Best Paprika Grilled Shrimp Recipe
Super flavorful, spicy and incredibly easy to put together, this paprika grilled shrimp recipe is one I find myself turning to every time I’m looking for a quick side dish.
The flavors are super versatile and can be tweaked around based on your taste preference. I also love the fact that you can use either your outdoor or indoor grill to put together this protein packed dish.
But it isn’t just the bang on flavor that makes it a winner- the dish is gluten free too, which makes it a great recipe to opt for when you’re entertaining and want to have a delicious side that you can whip up with little prep time, and enjoy all summer long.
Why You’ll Love This Paprika Grilled Shrimp Recipe
- Smoky and Spicy: The paprika gives the shrimp a delightful smoky kick.
- Grill Master Approved: Perfect for BBQ gatherings or a simple family dinner outdoors.
- Quick and Easy: Requires minimal ingredients and time, yet delivers maximum flavor.
Ingredients for the Paprika Grilled Shrimp Recipe
To make the delicious paprika-grilled shrimp, here’s what you’ll need.
- Olive Oil: Provides a smooth, rich base and helps to carry the flavors of the other ingredients.
- Lemon Juice: Adds a bright, citrusy note that complements the shrimp.
- Smoked Paprika: Infuses the dish with a warm, smoky flavor.
- Minced Garlic: Enhances the savory elements in the dish.
- Red Pepper Flakes: Optional, but can add a hint of heat if desired.
- Sea Salt Flakes: Enhances the natural flavors of the shrimp and seasonings.
- Peeled Cleaned Shrimp: The main protein, adding a sweet and slightly briny flavor to the dish.
How to Make the Grilled Shrimp
Once you have all your ingredients ready, here’s what you’ll need to do to make the grilled shrimp.
Step One: Make the Marinade
In a mixing bowl, combine the olive oil, lemon juice, smoked paprika, garlic, red pepper flakes and salt.
Step Two: Marinate the Shrimp
Combine the marinade and shrimp in a bowl and mix until they’re completely coated. Remember that the shrimp should be fully thawed prior to combining it with the marinade.
Step Three: Rest the Shrimp
Allow the marinated shrimp to rest in the fridge for half an hour.
Step Four: Place Shrimp on Skewers
Thread the shrimp on skewers and brush some more of the marinade on top.
Step Five: Grill Shrimp
Grill the shrimp on skewers for a few minutes on each side, until they are cooked to perfection.
Step Six: Drizzle Marinade on Shrimp
Transfer the grilled shrimp skewers to the plate and drizzle with the remaining marinade.
Step Seven: Serve and Garnish
Serve the paprika skewers with spinach leaves and pomegranate seeds.
Tips and Tricks to Make the Grilled Shrimp
- While you can use pretty much any grill to make this delicious shrimp recipe, using an outdoor grill is highly recommended, since it will give you that perfect, smoky flavor and char you’re looking for.
- You can, in fact, use a simple grill pan on your stove to achieve similar results.
- While we’ve used olive oil for this recipe, you could use avocado oil, butter or practically any other cooking oil that has a high smoke point to grill the shrimp.
- Smoked paprika lends the shrimp a nice, bold flavor, but if you don’t have it, you can just stick to using regular paprika.
- I also love the idea of using old bay seasoning or some cayenne pepper to lend some extra flavor and deliciousness to the grilled shrimp.
- If you don’t have sea salt, you can use regular salt or kosher salt instead.
- Minced garlic adds a nice flavor and a chunky texture to the grilled shrimp. To make things simple, you can just skip adding it and use garlic powder instead.
- Remember to grill the shrimp at medium high heat, so that it cooks through, and at the same time, gets that perfect char on the outside.
- To keep the shrimp from sticking to the grill grates, you can rub a bit of olive oil or spray some cooking spray on it.
How to Store the Leftover Grilled Shrimp?
Your leftover spicy grilled shrimp can be allowed to cool down and refrigerated for up to 3 days. Just remember to use an airtight container to preserve its freshness.
You can also choose to marinate the raw shrimp and refrigerate or freeze it until you’re ready to grill.
What to Serve With the Spicy Grilled Shrimp?
The simplest, most effortless way to serve the grilled shrimp is to garnish it with some chopped fresh herbs and have some lemon wedges on the side.
If you really want to take things up a notch, you can team it up with your favorite salsa, a side salad or even some seasoned or fried rice if you want to turn it into a complete meal.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should You Soak the Skewers Before Grilling Shrimp?
If you are using bamboo skewers or wooden skewers to thread shrimp, yes, you must soak the skewers for a few hours in cold water before you pop them on the grill. This will help keep them from burning during the cooking process.
If you’re using metal skewers, no soaking is needed.
Should You Peel Shrimp Before Grilling?
While a lot of shrimp recipes can be crafted using shrimp with the shell on, this one in particular, heavily relies on the marinade nicely coating the shrimp, which is why, I would highly recommend using peeled and deveined shrimp for this recipe.
How to Thaw Frozen Shrimp?
Frozen shrimp tends to defrost pretty quickly. All you need to do is immerse the package in a large bowl filled with cold water and let it stay there for 20-30 minutes.
You can check if the shrimp has completely thawed by the end of this time, and immerse the package into the water again, if needed.
How Long to Grill Shrimp?
If you’re cooking shrimp on the grill for the first time, you might be a bit confused about how long you should grill it for.
Basically, the cooking time for the shrimp largely depends on the size of the shrimp- smaller shrimps tend to cook quickly while larger, tiger shrimp can take a longer time to cook through.
The best way to detect if the shrimp on the grill is fully cooked is to check if it is no longer translucent when you cut through it.
Once the grilled shrimp is done cooking, serve immediately.
Can You Prep the Grilled Shrimp Marinade?
You sure can! You can prepare the marinade well in advance and refrigerate it. Then, when you want to enjoy this grilled shrimp, all you need to do is combine the marinade with the shrimp in a bowl and cook it until it is done.
Grilled Shrimp
Super flavorful, spicy and incredibly easy to put together, this paprika grilled shrimp recipe is one I find myself turning to every time I'm looking for a quick side dish.
The flavors are super versatile and can be tweaked around based on your taste preference. I also love the fact that you can use either your outdoor or indoor grill to put together this protein packed dish.
But it isn't just the bang on flavor that makes it a winner- the dish is gluten free too, which makes it a great recipe to opt for when you're entertaining and want to have a delicious side that you can whip up with little prep time, and enjoy all summer long.
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- 1 tbsp. lemon juice
- 1 tsp. smoked paprika
- 1 tsp. minced garlic
- Red pepper flakes to taste (optional)
- Sea salt flakes to taste
- 1 lb. peeled cleaned shrimp
Instructions
How to Make the Grilled Shrimp
Once you have all your ingredients ready, here's what you'll need to do to make the grilled shrimp.
Step One: Make The Marinade
In a mixing bowl, combine the olive oil, lemon juice, smoked paprika, garlic, red pepper flakes and salt.
Step Two: Marinate The Shrimp
Combine the marinade and shrimp in a bowl and mix until they’re completely coated. Remember that the shrimp should be fully thawed prior to combining it with the marinade.
Step Three: Rest The Shrimp
Allow the marinated shrimp to rest in the fridge for half an hour.
Step Four: Place Shrimp On Skewers
Thread the shrimp on skewers and brush some more of the marinade on top.
Step Five: Grill Shrimp
Grill the shrimp on skewers for a few minutes on each side, until they are cooked to perfection.
Step Six: Drizzle Marinade On Shrimp
Transfer the grilled shrimp skewers to the plate and drizzle with the remaining marinade.
Step Seven: Serve And Garnish
Serve the paprika skewers with spinach leaves and pomegranate seeds.
Notes
Tips and Tricks to Make the Grilled Shrimp
While you can use pretty much any grill to make this delicious shrimp recipe, using an outdoor grill is highly recommended, since it will give you that perfect, smoky flavor and char you're looking for.
You can, in fact, use a simple grill pan on your stove to achieve similar results.
While we've used olive oil for this recipe, you could use avocado oil, butter or practically any other cooking oil that has a high smoke point to grill the shrimp.
Smoked paprika lends the shrimp a nice, bold flavor, but if you don't have it, you can just stick to using regular paprika.
I also love the idea of using old bay seasoning or some cayenne pepper to lend some extra flavor and deliciousness to the grilled shrimp.
If you don't have sea salt, you can use regular salt or kosher salt instead.
Minced garlic adds a nice flavor and a chunky texture to the grilled shrimp. To make things simple, you can just skip adding it and use garlic powder instead.
Remember to grill the shrimp at medium high heat, so that it cooks through, and at the same time, gets that perfect char on the outside.
To keep the shrimp from sticking to the grill grates, you can rub a bit of olive oil or spray some cooking spray on it.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 133Total Fat: 6gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 160mgSodium: 814mgCarbohydrates: 2gFiber: 0gSugar: 0gProtein: 17g
Some More Shrimp Recipes You’ll Love
If you enjoyed trying out this recipe, and are inspired enough to give some more such recipes a try, here are some more ways to put shrimp to use.
