Healthy Grilled Shrimp
These healthy grilled shrimp skewers are the perfect summer meal. They quickly cook on the grill in just a few minutes. In our house, we love this delicious shrimp recipe that uses simple and clean ingredients! In the summertime heat, this is the perfect recipe with the zesty flavor of the lime and juicy shrimp.
Healthy Grilled Shrimp
As spring departs and summer time rolls in, I get so excited to fire up the grill and get some of our favorite summer recipes going. These easy grilled shrimp skewers are loved by all. My 4 year old ate an entire skewer and then asked for seconds! It uses a simple, clean ingredients including olive oil, minced garlic, lime juice, and parsley.
Ingredients for healthy grilled shrimp skewers
- Raw jumbo shrimp (you will find them in the freezer section): You can pick tail on or off. I typically pick tail on and then remove them myself prior to grilling.
- Olive oil: Used to keep the shrimp juicy and from drying out
- Minced garlic: Perfect flavor
- Lime juice: Adds great zesty flavor and perfect for summer
- Chopped parsley: Pairs perfect with the lime juice for a fresh flavor
Equipment needed
Grill: Charcoal or gas will work!
Bamboo Skewers: These are cheap, about 100 of them for $1. You can also purchase metal skewers that are reusable.
Small bowl or another container to toss and coat the shrimp with olive oil and seasonings
How long to grill shrimp on each side
This recipe calls for jumbo shrimp and you will grill for 3-4 minutes on each side with the grill temperature at 400 degrees. If you are using a smaller size shrimp try just 2-3 minutes per side. You will know when they are cooked as they turn from a grey translucent color to pinkish. They will also curl up tighter. Shrimp cooks fast, so they are easy to overcook
How to make healthy grilled shrimp skewers
- First, get your bamboo skewers soaking in water. Per package instructions it says to soak bamboo skewers in water prior to use to prevent burning.
- Next, season the shrimp. Place olive oil, garlic, lime juice and parsley in a medium sized bowl with the thawed shrimp. Mix together!
- Heat your grill to about 400 degrees
- Thread the shrimp through the skewers
- Grill on each side about 3-4 minutes. Tips to know when shrimp is cooked: They will turn from the grey translucent color to pinkish. They will also curl up tighter
After the shrimp has been seasoned and before grilling them
Why you will love this recipe
FRESH, HEALTHY, and JUICY shrimp! This recipe uses simple and clean ingredients to make delicious, flavorful shrimp. The most time consuming part is placing the shrimp on skewers and even that takes less than 5 minutes! The actual cooking time is VERY QUICK! As an added bonus, they are fun to serve on the skewers and my kids love them.
What shrimp to buy at the store?
If you have ever looked at the shrimp options in the freezer section at the store, it can be a bit overwhelming. There are multiple options including cooked/uncooked, or if the shrimp is tail on and deveined. Then you have to choose the size – small, medium, large, x-large and jumbo are all options I have seen.
I prefer to buy uncooked, jumbo shrimp with tail on/undeveined. Uncooked because I want to season it for great flavor. Jumbo shrimp because they are easier to manage and place on the skewer (I would not recommend small or medium for this recipe). I choose tail on and undeveined because they are cheaper this way and only takes about 1 minute to remove those parts. If this grosses you out, then it might be worth the money to pay for it already being removed.
What to serve healthy grilled shrimp skewers with
The shrimp can easily be the main dish and protein in your meal. It pairs well with rice, potatoes, or some easy sauteed vegetables. These green beans would be delicious. For this meal we had a bit of surf and turf with steak and grilled potatoes and onions.
FAQ
How long to marinate the shrimp? I personally don’t think there is a need to marinate them. I toss them in the seasonings and immediately grill and they were still so tasty.
How do I quickly thaw shrimp? Place the shrimp in a colander in the sink and then run cool (not hot!) water over them until they are thawed out. This takes only a few minutes.
How do I store the leftover shrimp? Remove from the skewers and store in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
How do I know when the shrimp is cooked? They will turn from the grey translucent color to pinkish. They will also curl up tighter. Shrimp cooks fast, so they are easy to overcook. Obviously make sure they are cooked, but don’t wait too long to pull from the grill!
Substitutions
Lime juice -> Lemon Juice
Fresh parsley -> Dried Parsley. Italian seasoning would also be tasty!
Olive oil -> Melted Butter, Ghee, or Avocado Oil
Minced garlic -> 1/2 tsp. garlic salt
Healthy Grilled Shrimp
Equipment
- 1 grill (gas or charcoal)
- 4 skewers (bamboo or reusable)
Ingredients
- 1 lb. Frozen, raw jumbo shrimp (thawed out)
- 3 tbsp. olive oil
- ½ tbsp. minced garlic
- 2 tbsp. lime juice (about 1 medium sized lime)
- 1 ½ tbsp. fresh parsley Chopped (you can also use dried parsley)
Instructions
- Begin soaking your bamboo skewers in water: Per package instructions it says to soak bamboo skewers in water prior to use to prevent burning (about 30 minutes).
- Season your shrimp: Place olive oil, garlic, lime juice and parsley in a medium size bowl and mix together. Add in thawed shrimp and mix
- Heat your grill to about 400 degrees
- Thread the shrimp through the skewers
- Grill on each side about 3-4 minutes. Tips to know when shrimp is cooked: They will turn from the grey translucent color to pinkish. They will also curl up tighter.
3 Comments