What Is the Best Way to Grill Shrimp

Are you wondering what is the best way to grill shrimp? Virginia Willis, culinary expert, cooking show producer, and author of Bon Appétit, Y’all! Three Generations of Southern Cooking shares her five favorite grilled shrimp recipes, along with additional tips, in this exclusive LoveToKnow Best interview.

Grilling Tips

1.

 Marinate the shrimp in orange juice, orange zest, and freshly chopped herbs for 30 minutes. Grill in the shell over medium high heat until the shells are pink and the meat is opaque.

2.

 Combine a light sauce of honey and lime juice to baste the shrimp while they are grilling.

3.

 Wrap the shrimp in aluminum foil with cold butter and hot sauce. Grill just a few minutes over medium heat until the shells are pink. Serve with crusty baguette to sop of the juices and plenty of celery and blue cheese dressing on the side!

4.

 Peel and butterfly the shrimp. Wrap the prepared shrimp in aluminum foil with olive oil, wine, butter, garlic, red pepper, lemon juice, and lemon zest.

5.

 Peel and butterfly the shrimp. Wrap the prepared shrimp in aluminum foil with olive oil, wine, butter, garlic, red pepper, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Season with salt and pepper. Grill over medium high heat until the shrimp are opaque. Serve with cooked linguine.

Virginia Willis

My first concern is that the shrimp I use for grilling are wild American shrimp. There are hundreds of different types of shrimp and the flavor and texture of each type of shrimp are influenced by the waters they come from and what they eat. Wild shrimp feed on seaweed and crustaceans which gives them a rich sweet flavor and thicker shells. I feel very passionately about using wild shrimp. Since I am from Georgia, it supports my local economy. I have friends that grew up on the coast and this is a part of their lives. The other reason is that many farm-raised shrimp are raised in crowded conditions, increasing the chance for disease so they are fed antibiotics as part of their diet. Ok, so now that I am off my soap-box, there are 3 main types of wild American shrimp: brown, white, and pink. In terms of availability, that is the order of abundance, as well. Over half of the wild American shrimp are brown. All three work equally well for grilling. The key is not to overcook any of them!

It's messy, but shrimp really should be cooked in their shells. The shells protect the sweet, delicate flesh. (And, if you have the chance to grill shrimp with the heads on - go for it! The heads help retain even more moisture and are sweet and rich. In terms of seasoning, I usually don't put freshly chopped garlic on shrimp for the grill as the garlic burns and becomes acrid. Save the garlic for after grilling or for the sauce.) If you really feel compelled to grill the shrimp without the shell, one way or the other, the best way to grill shrimp is to not grill it too long! Large shrimp only need 2 minutes per side on a medium high grill!

I learned a technique years ago from Madhur Jaffrey while I was the Kitchen Director for Martha Stewart to salt the shrimp before cooking or seasoning that I find very useful. Place the shrimp in a colander in the sink. For each pound of shrimp sprinkle over 1/2 cup of coarse kosher salt. Rub to coat and let rest for 5 minutes then rinse very well to remove all the salt and proceed with the recipe. Also, make sure to skewer the shrimp close together, but not cramped, with the tails and curve all "spooning" in one direction.

If I am grilling shrimp, I usually will also grill some vegetables to go along side. One of the reasons I like to use the grill in the summer is to keep the heat out of the kitchen. If I do feel the need to serve something not grilled as a side dish I will often reach for a box of whole wheat couscous. It's great with shrimp and soaks up all those delicious juices when the shrimp aren't overcooked!

Love To Know would like to thank Virginia Willis for sharing her expert tips and suggestions regarding what is the best way to grill shrimp and wishes her continued success in her culinary career.