the same amount of time, around 2 minutes per side.
Looking for more shrimp recipes? Make sure to check out Caribbean Shrimp Scampi.
Can I make grilled shrimp cocktail ahead of time?
You can marinate the shrimp up to eight hours ahead of time because there is no acid in the marinade. These are best served warm or room temperature so I wouldn’t recommend cooking them ahead of time.
Can I reheat grilled shrimp cocktail?
You risk over cooking shrimp when you reheat them. This grill shrimp is fantastic served with extra cocktail sauce cold, or even as a topping on a salad.
Grilled Shrimp Cocktail
Light up the grill and give the beloved happy hour classic that unmistakable kiss of smoke with quick marinated Grilled Shrimp Cocktail.
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 5
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 2-4 1x
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Grilling
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds jumbo to colossal shrimp, peeled, deveined, tails on
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 garlic clove grated
- 2 tablespoons flat leaf parsley, chopped
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Instructions
- If using bamboo skewers, soak them in water for half an hour.
- Add the shrimp and the remaining ingredients to a bowl and toss to combine, making sure all of the shrimp is evenly coated. Refrigerate until ready to skewer.
- Heat your grill for direct grilling. If using a gas grill heat it to between 350-375. If using a charcoal grill spread the charcoal in an even layer. Make sure that your grates are clean and fully heated before adding your skewers.
- Place the shrimp skewers on the hot grate. Allow the first side to cook for 2 minutes. You will begin to see the sides turn opaque and the tail begin to pinken.
- Flip the shrimp and allow them to cook for another 90 seconds to 2 minutes, or until pink, opaque, and the tails slightly charred. The internal temperature should be 120.
- Let cool enough to remove the shrimp from the skewers. Serve with your favorite cocktail sauce and lemon wedges.
Notes
- For extra flavor char the lemon wedges. This will also make them juicier.