I grew up eating all manner of fish from the Midwest. Bass, perch, pickerel, smelt–I ate them all, and all year ’round, too. My dad would fish all summer and then the freezer would nearly burst as we kept those fresh and tasty lake-caught fillets ready for a good fish fry. And being raised Catholic, that meant fish every Friday during lent. It was hard to beat my dad’s beer battered fish at the end of the week, or any time of year.
However, other than the variety listed above, we didn’t eat other types of seafood very often. Once in awhile we’d go out to dinner somewhere that served something like shrimp or salmon, and that was a whole new world of flavors and textures to try. Like so many, my first foray into shrimp was something battered and fried so much that you could hardly taste the actual shrimp. Slathered with cocktail sauce, that was the way I thought shrimp was supposed to taste.
Then I had the good fortune to explore other ways to enjoy this bug-o-the-sea (I mean, they look like bugs, right?) than fried to death. Sauteed. Baked. Stuffed. Grilled. Mmmm…the possibilities began to open up.
Enter our third move to Texas (yes, 3 times, because apparently once isn’t quite enough), and I started buying fresh Gulf shrimp whenever I came across it. Not the stuff at the grocery store, although there is nothing at all wrong with that source. Here, you can get a pound (or 8, or 12) of freshly caught shrimp at places like the farmer’s market. And the difference in flavor, texture, and size is incredible! I’ve had so much fun playing with recipe after recipe using this delicious, sustainable, and easy-to-make protein, and I’m just getting started!
At my oft-mentioned favorite local market, they recently added a new vendor that provides fresh shrimp. And being the shrimp-lover I am, I jumped right on it and got 2 pounds to bring home and dig into.
What was so great about this particular preparation method is that is was so SIMPLE, and yet so darned flavor-packed. You simply cannot go wrong with an open fire, and protein on a stick. I think after trying this delicious flavor combination, you’ll agree that BBQ Grilled Shrimp are worthy of being added to your seafood recipe repertoire!
Want more great shrimp recipes? Check out these other tasty shrimp dishes!
| Servings | Prep Time |
| 4 people | 10 minutes |
| Cook Time |
| 10 minutes |
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While I was lucky enough to get nearly-out-of-the-water shrimp, you can certainly rely on the fresh options at your local seafood market or grocery store. While we left the shells on to help hold them together during grilling, shelling and deveining prior to grilling works well, too. Either way, you'll be left wanting more of these delectable shrimp at your next meal!
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- 2 lbs. fresh large shrimp, shells on
- 4 tbsp. butter
- 1/2 cup BBQ sauce
- 1 small lemon, for garnish (optional)
- Rinse and dry shrimp. Thread them onto skewers. If using wooden skewers, be sure to soak them in water for 30 minutes prior to grilling. This helps ensure that the skewers won't burn when grilled.
- Melt the butter and mix in bbq sauce. Brush shrimp with baste prior to placing on grill.
- Heat grill over medium high heat. Grill shrimp for 3-5 minutes on each side, or until shrimp are cooked through. They will begin to curl on the skewers as they cook. Baste them on each side as you flip them to ensure the sauce adheres to the shrimp as they grill.
- Serve immediately with additional bbq sauce and a squeeze of lemon.
Seriously, this recipe really is that simple. And seriously, you will want another plateful of them when you finish your first batch. And I have to admit that the leftovers are incredible the next day as the flavors have more time to settle into the meat of the shrimp. Chopped up and used in a salad, or served warm again on toasty and crusty bread for a po'boy-type sandwich, you will find that this simple dish is versatile and crave-able!
Great as an appetizer, a main dish, or a light warm weather snack, these BBQ Grilled Shrimp will be the thing of your seafood dreams.
Gotta be honest, I’m a tad jealous of your access to all that delicious gulf shrimp 😀 Must be divine! They look SO GOOD in your photos!
They are twice as good as they look! Truly a “keeper” of a recipe (buh-dum-dum). :o)
Looks amazing! I grew up eating fish on Fridays, too – and always loved a treat like shrimp. Love how easy this recipe is!
We are pretty lucky to have this bounty so close by. And as you mentioned, the easy nature of the recipe means we can dig in even more often!
This looks so simple yet sounds so amazing!
It was a “head slap” moment, for sure. Why hadn’t we thought of this simple combo before?? But that’s no problem now! :o)
Beautiful addition to a BBQ I love shrimps and would love to try yours soon =)
They are a bit addictive, I admit. So easy to just keep eating until you have an empty plate!
That is just a summer must!
Those sound absolutely wonderful to me! Pass the skewers please!
They are so freakin’ simple, and so freakin’ delicious that it makes me want them weekly. I mean, BBQ sauce makes everything better, right?
I love Gulf shrimp!! I miss it so much. These look divine!
One of the things that I love about Texas is that great big seafood factory called the Gulf! :o)
I love grilling seafood. This looks fantastic.
Wait, what? Shrimp AND BBQ? YES please!
Got the idea after my hubby was waxing poetic about a dish he had in New Orleans that had BBQ Shrimp with it. Once the idea was in my head, I had to make it! Yum!
How easy is this?! Let’s fire up the BBQ!
I love recipes like this that take little effort but have big punch!
Nothing to say more. Pass me a plate please!! I love all seafood especially shrimps.