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Grilled garlic shrimp skewers with herb butter on white serving platter

Grilled Garlic Shrimp Skewers

Succulent grilled shrimp basted with rich garlic herb butter create an impressive main that's ready in under 30 minutes. Each tender shrimp gets infused with aromatic garlic, bright lemon, and smoky paprika before hitting the grill for a perfect char. This restaurant-quality dish delivers maximum flavor with minimal effort.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 6 minutes
Total Time 26 minutes
Servings: 4
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Calories: 391
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the Shrimp
  • 700 g large shrimp 26-30 count, peeled and deveined, tails on
For the Garlic Herb Butter
  • 80 g unsalted butter melted
  • 8 garlic cloves minced
  • 30 ml olive oil
  • 30 ml lemon juice
  • 30 g fresh parsley finely chopped
  • 10 g fine sea salt
  • 4 g freshly ground black pepper
  • 3 g smoked paprika
  • 2 g red pepper flakes

Method
 

Make the Garlic Butter
  1. Combine 80g melted butter, 8 minced garlic cloves, 30ml olive oil, 30ml lemon juice, 30g chopped parsley, 10g salt, 4g black pepper, 3g smoked paprika, and 2g red pepper flakes in a bowl, whisking until well blended.
Marinate the Shrimp
  1. Reserve half the garlic butter mixture in a separate bowl for basting. Toss 700g shrimp with the remaining half of the garlic butter until evenly coated. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Thread the Skewers
  1. Thread marinated shrimp onto skewers, piercing through both the tail end and the thick head end so each shrimp lies flat and won't spin during grilling. If using wooden skewers, ensure they've been soaked in water for 30 minutes.
Preheat the Grill
  1. Preheat your grill to high heat, ensuring the grates are clean and lightly oiled to prevent sticking.
Grill the Shrimp
  1. Place shrimp skewers on the hot grill and cook for 2-3 minutes per side until the shrimp turn pink and develop slight char marks. Baste generously with the reserved garlic butter while grilling.
Finish and Serve
  1. Remove skewers from the grill immediately when shrimp are completely opaque throughout—they overcook quickly and can become rubbery. Drizzle any remaining garlic butter over the skewers before serving hot.

Notes

  • Leave tails on for presentation and easy handling when eating
  • Shrimp cook extremely fast—watch carefully and remove from heat as soon as they turn opaque
  • Double-skewer technique (using two parallel skewers) prevents shrimp from spinning and makes flipping easier
  • Serve with grilled lemon wedges, rice, or a fresh green salad for a complete meal