Lemon Garlic Shrimp Skewers (Printable)
Zesty grilled shrimp on skewers with fresh parsley and garlic. Ready in 20 minutes.
# What You Need:
→ Seafood
01 - 1 pound large raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
→ Marinade
02 - 3 tablespoons olive oil
03 - 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
04 - 2 teaspoons lemon zest
05 - 3 garlic cloves, minced
06 - 1 teaspoon sea salt
07 - ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
08 - ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
→ Fresh Herbs & Garnish
09 - ¼ cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
10 - Lemon wedges, for serving
# Directions:
01 - In a medium bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, minced garlic, sea salt, black pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes if using.
02 - Add the shrimp to the marinade, toss to coat evenly, and let rest for 10 to 15 minutes to absorb flavors.
03 - If using wooden skewers, submerge them in water for at least 10 minutes to prevent burning during grilling.
04 - Heat a grill or grill pan over medium-high heat until hot and ready for cooking.
05 - Skewer about 4 to 5 marinated shrimp per stick, ensuring they are evenly spaced.
06 - Place skewers on the grill and cook for 2 to 3 minutes per side, until shrimp are opaque and lightly charred.
07 - Remove shrimp from grill, immediately sprinkle with fresh parsley, and serve hot with lemon wedges on the side.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- Shrimp go from raw to restaurant-quality in under twenty minutes, which means you can actually pull this off on a weeknight.
- The garlic and lemon combination tastes like sunshine and tastes even better than it smells, which is saying something.
- It's naturally gluten-free and dairy-free, so it works for almost any table, but nobody feels like they're missing out.
02 -
- Shrimp cook fast—I learned this the hard way by overcoooking them into rubber erasers more than once, so set a timer and stick to it, checking at the two-minute mark.
- Don't marinate shrimp for longer than 15 minutes because the lemon juice will start to cook them raw, turning the outside mushy while the inside stays cold.
03 -
- Buy shrimp the day you're planning to cook them, and keep them on ice in the coldest part of your refrigerator until the moment you're ready to marinate.
- If you're serving a crowd, skewer everything ahead of time and keep the skewers in the refrigerator until your guests arrive—this saves you from grilling in stages.