Easy Grilled Shrimp with Lemon, Garlic & Honey Marinade
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Easy Grilled Shrimp with Lemon, Garlic & Honey is a must-have summer recipe. It makes any meal a celebration! The deliciously tangy marinade makes the shrimp lightly sweet and citrusy while the hot grill adds a little char to the juicy shrimp, making this easy recipe a crowd favorite.
Grilled shrimp is a delicious appetizer that pairs perfectly with refreshing drinks like a Hugo Spritz or Tequila and Grapefruit Cocktail! Like my Shrimp Oreganata, it is a perfect lunch or quick dinner entree. We love it served over a crisp salad, pasta, or steak for an amazing surf and turf.
I have literally made this recipe hundreds of times and it is still my most requested dish. It was inspired by grilled shrimp that my sister-in-law brought over for a party about 20 years ago! I came up with my own version that has become one of my family’s all-time favorite shrimp recipes! As soon as I fire up the grill I immediately hear “Are you making grilled shrimp?”.
Best of all ,this recipe can’t get any easier. I marinate the shrimp in honey, lemon, lots of garlic, and fresh herbs.
The shrimp takes on the flavors of the ingredients pretty quickly so you only have to marinade it for about 30 minutes. Then set it on the grill for 2-3 minutes per side and you are done!
This recipe also works well with scallops!
Ingredients and Substitutions:
The ingredients for this dish are fairly simple and most are probably in your pantry right now!
Shrimp: Fresh shrimp or frozen and thawed shrimp are fine. You can use any size for this recipe. Extra large, and jumbo shrimp are large enough to lay directly on the grill grates without falling though. Smaller shrimp will require a grill basket or skewers.
Jumbo or extra large shrimp are the best shrimp for a use in a main dish.
Be sure to use raw shrimp. I have had people ask if they can use precooked shrimp and I would not recommend it. Precooked shrimp will get tough and rubbery.
Olive oil: Just regular olive oil is fine. No need to use extra virgin olive oil. I like the lighter flavor of the regular olive oil in this marinade.
Honey: I use orange blossom honey because it is easy to find, but whatever you have will be delicious.
Fresh Lemon juice and Lemon zest: Use freshly squeezed lemon if you can. You can easily swap out the lemon or another citrus juice. Orange or lime juice and zest make a great substitute for the lemon in this recipe. I also like to have a few extra lemon wedges to serve with the shrimp.
Garlic: It can be minced, diced, or crushed in a garlic press. I love the garlicky flavor in this dish!
Parsley: I love the color and flavor of chopped fresh parsley but if you substitute dried parsley. If you are using dried parsley, just cut the amount in half as dried herbs tend to impart a stronger flavor.
Kosher Salt and Ground Black Pepper
How to Make this Easy Grilled Shrimp Recipe
Start by Making the Shrimp Marinade
- Mix in olive oil, lemon juice, honey, minced garlic, herbs, salt, and pepper in a large bowl and whisk
Now Prepare the Shrimp
Cleaning the shrimp
- I like to buy the peeled and deveined shrimp because it saves me a step. Remove the shell completely if you buy shell on shrimp, but leave the tail on. It looks nice and it gives you something to pick the shrimp up with.
- To devein the shrimp, cut down the center of the back of the shrimp with a sharp knife and pull out the dark vein.
Marinate the Shrimp
- Put the shrimp into the bowl with the marinade and place it in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes but no more than an hour. If you leave the shrimp in the marinade too long the lemon juice will break it down and make it mushy. Give the shrimp a stir about halfway through so it marinates evenly.
- You can also, pour the marinade and shrimp into a large storage bag and set it flat on a plate.
Grilling the Shrimp
- When you are ready and your outdoor grill or grill pan is hot, place a few shrimp at a time in a grilling basket or put the shrimp directly on the grill grates. Grill the shrimp for a few minutes on either side. The shrimp will turn pink and opaque when it is done.
- Give the shrimp a little squeeze of lemon and them with a few lemon wedges.
Variations and Tips
- Sometimes I like to make these grilled shrimp a little spicy so I add red pepper flakes to the marinade. The spicy, sweet tangy marinade is sooo good!
- If you want to make shrimp kabobs, thread several shrimp onto either wooden or metal skewers. If you use bamboo or wooden skewers, make sure to soak them in water for 30 minutes to an hour before placing them on the grill.
- This recipe is great to use in a shrimp salad or for shrimp tacos.
FAQ
The black vein along the shrimp’s back is it’s intestinal track. There is no health reason to remove it. You will not get sick if you eat it, but it may be gritty and the texture may be unpleasant. I recommend that you remove it if you want the best flavor experience.
There are several ways to thaw shrimp. The best way is to place it in a colander and place it in the refrigerator overnight. A faster way is to place the amount of shrimp you want to defrost into an airtight container such as a plastic zip-lock bag, seal it, and run cold water over it. These methods will ensure that the shrimp do not soak up any more water and do not become mushy while cooking.
Shrimp takes on the flavors of a marinade fairly quickly, so an hour is the most time you should need to achieve flavorful shrimp. If you use an acid like lemon juice in your marinade, 30 minutes should be plenty of time to let the shrimp soak.
Acids like lemon or vinegar will break down the muscle tissue in the shrimp. If shrimp is left to marinate for too long, it will become mushy and unpleasant when cooking it. I would not leave it in the marinade much longer than an hour for best results.
Shrimp cooks quickly. It only takes a couple of minutes per side over medium-high heat to cook through. When it turns pink it is time to flip it. Shrimp should be removed from the heat when it turns pink and opaque. Leaving it too long will result in overcooked, tough, shrimp.
Recipes that Pair Well with Grilled Lemon, Garlic, and Honey Shrimp
If you want to maintain similar flavors throughout your menu try my grilled chicken in Lemon Garlic Herb Marinade. The flavors will complement each other perfectly. You can also serve this grilled shrimp over a refreshing, citrusy Sicilian Fennel and Orange Salad.
You might also like to serve this with an Easy Italian Cucumber and Tomato Salad or Caprese Pasta with Fresh Mozzarella. These are two of our favorite summertime side dishes.
And to end your meal you will love a decadent Mousse al Cioccolato “Italian Chocolate Mousse”!
Other Appetizer ideas
Whether you are planning a party or just enjoying appetizers for dinner I have some flavorful options for you. Put my Grilled Lollipop Lambchops – Mediterranean Style on the grill with your shrimp. They also have a citrusy flavor profile that will pair well with this simple grilled shrimp recipe.
Another shrimp recipe that is hugely popular in my family is my Shrimp with Crabmeat Stuffing. This appetizer is a seafood lover’s dream come true!
A few of my most popular Italian appetizers include Sicilian Eggplant Caponata and Baked Ricotta topped with Roasted Cherry Tomatoes. You can’t go wrong with any of these if you want appetizers big on flavor!
I love to get your feedback so if you tried this Grilled Shrimp recipe or any other recipes on this website, please leave me a comment below. I hope you enjoy our recipes and look forward to hearing from you!
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Easy Grilled Shrimp with Lemon, Garlic & Honey Marinade
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Ingredients
- 1 lb. Shrimp Large or Jumbo, shells removed and deveined
- ¼ cup Lemon juice
- ¾ cup Olive Oil
- 4 tbsp. Honey
- ½ tsp Salt
- ⅛ tsp. Black Pepper
- 2 cloves Garlic minced
- 1 tbsp. Parsley Fresh, chopped
Instructions
- Combine all of the ingredients except the shrimp, in a large bowl and whisk briskly until the honey is completely dissolved.
- Add the shrimp to the marinade and place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
- Prepare the grill and set a grill basket on the grates to warm up. When it is hot, place a few shrimp in the grill basket and cook for 2-3 minutes per side. For best results don't overcrowd the grill basket. The shrimp will be pink and opaque when it is done.
Great easy recipe! And grilling is a fun way to socialize!
OMG! These are soooo good.
Perfect for a summer BBQ
One of my favorites too!
I have had these made by Enza. So delicious, mouth watering!
Thank you Wende!
This is great recipe ! It’s super flavorful and incredibly easy to make! I love this recipe! its my favourite. So simple, so light, and so flavorful – coated with a sticky lemon garlic sauce that enhances the shrimp but doesn’t overpower it. Easy and delicious honey grilled shrimp!
Visit my link: https://www.bbqs2u.co.uk/
I have made this several times for bbqs. Everyone who eats them wants the recipe. Thank you Enza!
Hi Jeena Thank you so much for letting me know how much you like this recipe! It is definitely one of our favorites too!