Citrus Marinated Grilled Shrimp
Citrus Marinated Grilled Shrimp uses fresh citrus and herbs to make a delicious marinade for shrimp before it is grilled to perfection. It’s a great addition to any backyard BBQ.
Summer grilling season is here and this Citrus Marinated Grilled Shrimp is one of my favorite grilled shrimp recipes! After those grilled chicken teriyaki and pineapple skewers I shared the other day you know I’m all about adding some fresh fruit flavors to my kabobs.
This recipe turns fresh squeezed citrus juices (orange, lemon, and lime) are mixed with herbs, and garlic into a bright, flavorful marinade for shrimp.
Shrimp is great for a fast weeknight meal because it cooks so quickly. You can throw the marinade together in the morning and then when you get home from work toss shrimp in it while your grill heats up. The shrimp only needs to cook for 2-3 minutes on each side and dinner is served!
Serve them up with some chips and pineapple salsa, or mango avocado salsa and enjoy them with a refreshing frozen mango margarita for the perfect family BBQ.
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Ingredients You’ll Need
- Shrimp – We used medium – large shrimp that was peeled and de-veined. We left the tail on because we love the look but you can switch it up and do fully peeled, or not peeled at all if you prefer.
- Olive oil – This light oil helps the marinade stick to the shrimp and keeps the shrimp from sticking to the grill.
- Citrus – As you can tell from the recipe title all of the flavor for this recipe comes from bright, bold citrus. We use a mix of orange, lemon, and lime juice AND zest to ensure a big pop of flavor in every bite.
- Herbs – To balance out the citrus we add fresh parsley and cilantro, finely minced garlic, and grated ginger to the marinade.
- Seasonings – Just a little salt and pepper to bring all of the flavors together.
Instructions
Step 1 – Make the marinade. In a large bowl combine the olive oil, zest and juice from oranges, lemons, and limes, minced garlic, ginger, parsley, cilantro, salt, and pepper. Whisk together. Set 1/2 cup of the marinade to the side.
Step 2 – Marinate the shrimp. Place the shrimp into the large bowl and toss to coat. Cover the bowl or place shrimp in an airtight container, or resealable bag, and place them in the refrigerator to marinate for 30 minutes – 1 hour.
Step 3 – Assemble. Once the shrimp is done marinating take it out of the container, removing any excess marinade as you place the shrimp onto skewers. Dispose the remaining marinade after all of the shrimp skewered (keep the small portion you set aside before marinating the shrimp).
Step 4 – Cook. Grill over high heat for 2-3 minutes per side or until shrimp is pink and opaque, indicating that it is cooked through.
Step 5 – Serve. Before serving drizzle the unused marinade (no raw shrimp should have touched this marinade) over the cooked shrimp.
What Size Shrimp Should I Use for Grilling?
I purchased medium shrimp for this recipe so I could fit 4 on a skewer. I would not go any smaller than that but you can certainly go bigger. Large, and jumbo shrimp both work! Just remember that the larger the shrimp the longer it will take to cook.
Do You Peel Shrimp Before Grilling?
Yes, it can be hard to peel grilled shrimp so I recommend using peeled, deveined shrimp. I do leave the tail-on to give myself something to hold onto when I’m pulling them off of the skewers and eating them, plus I think grilled tail-on shrimp just look tastier, but you don’t have to leave them on if you prefer not to.
Do I Have to Use Skewers?
Shrimp are the perfect thing to grill on a skewer because you can lay them directly on the grill grate without having to worry about them falling through. You can also use a grill pan if you prefer to skip the skewers.
Looking for More Summer Grilling Recipes?
- Chimichurri Steak
- Grilled Chicken Fajita Skewers
- Grilled BBQ Bacon Shrimp Skewers
- Tandoori Grilled Lamb Chops
- Chipotle Dry Rub Ribs
- Grilled Peach and Berry Salad
- Easy Grilled Garlic Butter Shrimp
- Summer Grilling Recipes
- More Grilled Recipes…
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Citrus Marinated Grilled Shrimp
Ingredients
- 2 pounds Medium – Large shrimp, peeled and de-veined, tail-on
- 1 cup Olive oil
- 2 tablespoon Orange zest
- 2 tablespoon Lemon zest
- 2 tablespoon Lime zest
- 1/2 cup Orange Juice
- 1/2 cup Lemon juice
- 1/2 cup Lime juice
- 3 tablespoons Garlic, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon Ginger, grated
- 1/4 cup Parsley, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup Cilantro, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1/2 teaspoon Pepper
Instructions
- In a large bowl combine the olive oil, zest and juice from oranges, lemons, and limes, minced garlic, ginger, parsley, cilantro, salt, and pepper. Whisk together.
- Set 1/2 cup of the marinade to the side.
- Place the shrimp into a large freezer bag, or an airtight container and pour the remaining marinade over them. Toss the shrimp to coat and seal them into the container or bag and place them in the refrigerator to marinate for 30 minutes – 1 hour.
- Once the shrimp is done marinating take it out of the container, removing any excess marinade as you place the shrimp on skewers. Dispose the remaining marinade after all of the shrimp skewered (keep the small portion you set aside before marinating the shrimp).
- Grill for 2-3 minutes per side or until shrimp is pink and cooked through.
- Before serving drizzle the unused marinade (no raw shrimp should have touched this marinade) over the cooked shrimp.
- Enjoy!
Nutrition
What a fun, fresh way to celebrate Cinco de Mayo! Yum!
What a yummy recipe! I bet this would be wonderful with chicken as well. I love chicken and hubby likes shrimp, so maybe I could make this recipe and turn it into a surf and turf kind of dish. Only one way to find out! 🙂 Thanks for sharing!
I would also like to invite you to join a new link up that I am co-hosting over on my blog. Your post would be a wonderful addition to the link up! Feel free to join in on the fun!
Ooo I love the surf n’ turf idea! We’ll make sure to check out your link party!
What an awesome combo- I love shrimp and tequila! I bet these would make a great protein for tacos.
I stopped by from Cook it! Craft it! Share it!
Sound delicious! Thanks for sharing with the Thursday Blog Hop!
Do you find the acid breaks down the protein to much with the 3-4 hour marinade? Most shrimp marinade recipes call for a 15 min marinade time.
No I was a little worried about that myself but they turned out perfectly. A shorter time works too though.
That looks scrumptious!
OMG! My husband is going to love this recipe! These look so yummy and good. Thank you for sharing.
Shannon – xoxoxo
Hi there! Visiting from Motivational Monday. This looks delicious! I love shrimp with a citrus-y flavor.
Love this recipe, Kat! And I love that its so fast and easy too! I added it to my Cinco de Mayo roundup on my blog!
Thanks so much Michelle!
Can these shrimp be served at room temperature?
Seafood, like cooked shrimp, is safe at a temperature not exceeding 90 degrees Fahrenheit. At room temperature, you can let seafood sit on the table or countertop for no more than two hours (or one hour on hot days).