Garlic-Marinated Grilled Shrimp Skewers (Keto & Paleo)

Quick-marinated in a lemon-garlic-herb seasoning, this recipe for juicy grilled shrimp skewers (kabobs) is ready in 35 minutes. It’s the perfect quick, simple, and light shrimp dinner for BBQ season! Instructions shared for broiling the shrimp kabobs in the oven, if outside of grilling season. Recipe is keto and Paleo-friendly!

Our grill has a new BFF and it’s these garlicky grilled shrimp skewers!

They are perfectly cooked, incredibly flavorful, and ready in under than 20 minutes. In less words – a perfect staple grilling recipe!

These easy to make shrimp are a real crowd pleaser that is just as good for a Tuesday night family dinner as they are for a backyard BBQ. The secret is in the zesty marinade – a simple seasoning blend that’s made with lots of garlic (fresh and dried!), plenty of spices, lemon zest, parsley, olive oil, and salt and black pepper. YUM!

Our preferred way to cook them is on the grill or in a grill pan, but if you have neither, broiling them in the oven also works.

All you need is a side dish or two and these quick skewers will be on the dinner table before you know it!

Why you’ll love these shrimp skewers

They are:

• Flavorful & juicy
• Zesty
• Super garlicky
• Perfectly cooked
• Versatile
• Easy to make
• Whole30 + GF
• SO delicious!

Ingredient notes

All you need to make these delicious grilled shrimp is a super simple marinade, some raw shrimp, and skewers!

Here’s exactly what you need:

• Peeled raw shrimp – I like to cook shrimp skewers with the tail on for presentation, and to help keep them nice and juicy, but you could easily cook them without the tail too if that’s your preference.
• Fresh garlic – Grated or finely chopped garlic is a key ingredient in the marinade. My favorite tool for grating garlic for marinades is a fine microplane. On top of using it for garlic it’s all-around one of my favorite versatile kitchen tools.
• Lemon juice & zest – A bit of both add lovely bright lemony flavor to the marinade. Grab that microplane again for the lemon zest!
• Olive oil – Olive oil, or another neutral oil like avocado oil would also work for the marinade.
• Fresh parsley – Both for the marinade and a little bit for serving.
• Dried spices – Garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt, and pepper round out the savory seasonings in the marinade.

Tips for buying shrimp

Shrimp come in a variety of sizes, and are sold based on how many shrimp there are in a pound. For this recipe I used ‘extra large’, or 26/30 count. You could also use ‘jumbo’ shrimp (a size up from ‘extra large’), or smaller shrimp if that’s what’s available.

For these shrimp skewers it’s easiest if you can find shrimp that are tail on, and already peeled and de-veined. If you can only find shell-on or easy-peel shrimp, don’t worry – this tutorial from the Food Network is a great easy-to-follow guide for peeling and prepping shrimp at home.

How to grill shrimp

Grilling shrimp is really super easy once you get the hang of it. Giving them a quick marinade with lemon juice, olive oil, and spices keeps them super flavorful, and once they’re on the skewers they cook SO quickly!

Pro tip! It’s much easier to grill shrimp on a skewer than in individual pieces. The skewer keeps them from falling through the grates so you don’t lose any precious shrimp in the cooking process.

What if you don’t have a grill or it’s too cold to grill outside? A grill pan will also work perfectly for this recipe! I’ve also included instructions below in the recipe card for how to cook these skewers in the oven.

And if you’re using bamboo or wooden skewers be sure to soak them in water for at least 30 minutes (or up to overnight) to prevent them from burning on the grill.

To keep the shrimp skewers from sticking follow these simple steps

1. Make sure you pat the shrimp super dry with paper towels before marinating.
2. Allow the grill heat up completely.
3. Lightly brush the grates of the grill with oil before adding the shrimp skewers.
4. Try to only turn them once. If you’ve followed the above steps, when it’s time to turn them they should release easily from the grill grates.

Here’s the step-by-step instructions on how to make these grilled shrimp skewers

• Wash and thoroughly dry shrimp using paper towels, and set aside.
• In a large bowl combine lemon juice, olive oil, chopped parsley, and spices with the shrimp. Toss to coat evenly.
• Marinate for 15 minutes to an hour, but not much longer as the salt and lemon juice can start to break down the protein in the shrimp.
• Thread shrimp onto skewers. If you’re using wooden / bamboo skewers you’ll want to soak them for at least 30 minutes before using to keep them from burning on the grill.  
• Preheat the grill or grill pan to medium high heat. Cook skewers for about 2 minutes on each side – turning once. The cook time will vary depending on the exact size of your shrimp and temperature of your grill or grill pan. They’re done when they start to curl and the center is opaque.
• Serve immediately with fresh parsley and lemon wedges.

What happens if you overcook shrimp?

Overcooked shrimp can happen to the best of us!

They are still edible, but they tend to dry out and have a rubbery or chewy texture.

The important thing to remember is that shrimp really don’t take very long to cook. Depending on the size, anywhere from 1-2 minutes per side – possibly even less if your grill or grill pan is super hot.

Shrimp will continue to cook a bit too after you take them off the grill, so keep that in mind when you’re judging whether or not they done.

The best way to tell if shrimp are fully cooked is by their color. When they’re done they will be opaque with some pink and red spots. There shouldn’t be any translucent or grey spots on the shrimp.

Should you thaw shrimp before grilling?

Yes, absolutely. If you don’t thaw your shrimp before grilling them they won’t be able to absorb any marinade or seasoning, and the frozen water crystals in the shrimp will dramatically change the texture and quality of the cooked shrimp.

The good news is, it’s incredibly easy to thaw frozen shrimp!

All you need to do is:

• Take the shrimp out of the package they’re in and place them in a bowl directly under the faucet of your sink. I like to put them in a colander, and then inside a bowl for easy draining once they are fully thawed.
• Turn the faucet on with COLD water and allow the water to fill the bowl and trickle over the edge. Keep the water running in a low pressure stream until the shrimp are fully thawed.
• Don’t be tempted to warm up the water temp to speed up the process. That could result in unsafe food temperatures, and it will also change the texture of the shrimp. The whole process of thawing with this cold water method will probably only take about 10-15 minutes from start to finish anyways.
• You’ll know the shrimp are fully thawed when there’s no more ice crystals hanging around and the texture is soft and squishy.

How to cook shrimp skewers in the oven

If you don’t have a grill, a grill pan, or would just rather cook these shrimp skewers in the oven that’s totally an option!

All you have to do is place the skewers on a non-glass baking dish or sheet pan and broil for a few minutes on each side. It will take a little longer than it would on the grill but is still a super fast process from start to finish.

Love these shrimp skewers? Here’s some other yummy recipes to try!

• Easy Garlic Basil Sautéed Shrimp {Whole30 + Paleo + GF + Low Carb}
• Whole30 Cajun Shrimp with Garlic Aioli {Whole30 + Paleo + GF + Low Carb}
• Baked Whole30 Garlic Herb Turkey Meatballs {Whole30 + Paleo + GF + Low Carb}
• Buffalo Chicken Stuffed Peppers {Whole30 + Paleo + GF + Low Carb}
• Whole30 Egg Roll in a Bowl {GF + DF}
• Thai Coconut Curry Chicken Soup {Whole30 + GF + DF}

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Thank you for sharing your kitchen with NK. We’re so grateful you’re here!

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