Mediterranean Grilled Shrimp Skewers make an easy warm weather meal, perfect for grilling season. Shrimp are marinated in a Mediterranean yogurt marinade and grilled until tender and juicy. Pair with your favorite pasta salad, grilled vegetables and a refreshing summer drink!
MEDITERRANEAN GRILLED SHRIMP SKEWERS
The other day I shared a Shrimp Dip Recipe with you guys which is perfect to serve at your next BBQ or party.
Today I am excited to share another easy recipe that my whole family loves.
Mediterranean Grilled Shrimp Skewers is not only easy to make, it is a beautiful dish to add to a summer spread.
It can be served on its own with a Summer Orzo Pasta Salad, on a pita with Tzatziki sauce or on shrimp tacos.
The thing I love most about shrimp is how versatile it is- you can make a dip, grill it on skewers, air fryer it, sauté it or add it to a pasta dish.
It makes a great appetizer or a healthy dinner for a busy night.
It is an elegant addition to a table but cooks quickly which makes it great for a busy day of entertaining guests.
Today’s Mediterranean Grilled Shrimp Skewers uses a yogurt based marinade mixed with warm spices.
You might remember my Mediterranean Chicken recipe that also uses a yogurt marinade.
The yogurt when added to protein and grilled holds in the juices and tenderizes the protein.
WHAT INGREDIENTS ARE IN MEDITERRANEAN GRILLED SHRIMP SKEWERS?
- 1 POUND OF SHRIMP: LARGE RAW SHRIMP OR JUMBO RAW SHRIMP {I PREFER FRESH SHRIMP}
- GREEK YOGURT, WHOLE FAT
- OLIVE OIL
- LEMON JUICE & LEMON ZEST
- GARLIC CLOVES, MINCED
- THYME
- PAPRIKA, SWEET OR SMOKED
- CUMIN
- OREGANO
- CAYENNE PEPPER
- FRESH HERBS FOR GARNISH
WHY I LOVE SIZZLEFISH?
Today’s post is in partnership with Sizzlefish. I love their seafood delivery service. I can get these wild-caught shrimp delivered straight to my door in no-time at all.
If you go and check out their website you will be amazed at all of the options they have from salmon, to scallops, to cod, to shrimp.
If you like seafood like I do you need to order a variety pack to make this Air Fryer Cod, Pan Seared Greek Salmon and today’s Mediterranean Shrimp Skewers.
HOW DO YOU MAKE GRILLED SHRIMP SKEWERS?
In a large ziplock bag or large bowl put the yogurt, olive oil, lemon juice and zest, garlic, thyme, paprika, cumin, oregano, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper.
Add the shrimp to the shrimp marinade. Seal the bag and shake to coat the shrimp with the marinade.
Marinate the shrimp for 30 minutes.
Set out your metal or bamboo skewers. Thread shrimp on the skewers.
Heat the outdoor grill or grill pan to medium hight heat.
Spray with oil to prevent the shrimp skewers from sticking.
Put the shrimp kebabs on the grill and cook for about 3 minutes per side, or until the shrimp are pink on the outside and the meat inside should be white and opaque. Do not overcook the shrimp or else it will become tough.
Remove the shrimp kabobs from the grill and garnish with fresh parsley, feta cheese and lemon wedges.
TIPS FOR MAKING MEDITERRANEAN SHRIMP SKEWERS
SIZE: I think the larger the shrimp the easier they are to grill. It makes it a lot easier to skewer them too!
If you don’t have skewers shrimp can often fall through the grates of the grill so that is why larger shrimp would be a better option if you aren’t using a skewer.
THAW: You will want to thaw frozen shrimp in the fridge overnight before you cook them on the grill. If the shrimp have a lot of excess water from being frozen you will want to drain that and pat them dry before you apply spices or a marinade.
YOGURT: Of course you can create a basic olive oil and lemon juice marinade along with shrimp seasoning but I think that yogurt is the key to tender, juicy grilled shrimp.
The full-fat yogurt helps hold in the juices and keep the shrimp tender when grilled. I also like that yogurt holds the spices onto the shrimp when you grill them.
MARINADE: If you are using lemon juice in a marinade for the shrimp you only want to marinade in the fridge for 2 hours or less otherwise the lemon juice starts to cook the shrimp. I suggest 3o minutes for today’s recipe.
DEVEIN: Before you prepare your shrimp in the marinade you have to make sure they are deveined.
I suggest asking your seafood market or department to do it for you because it says a lot of time. If that isn’t an option you will want to do it yourself. You can follow this guide here.
ACID: The lemon juice is a great addition to this marinade to help tenderize the shrimp and also add that zesty lemon flavor. You can also add fresh lime juice.
HOW CAN I TELL IF SHRIMP ARE COOKED?
When grilling shrimp you want the shrimp to turn pink on the outside and the meat on the inside to be opaque.
When the underside of the shrimp start to turn pink you want to flip them over. Shrimp cook about 2-3 minutes per side on the grill.
MY FAVORITE SIDES TO PAIR WITH SHRIMP:
When shrimp is the main course you have to pair it up with some healthy, light side dishes. Here are some of my favorites:
LEMON ARUGULA SALAD WITH PINE NUTS
TOMATO CUCUMBER FETA QUINOA SALAD
OTHER SHRIMP RECIPES YOU MIGHT LIKE:
SAUSAGE AND SHRIMP FOIL PACKETS
ONE POT MEDITERRANEAN SHRIMP PASTA
SHRIMP SCAMPI WITH SUN-DRIED TOMATOES
Mediterranean Grilled Shrimp Skewers
Ingredients
- 1 pound wild caught large shrimp, peeled and deveined {you can remove the tails or just leave them on and take them off when you eat}
- 1 cup of plain Greek yogurt, full fat
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1/2 of a lemon, juiced plus zest of 1/2 of a lemon
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 teaspoons dried thyme
- 1 Tablespoon paprika {you can use sweet paprika or smoked paprika for a smoky flavor}
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper {optional}
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
- Fresh parsley for garnish
- Feta cheese for garnish
- Lemon wedges
Instructions
- If you plan to use wooden skewers you will want to soak them in water before using them on the grill.
- In a large ziplock bag put the yogurt, olive oil, lemon juice and zest, garlic, thyme, paprika, cumin, oregano, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper.
- Add the shrimp in with the marinade. Seal the bag and shake to coat the shrimp with the marinade.
- Marinate the shrimp for 30 minutes. Because of the lemon juice don't marinade longer than 2 hours or the shrimp beging to break down from the acid in the lemon juice.
- Set out your metal or wooden skewers. Thread the shrimp on the skewers.
- Heat the grill to medium hight heat.
- Spray with oil to prevent the shrimp skewers from sticking.
- Put the skewers on the grill and cook for about 3 minutes per side, or until the shrimp are pink on the outside and the meat inside should be white and opaque. Do not overcook the shrimp or else it will become tough.
- Remove the shrimp from the grill and garnish with fresh parsley, feta cheese and lemon wedges.
Notes
BROILER DIRECTIONS:
Preheat the broiler. Spray a baking sheet or casserole dish with non-stick spray. Place the shrimp skewers on the baking sheet. Broil for 3 minutes on each side or until shrimp are pink on the outside and the inside meat is opaque.
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