Bbq grilled shrimp skewers
- Preparation 15 min
- Refrigeration 30 min
- Cooking 10 min
- Servings 4
- Freezing I do not suggest
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🦐 One of my favorite shrimp recipes since the early days of the site
These grilled shrimp skewers are honestly one of my favorite shrimp recipes, and they’re among the very first recipes I ever put on Le Coup de Grâce. They’ve never left my summer rotation. They’re delicious and they burst in your mouth: the sweetness of the maple syrup, the bright acidity of the lime and the Asian accents all come together perfectly. Once you taste them, you understand why I pull them out every single time the BBQ is fired up.
🍁 Maple syrup in the marinade, my Quebec signature
Maple syrup in a shrimp marinade is my own idea, my Quebec reflex. I love putting maple syrup in my recipes, and here it works wonders: it caramelizes lightly on the grill, balances the saltiness of the soy sauce and rounds out the kick of the ginger. With toasted sesame oil and sesame seeds, you get a genuinely Asian, sweet-and-salty profile that’s a world away from the classic lemon-garlic shrimp skewer.
🔥 The secret: marinate short and save some marinade for serving
The trick I’ve fine-tuned over the years: marinate for only 30 minutes, never more. The lime would eventually cook the shrimp flesh and turn it mushy. And most importantly, I split the marinade: I set aside a third of it, separately, to drizzle over the skewers right when serving. It gives one last hit of freshness and flavor just before everyone digs in. Simple, fast, perfect for summer entertaining.
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🍁 Maple syrup, my Quebec touch
Putting maple syrup in a shrimp marinade was my idea, and it changes everything. It caramelizes lightly on the grill, balances the saltiness of the soy sauce and rounds out the kick of the ginger. That’s what gives these skewers their sweet-and-salty profile that bursts in your mouth.
⏱️ Marinate 30 minutes, never more
This is the most important tip. The marinade contains lime juice, and the acidity eventually cooks the shrimp flesh if you go past 30 minutes. The result is mushy, mealy shrimp. Thirty minutes in the fridge is just enough to flavor them deeply without wrecking the texture.
💦 Save a third of the marinade for serving
Before you even add the shrimp, set aside a third of the marinade in a clean container. You’ll drizzle it over the grilled skewers right before serving for one last hit of freshness. The marinade that touched the raw shrimp gets discarded: never reuse it.
🔥 Crank the BBQ and turn only once
Preheat the BBQ to maximum power, between 500 and 550 °F, and oil the grates well. At that heat, the shrimp sear and won’t stick. I don’t fuss with them: I turn them only once. Two minutes per side and you’re done.
🦐 Frozen 21/25 shrimp, peeled
I always go for 21/25 shrimp: big enough to stay juicy, but not jumbo. And always frozen, since it’s fresher than the thawed shrimp sitting at the counter. Peel them, and keep the tail on or off: if you don’t mind getting your hands messy at the table, leave the tail on, otherwise take it off.
🌮 Turn leftovers into tacos the next day
If you have grilled shrimp left over, don’t waste them. Throw them in a tortilla with sour cream, avocado and lettuce: you’ve got a seriously good improvised taco. Honestly, sometimes I grill extra just to have that lunch the next day.
✅ What to serve with my BBQ grilled shrimp skewers?
In summer I almost always serve them with grilled corn with chipotle butter or a fresh grilled corn salad. A simple green salad always works too. And if you want to stay on the shrimp theme, my shrimp tacos are a classic. No dipping sauce needed: these skewers are delicious as is.
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Marinade
- 680 g (1 ½ lb) of 21/25 raw shrimp, peeled and thawed (tail on or off, your choice)
- 20 wooden skewers, soaked in water for 30 minutes
- ¼ cup (60 ml) soy sauce
- ¼ cup (60 ml) olive oil
- ¼ cup (60 ml) maple syrup
- The juice of one lime
- 2 green onions, sliced into rounds
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) fresh ginger, grated
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 2 tsp (10 ml) sesame seeds
- ½ tsp (2.5 ml) toasted sesame oil
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) Sriracha (optional)
- Salt and pepper from the mill
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Preparation
- In a bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, olive oil, maple syrup, lime juice, green onions, ginger, garlic, sesame seeds, sesame oil and Sriracha. Season with salt and pepper.
- Set aside a third of the marinade in a separate container: it will be used at serving time. Pour the rest over the shrimp in an airtight container and toss to coat well.
- Marinate in the fridge for 30 minutes, no longer. Beyond that, the acidity of the lime cooks the flesh and the shrimp turn mushy.
- Preheat the BBQ to maximum power (500 to 550 °F (290 °C)) and oil the grates generously.
- Thread the shrimp firmly onto the skewers. Discard the marinade that was in contact with the raw shrimp.
- Grill the shrimp about 2 minutes per side, turning only once, until they are bright pink and opaque.
- Arrange the skewers on a serving platter, drizzle with the reserved marinade and serve immediately.
This marinade combines lime juice, soy sauce, olive oil, and maple syrup with scallions, ginger, garlic, sesame seeds, and a touch of sriracha for heat. Let the shrimp sit in it for at least 3 hours in the fridge before skewering and grilling.
Small shrimp cook fast, about 2 minutes per side until they turn pink. Giant shrimp with the shell on need a bit longer, around 3 to 4 minutes per side. Either way, pour the reserved marinade over them right as they hit the hot grill.
Soak the wooden skewers in water for 15 minutes first so they do not burn on the grill. Thread the shrimp on solidly, then place them straight on the hot grates and pour the remaining marinade over top as soon as they start cooking.
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