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.
I have already shared Ina’s amazing baked shrimp scampi recipe, so it was no surprise to find another delicious shrimp recipe to share!
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Recipe highlights
- Simple: This recipe 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.
- Shrimp Prep: 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.
- Flavor: Lots of great flavors are in the marinade to give you a great tasting, juicy plump shrimp.
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
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- Prep the shrimp. Wash shrimp and drain in a colander. Peel, devein, and butterfly the shrimp, leaving the tails on or off.
- Marinate shrimp. Combine marinade ingredients and massage shrimp into it until it is completely coated. Marinate for 1 hour at room temperature or cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days.
- Skewer the shrimp. 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.
- Grill the shrimp. Heat a grill with coals and brush the grill with oil to prevent the shrimp from sticking. Shrimp cooks very quickly, so don’t be surprised to have all these done and ready in 5 minutes. The shrimp is done when 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!
Storing/Freezing Instructions
TO STORE: Store any leftover shrimp in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
TO FREEZE: You can also freeze leftovers. Transfer to a resealable bag or freezer safe container and freeze for up to 3 months.
Raw shrimp cooks very quickly and it can easily be overcooked and turn dry and rubbery. The best shrimp kabobs use raw shrimp to insure flavor and plumpness. Marinate your shrimp for extra flavor and moisture.
Large shrimp only take a few minutes on each side to cook on the grill. Shrimp easily tells you when it is done and ready. It turns from a grey color when it is raw to a pink or coral color when cooked.
Ina Garten Grilled Shrimp Kabob
Ingredients
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 medium onion diced
- ¼ cup parsley American, minced
- ¼ cup basil fresh, minced
- 1 teaspoon mustard powder
- 2 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper ground
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 lemon juice & zest, grated
- 1 lb large shrimp 21-25 count
Instructions
- Wash shrimp and drain in a colander. Peel, devein, and butterfly the shrimp, leaving the tails on or off.
- 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.
- 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 wooden skewers, leaving room on each end of the skewer to handle without burning yourself.
- Heat a grill with coals and brush the grill with oil to prevent the shrimp from sticking. Grill the shrimp for only 2 minutes on each side, or until all shrimp are pink in color.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the actual nutritional information with the products and brands you are using with your preferred nutritional calculator.
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Written by Laura Bashar
Hi, I’m Laura, a certified professional cook and cookbook author living in San Diego. I have been sharing my family’s favorite recipes inspired from all over the world since 2008. Let’s cook up something fun!
I know what I’m making for supper! Yum.
Our family loves to grill too and shrimp is one of our favorite quick and easy dinners. These look so flavorful and the marinade sounds like the perfect mix.