Garlicky Grilled Shrimp

I can remember the first time I ever tried shellfish. My grandma always bought the holiday platters with shrimp and cocktail sauce to serve at our family gathering on Christmas Eve. In my childhood curiosity I wanted to try one so badly, but I was nervous because my dad was allergic to all forms of fish. Eventually my grandma and mom convinced me that I would be okay. The first taste was not a success. I HATED the cocktail sauce, and I still do to this day, but luckily my mom convinced me to try another one without the sauce, and I realized how delicious shrimp is. The rest is history. I now buy shellfish at every opportunity I get, whether that’s at a restaurant or buying it fresh to cook up myself. I’m fortunate enough that in the summer seafood trucks will drive up to my hometown and sell their frozen catches that they made down South. I usually stock up with six months worth of shrimp so that I can get by for a while before being forced to buy shrimp from the grocery store instead. 

Throughout the years of trying different kinds of shrimp, I have discovered that I like it best with hot sauce and garlic for flavor, which led to the development of my Garlicky Grilled Shrimp. Be warned ahead of time, as the title suggests, this dish is full of garlic flavors. In all my other recipes I try to chill on the garlic flavors for Cole, but since he doesn’t eat shrimp, this recipe is catered directly to my own taste buds, and I LOVE garlic. Feel free to cut the garlic down if you only LIKE garlic and don’t LOVE it like I do. 

*This recipe makes enough for one person to have it as a meal or two people to have it as an appetizer course.

*Special Tools Needed* Kabob Skewers – either wooden or metal can be used – if using wooden skewers, make sure to soak them in water for at least 4-6 hours before grilling to ensure that they stay intact when put on the hot and flaming grill.

Ingredients

Shrimp Marinade

8 Medium Shrimp (about 6 oz)

3 oz Olive Oil

2 tsp Crystal’s Hot Sauce (Tabasco can be substituted in)

½ tsp Minced Garlic

¼ tsp Dried Onion Flakes

1 tsp Lemon Pepper

Garlic Butter

1 ½ tbsp Butter

½ tsp Minced Garlic

5 drops Crystals Hot Sauce (Tabasco can be substituted in)

⅛ tsp Dried Dill

Directions

1. Many times shrimp will be cleaned by the seller, but if it has not been, then it will need to be deveined before any other steps can happen. If you do not own one yet, Amazon sells a nice Shrimp Cleaner like the one pictured below. This tool can be pushed through the upper middle section of the shrimp to remove both the shell and the vein. Sometimes a small portion of the vein will be left behind after this process, but the tool provides access to it so that it can be easily picked out. Rinse the shrimp off and pat them dry after removing the veins and shells.

2. Mix together all of the ingredients of the shrimp marinade. Cover the shrimp in the sauce and refrigerate for 20 minutes to let the flavors seep in. 

3. Heat the grill to about 400 – 425 degrees, and push the shrimp onto the skewers, about 4 shrimp per skewer. 

4. Place the shrimp on the grill in a spot where it will get indirect heat. If using a gas grill this will be the top shelf. If using a charcoal grill this will be placed closer to the edges. Cook on each side for 4 minutes only. 

5. While the shrimp is cooking, melt the butter and mix in the minced garlic, hot sauce, and dried dill. 

6. When the shrimp is taken off the grill, remove them from their skewers and pour the garlic butter over the top of them to finish them off. 

Kitchen Tip: If you are trying to eat healthy, the garlic butter drizzle can be skipped in this recipe. The shrimp is also delicious with just the marinade. The butter simply adds something a little extra to it. 

This recipe is perfect for all seafood and garlic lovers. My favorite part about it is that it only takes 8 minutes to cook! I personally like to use this as a main course, and I serve it with a side of my Parmesan Crusted Asparagus. These two dishes pair together really well and make for a nice, light, summer meal.