This Greek-Style Grilled Shrimp can be made over a bed of hot coals or under your oven broiler. As if that isn’t good enough, this Mediterranean dish that features a coating of garlic and feta cheese can be on the table in under 30 minutes. Read on to see just how simple this flavorful meal is to make!
This marinated grilled shrimp is light and flavorful.
Greek-Style Grilled Shrimp
I love shrimp and nearly anything else the comes from the ocean or swims in lakes and rivers. This Mediterranean-inspired grilled shrimp recipe is our latest example of easy and delicious seafood recipes here on Platter Talk. You can do a little prep work ahead of time to get this easy shrimp recipe on the grill and to your dinner table in a matter of minutes.
Use Jumbo or Large Shrimp for this Grilled Shrimp Recipe.
To Make this Grilled Shrimp Recipe
Start by peeling and deveining about a pound and a half of jumbo or colossal size shrimp. Be sure to leave the tail of the shrimp on, when peeling. Fresh shrimp are always the best to use but if you’re landlocked like we are here in Wisconsin, find some good frozen shrimp and let them thaw out in the refrigerator overnight or run them under some cold water for a few minutes. They thaw out fast and once thawed, need to be used quickly or returned to the refrigerator and preferably packed on ice.
Here is a nice video to show you how to devein shrimp. Also if you ever wondered what all those numbers mean when buying shrimp, in the United States shrimp are sold by count per pound. Depending on the shrimp recipe you are making, you will want to use the appropriate size shrimp.
It’s best to use count per pound when buying shrimp, since one store’s “Jumbo” may be another store’s “Large”.
Once you have the shrimp peeled and deveined, you want to keep them cold until ready to use. For this recipe, layer the prepared shrimp in ice, inside of a colander. Put the colander on a plate and keep in your refrigerator until you are ready to rock and roll.
For this Grilled Shrimp Marinade
Fresh ingredients with some olive oil go into this grilled shrimp marinade.
You’re going to use the following fresh ingredients for the grilled shrimp marinade:
Garlic
Olive Oil
Lemon Juice
Italian (flat leaf) parsley
Kosher salt
Use a whole head of garlic for this grilled shrimp marinade.
Combine the ingredients in a pestle.
Take these ingredients and use a mortar and pestle if you have one. If you don’t have one of these, you can use a small food processor as well. Grind the marinade ingredients to a paste and grab the prepared shrimp out of the fridge.
Cover each shrimp with the marinade paste.
I take each shrimp and place it in the pestle with the marinade paste and spread a layer of paste on each one. Then, return the shrimp to a small bowl and seal it with plastic. Once again, return this marinade-covered shrimp to the refrigerator, encased in ice.
Keep the marinated shrimp cold by sealing the bowl with plastic wrap and encasing the bowl with ice and then refrigerating.
At this point, you can work on other things or have a glass of lemonade or a crisp white wine. The shrimp will be good to go for a couple of hours until you’re ready to light the grill. In the mean time, the marinating shrimp are soaking up some pretty fine flavors.
Light the Grill
Using a charcoal chimney is a safe and efficient way to light charcoal.
About a half hour or so before you are ready to eat, light your grill, or oven broiler if you want to make this grilled shrimp recipe in the oven. I have to confess that I just starting using a charcoal chimney a year or so ago when I began to take my grilling a bit more seriously.
A charcoal chimney ensures that your charcoal lights and burns evenly and helps you to avoid the use of liquid igniting charcoal starter. That stuff is nasty! It’s filled with harmful chemicals and gives an unpleasant taste to the food that you’ve worked so hard to prepare!
If you are one of those people who stays away from charcoal and instead use a gas grill because of time and ease, get over it! It really does not take much longer to prepare a good charcoal grill than it does to light your over-priced gas and chemical-powered grill. Besides, take a break and drop your shoulders. The whole idea behind grilling is to enjoy the experience and savor the moment!
How to Grill Shrimp
Use wooden pre-soaked wooden skewers for easy handling of grilled shrimp.
As I mentioned earlier, larger shrimp work better for grilling because they’re easier to handle Look for U/15 or U 16/20 for grilled shrimp. you’re also going to want to use skewers to easily handle and turn the shrimp while grilling.
Grilled Shrimp Skewers
Use wooden skewers when grilling shrimp. They’re inexpensive, easy to dispose of, and won’t give you a painful burn if you touch them while grilling your shrimp. Importantly, pre-soak the shrimp skewers to keep them from burning while you are grilling the shrimp. Use a jelly roll pan or large rectangular casserole pan to soak your skewers.
Grilled shrimp should be placed over direct heat.
When making grilled shrimp, you want to think hot and fast. Therefore, place the skewered shrimp on a hot grill and over direct heat. You’ll want grill the shrimp for about 5-6 minutes total. Once the underside starts to turn pink, turn those babies over and finish the other side.
We serve this Greek-Style Grilled Shrimp over a bed of garlic and herb couscous.
What to Serve with Grilled Shrimp
We serve this grilled shrimp over a bed of couscous and lettuce greens. Next, sprinkle a handful of crumbled feta cheese, some diced tomatoes, and a some fresh lemon juice over the whole tray. Finally a bit of fresh chopped parsley adds color and flavor to this Mediterranean-inspired shrimp on the grill.
Greek-Style Grilled Shrimp from Platter Talk.
We cherish every minute of outdoor grilling weather here in the mid-west and have quite a few other grilled recipes. Here are a few of our most popular recipes for the grill:
Our family enjoys this grilled shrimp and yours will too!
Greek-Style Grilled Shrimp
This easy grilled shrimp recipe can be made over a bed of hot coals or in the oven under your broiler. This delicious family meal is inspired by Mark Bittman via the New York Times.
Ingredients
For the Marinade
Instructions
Light grill to high setting.
Use a mortar and pestle and crush garlic. Add olive oil, lemon, salt and pepper. Grind to a paste and stir in parsley.
Rub the past over the prepared shrimp. Then skewer the shrimp with pre-soaked wooden skewers.
Place shrimp skewers on grill over direct heat, grilling each side for 2-3 minutes. Remove from grill and place on serving platter. Sprinkle crumbled Feta and diced tomatoes over shrimp and garnish with additional parsley if desired. Serve immediately.
Recipe Notes
If using the oven broiler method, place oven rack at highest level. Place shrimp on a cookie sheet, broil each side for 2-3 minutes. Remove from oven and garnish with Feta and tomatoes.
Nutrition Facts
Greek-Style Grilled Shrimp
Amount Per Serving
Calories 204 Calories from Fat 81
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 9g 14%
Saturated Fat 2g 10%
Cholesterol 296mg 99%
Sodium 1030mg 43%
Potassium 226mg 6%
Total Carbohydrates 4g 1%
Sugars 1g
Protein 25g 50%
Vitamin A 7.9%
Vitamin C 20%
Calcium 24.1%
Iron 15.2%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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