Ina Garten Grilled Shrimp Kabobs

This recipe for Ina Garten grilled shrimp kabobs requires little effort and yields a moist and juicy shrimp that tastes great the next day – if you have any leftovers. Love kabob? Try my Persian kabob recipes.

When the weather turns warm, my family and I are always outdoors enjoying the gorgeous sunny days. That means biking, swimming, frolicking on the beach and of course, grilling! We grill everything and love to eat outdoors, too.

I am always on the lookout for easy recipes during the busy weeknights. Although you might think we’d have more free time over the summer, it’s like we’re even busier! So when I find an easy grilling recipe that the whole family loves, you know it’s making the meal rotation.

Why you must try this recipe

If you love shrimp, then there is no excuse to not make this recipe. It is super, ridiculously easy, marinates quickly and is so friggin’ delicious you won’t believe how little effort it took to make such a delicious meal.

This marinade only requires a minimum of an hour to sit together, unlike most marinades that require the meat to sit in the marinade all day or overnight. Despite the hour marinating time, you still end up with plump shrimp that tastes incredible.

Ina always like to butterfly the shrimp, because it gives you more surface are for the meat to grab hold of the marinade. This increases the flavor factor. She recommends butterflying shrimp in her baked shrimp scampi recipe, too.

Can you skip the butterflying step. Sure. We all have lazy streaks and I get this extra step can be a pain. But honestly, it’s well worth the extra few minutes of sliding that pairing knife down the back of the shrimp to butterfly it.

The shrimp only needs about 30 minutes of marinating time. Lots of great flavors are in the marinade to not only give you a great tasting shrimp, but also juicy and plump shrimp, too.

Once butterflied and marinated, the shrimp is ready to be skewered. If you are using bamboo skewers like I do, do soak them in water for a minimum of 30 minutes. This prevents them from burning on the grill. You can also use metal skewers, if you have any on hand.

Ingredients you need

• Shrimp: You will want to use large shrimp (21-25 count) for this recipe.
• Onion: The common brown onion is perfect for this, but you can also use any white or yellow onion. Onions are great in marinades as they help tenderize the meat.
• Fresh herbs: I used fresh parsley and basil. Fresh herbs adds way more freshness and flavor compared to dried herbs.
• Seasonings and flavors: garlic, mustard powder, dijon mustard, salt and pepper
• Extra virgin olive oil: You can use a mild or pungent olive oil. Don’t skimp on the oil. In marinades it adds moisture.
• Lemon: You will use the zest and juice from one lemon

Step-by-step directions

1. Wash shrimp and drain in a colander. Peel, devein, and butterfly the shrimp, leaving the tails on or off.

2. In a medium-sized bowl combine remaining ingredients to prepare the marinade. Add in shrimp and massage until all shrimp is coated in marinade. Marinate for 1 hour at room temperature or cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days.

3. If using wooden skewers, soak them in water at least 30 minutes prior to grilling to prevent them from burning up on the grill. Slide shrimps onto skewers, leaving room on each end of the skewer to handle without burning yourself.

4. Heat a grill with coals and brush the grill with oil to prevent the shrimp from sticking.

Shrimp cooks very quickly, especially on the grill. So don’t be surprised to have all these done and ready in 5 minutes. You know the shrimp is done because they turn pink at the edges and opaque white in the center.

Recipe tips and FAQs

If you are serving it as an appetizer, I suggest leaving the tails on so that they are easier to grab. As a main dish, you can serve these grilled shrimp kabobs a number of different ways.

I like to keep things healthy and serve it with a fresh green salad – my perfect summertime meal! You can also wrap in lavash or a hoagie roll to make a sandwich or po boy. You can also serve with some rice, which is how my kids like to eat the shrimp.

However you do serve these grill shrimp kabobs, beware. Your guests will not be able to have just one or two. Although I suggested that 1-pound of shrimp would feed 4 for dinner, if you have my family, you’ll probably need to make more! This recipes is THAT GOOD!

PS If you try this recipe, why not leave a star rating in the recipe card right below and/or a review in the comment section further down the page? I always appreciate your feedback.

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