This is my favorite grilled shrimp marinade recipe! It’s citrusy and bright, made with olive oil, fresh lemons, garlic, Italian parsley, red pepper flakes, and honey. It has the perfect balance of freshness, acidity, savory, plus a touch of sweetness and heat.
This recipe is great for summer grilling or for whenever you just want a simple, flavor-packed dinner. This recipe is all about letting the fresh seasonal ingredients shine!
Quick Look at the Recipe
- Prep Time: 10 minutes, Marinating Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes, Total Time: 50 minutes
- Serves: 4 people
- Method: Grilling
- Main Ingredients: Shrimp, lemons, garlic, parsley, honey
- Flavor Profile: Fresh, citrusy, and bright with a subtle hint of heat
- Ideal for: Summer grilling, meal prep, or an all-purpose marinade
Jump to:
- Quick Look at the Recipe
- My Tried-and-True Shrimp Marinade Recipe
- What Type of Shrimp to Use
- Ingredient Notes
- How to Make The Best Marinated Grilled Shrimp
- Tips for Success
- How Long to Marinate Shrimp
- Make Ahead Tips
- Recipe FAQs
- What To Serve with Grilled Shrimp
- Need More Marinades for Grilling?
- Grilled Shrimp Marinade (Lemon Garlic)
What Type of Shrimp to Use
This is what I’d recommend: Jumbo shrimp, deveined with the tail-on.
- Jumbo: Jumbo-sized is best, but extra large works too. Don’t use small or medium, as they will shrink when cooked on the grill.
- Deveined: This means that the black line along the back is already removed. You can also do this yourself, but it can be tedious.
- Tail-on: For grilling, leave the tails on so the shrimp hold their shape, but remove the shells so the marinade can absorb into the shrimp.
- Frozen or fresh? I usually buy frozen because it is more readily available where I live, but if you can find fresh, that is even better. Defrost and pat dry beforehand.
- Raw or precooked? Start with raw here. Pre-cooked will turn rubbery when marinated and cooked again. You can tell if shrimp is pre-cooked if it is orange in color. Raw shrimp looks gray-ish.
Try these recipes next: Garlic Shrimp Pasta, Crispy Coconut Shrimp, Shrimp Corn Chowder, and Bang Bang Shrimp Tacos.
Ingredient Notes
- Jumbo shrimp: If using frozen, thaw completely first.
- Freshly squeezed lemon juice, plus zest: Provides flavor and the perfect amount of acidity to tenderize.
- Olive oil: Carries the flavors of the marinade and prevents sticking on the grill.
- Minced garlic: I’d recommend using fresh garlic here.
- Fresh Italian parsley: Fresh makes a HUGE difference here. Italian parsley packs more aromatic flavors than curly parsley.
- Honey: My secret ingredient! Balances out the acidity and heat with a touch of sweetness.
- Red pepper chili flakes, salt, pepper: I think a little bit of heat accentuates all the lemony flavors really well. Adjust the amount according to your liking, or omit if you prefer no heat.
- Lemons for serving. I like to grill lemon halves, then squeeze that over the grilled shrimp at the end. Highly recommended!
As always, quantities for this recipe are listed in the recipe card down below.
Substitutions and Variations
- Citrus: Swap with fresh lime or orange juice, or use a combination.
- Add-ins: Additional fresh herbs (oregano, thyme, or rosemary), garlic powder, lime juice, orange juice, smoked paprika.
- Add veggies: Skewer the shrimp with zucchini or yellow squash slices, cherry tomatoes, button mushrooms, or bell peppers. Just make sure they are sliced about the same size as the shrimp so the skewers can lay flat on the grill for even cooking.
How to Make The Best Marinated Grilled Shrimp
- Make the marinade: Combine all marinade ingredients (see recipe card below) and mix well until fully combined.
- Prep shrimp: Using kitchen shears, remove the shell but leave the lower part of the tail attached to the shrimp. Pat dry well.
- Marinate: Transfer to a large resealable bag, then add the shrimp into the marinade. Make sure everything is well coated. Seal and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Thread in skewers: Preheat your grill to medium-high. Carefully, thread about 6 or 7 shrimp per skewer, depending on how long your skewers are. I always use metal skewers for grilling.
- Grill for about 4 minutes per side, undisturbed, until cooked through and grill marks form. Shrimp cooks really fast. Grill the lemon halves too.
- Serve with a squeeze of the grilled lemon and garnish with more parsley. I also love grilled shrimp skewers with this easy lemon basil vinaigrette or our homemade chimichurri, plus crumbled feta cheese on top!
Tips for Success
- Prevent shrimp from sticking to the grill by preheating it properly (if you add food on a cold grill, it will stick) and by pre-oiling the grates if needed.
- Use a resealable bag for marinating to ensure every surface area of the shrimp is fully coated in the delicious marinade.
- To get charred grill marks, thread the marinated shrimp onto skewers and let them cook undisturbed per side. This also prevents them from falling through the grates.
- If you don’t have skewers, you can use a grilling basket instead.
- Metal skewers are convenient and safe to use over open flame. Alternatively, you can use bamboo skewers, but soak them in water for 20 minutes prior to prevent them from burning.
How Long to Marinate Shrimp
Since we’re using a citrus-based marinade here, 30 minutes is ideal (45 minutes max). If you’re short on time, even 15 or 20 minutes will get you great flavor.
Why: Lemon is acidic and can break down proteins, which is why it’s such a great tenderizer. Because shrimp is delicate and small, it shouldn’t be left for too long, otherwise, they can turn tough and rubbery. It’s the same reason why my grilled chicken kabobs, lemon marinated chicken, and skirt steak tacos also call for short-ish marinating times.
Make Ahead Tips
Make the marinade itself the day before. Prior to cooking, add the prepared shrimp to the marinade, then grill as directed. You can also prep the shrimp (devein and remove the shells) 1 day ahead.
Recipe FAQs
Can I use pre-cooked shrimp?
I wouldn’t recommend using pre-cooked shrimp. It will get tough, especially when cooked again.
Do I need to keep the tail on the shrimp?
The tail helps to maintain the shape of the shrimp when cooking, but it’s not absolutely necessary. You can use peeled shrimp with no tail too.
Do I have to remove the black vein from the shrimp?
Most shrimp are already deveined when purchased from grocery stores, but if not, do remove it.
How do I know if shrimp fully cooked?
They turn orange and white or opaque in color, and curl into a “C” shape.
What To Serve with Grilled Shrimp
- Make our delicious Grilled Shrimp Salad! It’s so flavorful, loaded with fresh greens, avocado, and more.
- My favorite sauces for grilled shrimp: Try our amazing romesco sauce, our chimichurri sauce, or this easy tzatziki sauce. It’s also great with avocado crema!
- Add-on for pasta dishes! Pairs really well with Lemon Garlic Pasta or Creamy Tomato Pasta.
- Grain bowls: For a healthier twist, serve with my Sweet Potato Quinoa Bowls or my Mediterranean Lentil Salad.
Need More Marinades for Grilling?
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Grilled Shrimp Marinade (Lemon Garlic)
This grilled shrimp marinade is packed with so much flavor. Made with fresh lemons, garlic, parsley. It's made with simple and fresh ingredients, and marinating takes just 30 minutes.
Servings 4 people
Calories 350kcal
Equipment
- Resealable bags for the marinade
- Grill outdoor or indoor
Ingredients
- 1 pound jumbo shrimp, deveined and tail-on - thawed if previously frozen
- ½ cup olive oil - plus more as needed
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 4 cloves fresh garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped Italian parsley - plus garnish
- 1 teaspoon red pepper chili flakes - or to taste
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- Lemon halves - for grilling and serving
Instructions
- Make the marinade: In a bowl, mix the olive oil, lemon zest, freshly squeezed lemon juice, minced garlic, chopped Italian parsley, red pepper chili flakes, honey, salt and pepper until well-combined. Transfer the marinade into a large resealable bag.
- Prep the shrimp: Using kitchen shears, remove the shell but leave the lower part of the tail attached to the shrimp. Pat dry.
- Marinate: Add the shrimp into the marinade in the bag, make sure everything is well coated. Seal the bag and refrigerate for 30 minutes (max 45 mins). Tip: Because this is a citrus marinade, leaving it for too long can cause the shrimp to turn rubbery.
- Preheat grill: Meanwhile, preheat your grill to medium-high heat. Preheating properly prevents food from sticking to the grates.
- Thread in skewers: Assemble the marinated shrimp into metal skewers. I used one pound of shrimp, and it yielded 4 skewers with 6-7 shrimp in each. Note: If using bamboo skewers, soak them in water first to prevent them from burning.
- Grill: Grill the shrimp skewers for about 4 minutes per side, until cooked through and have grill marks. You can algo grill the lemon halves. Shrimp cooks really fast, don't overcook. It's ready when it turns orange and white in color and turns into a "C" shape.
- Serve with a good squeeze of the grilled lemon halves and parsley, and crumbled feta cheese. Enjoy!
Notes
- What type of shrimp to use: Jumbo shrimp, deveined and tail-on.
- If you can’t find jumbo, use extra large shrimp.
- Use raw shrimp (not pre-cooked) for this recipe. Thaw before using if previously frozen.
- Use fresh lemons and fresh parsley here. They make a big difference in flavor.
- Metal skewers are best for grilling. If using bamboo skewers, soak them in water for about 20 minutes beforehand to prevent them from burning.
- Prep ahead: While I wouldn’t recommend marinating overnight, you can make and refrigerate the marinade on its own 1 day in advance. The next day, marinate and cook as directed.
- Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Lemon: Limes and oranges will work too, although the flavor profile may change slightly.
- Add-ins for the marinade: Additional fresh herbs (oregano, thyme, or rosemary), garlic powder, lime juice, orange juice, smoked paprika.
- Customize the skewers: Zucchini or yellow squash slices, cherry tomatoes, button mushrooms, or bell peppers. Just make sure they are sliced about the same size as the shrimp.
Nutrition
Serving: 1skewer | Calories: 350kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 20g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 143mg | Sodium: 1235mg | Potassium: 252mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 535IU | Vitamin C: 37mg | Calcium: 88mg | Iron: 1mg
Tried this Recipe? Tag me on Instagram!Mention @CookingForMySoul or tag #cookingformysoul. Or leave me comment below!
B.Boyle says
These shrimp were fabulous! My son was in from DC and ate 3/4 of a pound himself.
Tania says
Thank you so much for trying my recipe. It’s one of our favorite shrimp marinades too!
Amy says
This is easy and excellent. It will now be a summer staple as an entree, served with brown coconut jasmine rice and corn feta salad…or as an appetizer. Yum! All of our guests requested the recipe…truly enjoyed by all. Thank you!
Tania says
That’s really wonderful, thank you so much!
AMY RUSSELLO says
This is a simple but excellent shrimp dish. This will become a summer staple in my arsenal . It can be a main course or an appetizer
Anne Taylor says
My whole family loves shrimp–grilled, steamed, with pasta, etc. We are very careful not to overcook!
My husband found this recipe for Mother’s Day. It was great on the grill! We made extra, as usual.
I had it cold the next day on a salad. OMG! It was even better–the lovely notes of citrus, red pepper and herbs. If I have cold shrimp as an appetizer, or as a salad or grain add-on, this is what I want!
A wonderful recipe! (Be sure not to overcook these tender guys!). Thank you, Cooking for my Soul!
Tania says
Hi Anne! Thank you, I’m really happy everyone enjoyed the recipe. I agree, it always tastes better the next day!