Simple & Delicious Grilled Shrimp Skewers Recipe

We love steak, but we also really like shrimp. It’s great with steak! These grilled shrimp skewers are the perfect way to make shrimp to accompany your steak while you’re grilling said steak.

This grilled shrimp skewers recipe is quick, easy, and basic. We’re going to answer some questions and provide a bit more information below, but if you just want to get cooking, you can skip ahead to the ingredients.

Also, as a heads up, if you make a purchase using one of the links we share in this post, we’ll get a commission. Thanks for the support!

What type of shrimp should I use for these grilled shrimp skewers?

Shrimp are sold by size, cooked or raw, and with many options for heads, tails, and veins. Here’s what we recommend for our grilled shrimp skewers:

Size

Shrimp are sold “by count,” as in how many pieces equal a pound. A 31-40 count shrimp means that 31-40 of them will weigh a pound.

• If you’re going to use these shrimp as an ingredient in a salad or pasta recipe, we recommend using a smaller size shrimp in the 31-40 count range. 31-40 are very economical, cook quickly, and are a nice bite size.
• If you’re making these grilled shrimp skewers as an entrée, look for jumbo-sized shrimp in the 10-20 count size range. These are big shrimp and will make quite the impression on everyone who enjoys them.
• To serve alongside steak, you can use if you want a few large shrimp on the side, or multiple smaller shrimp on top of your steak. It’s up to you!

This recipe is written for shrimp in the 10-20 count size range.

Cooked or Raw

Already cooked shrimp are sold as a convenience item for dishes such as shrimp cocktail. Do not buy cooked shrimp for this grilled shrimp skewers recipe. Get raw shrimp!

Other Specs

If possible, we recommend buying shrimp that has already been peeled & deveined. It’s a bit of a hassle to take it off yourself, particularly with smaller-sized shrimp, so let the processor take care of that for you!

If your shrimp isn’t peeled and deveined, you’ll need to peel & devein the shrimp before cooking.

We recommend cooking shrimp with the head off and tail on, although this is up to your personal preference!

Can I buy frozen shrimp for this recipe?

Definitely! At Lake Geneva Country Meats, our focus is on selling frozen seafood. In fact, most “fresh” shrimp you see in grocery stores is frozen and “refreshed” before selling it to you. Buying frozen and defrosting at home keeps the shrimp fresher.

Buying frozen seafood is an excellent choice for this grilled shrimp skewers recipe or any other shrimp recipe. Shrimp defrosts very quickly when ran under fresh water, so you don’t even need to think very far ahead when you’re cooking.

For more information, check out our blog post explaining why we focus on frozen seafood and how to defrost your shrimp (or any other seafood) fast!

Can I use any type of skewer?

We recommend using metal skewers such as these when making grilled shrimp skewers. You can also use wooden skewers, but soak them in water for 15 minutes before cooking and discard them after using.

I hate skewering shrimp. Is there any other way I can cook this recipe?

We know this recipe is called “grilled shrimp skewers” but if you really hate the work of skewering shrimp, or just don’t like how it feels, here’s an easy alternative…

This stainless steel grill basket can be loaded up with shrimp (or anything else) and placed on the grill without fear of the shrimp falling onto the grill and burning up.

How do I season my grilled shrimp skewers?

We wrote this recipe with a very simple and classic olive oil – lemon – salt – pepper seasoning, but this is just a base that can be endlessly customized. Here are a few ideas:

• Spicy Cajun Grilled Shrimp Skewers: buy a Cajun spice rub and season your shrimp, or mix together a teaspoon each of paprika, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, dried thyme, dried oregano, salt, and black pepper.
• Mediterranean Grilled Shrimp Skewers: add a tablespoon of dried Italian herb mix and 2 cloves of minced garlic to the recipe below to add a pleasant Mediterranean flavor to the shrimp.
• Caribbean Jerk Grilled Shrimp Skewers: add up to a tablespoon of Jamaican seasoning to the basic recipe for a bold Caribbean addition to your shrimp!
• Soy Ginger Shrimp: combine two tbsp. soy sauce, one tbsp. grated ginger, 2 cloves of minced garlic, and a tbsp. of sesame oil and toss the shrimp in this mix for an Asian flavor addition!

This simple recipe is meant to provide you with the method to make tasty shrimp – the flavoring is up to you. If you hit on a great flavor combination, please leave us a comment below so we know what you enjoyed.

Can I make this recipe without a grill?

Sometimes grilling just isn’t an option, maybe you’re out of charcoal or propane, maybe it’s blizzarding, or maybe your living situation doesn’t support a grill.

That’s okay, if you don’t have a grill, we can turned these grilled shrimp skewers into broiled shrimp skewers. Here’s how:

1. Season and skewer your shrimp as described below.
2. Place the shrimp on a foil-lined sheet pan and place on the lowest rack in your oven.
3. Turn the broiler on high and follow the cooking instructions as if you were grilling.

We hope we answered all of your questions and provided you with plenty of inspiration to get cooking some simple and delicious grilled shrimp skewers. If you have questions, or feedback, please leave us a comment below.