How To Cook Shrimp On The Grill

First of all, let's touch the basics of what goes into making the best grilled shrimp before you get into the cooking process.

Simple ingredients make up this 5-minute recipe, most of which you probably have stocked up in your pantry already. Also, you can always adjust or substitute ingredients to make them suit your taste palate.

• Shrimp: Obvious. Fresh shrimp is the premium choice here, but frozen shrimp will work perfectly too. Large peeled and deveined shrimps save time in cooking. You can use this guide to clean your shrimp if you only have frozen ones.
• Seasoning Mix: For his recipe, we have made something classic and very easy. This shrimp seasoning mix contains onion powder, smoked paprika, chili powder and some garlic powder. They enhance the seafood flavors in shrimp, and they are also very easy to get from the supermarket.
• Garlic: Garlic goes with anything and everything. In this case, it adds a little punch to the shrimp with minced garlic. Don't use the one from a jar; it doesn't bring the same punch as the fresh ones. 
• Lemon: You'll need the juice and the zest of the lemon. Zest the outside yellow part of the lemon and squeeze out the lemon for juice. Lemon adds that specific tang which goes very well with all other ingredients.
• Vegetables (Optional): Go adventurous here. If you happen to like grilled shrimp kabobs, go out and bring some bell peppers, onions, zucchini and maybe even mushrooms to the party. Those vegetables would be just beautifully charred as would the shrimp.

Before starting to make grilled dishes, investing in a good quality grill pan that can fit entirely on your stovetop is important so that you shoot up your barbecue adventure from inside your own home.

If buying is out of the question, the outdoor charcoal or gas grill serves quite well.

Ingredients

• ½ pound of raw shrimp
• 3 tablespoons of avocado oil
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 2 teaspoons red chili flakes
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 2 zucchinis, bell peppers, and red onions chopped into thick pieces

Instructions

Step 1: Preparing The Cooking Station.

• Pat dry the shrimp with paper towels. It is important that there be no moisture on your shrimp during grilling; any stored moisture will lead to cool, salty steam, which affects most grilled shrimp. 
• At the same time, preheat your grill, so it gets superbly hot enough to cook at about 275 to 325ºF.

Step 2: Season the Shrimp 

• Add the shrimp to a large bowl and coat it properly with 2 tbsp. avocado oil and minced garlic. The oil helps all other seasonings stick properly on the shrimps. Collect onion powder, garlic powder, chili flakes, chili powder, and smoked paprika. Mix them all together until the shrimp is well coated with the mixture on all sides. 
• If you want to make your kabobs, also add in your cut veggies so that they will be coated with seasoning. Allow it to sit and marry some flavors into the shrimp for about 2-3 minutes. 

Step 3: Grill

• Brush the grill grates or pan (whichever you're using) with a little avocado oil. We chose avocado oil because it has a higher smoke point and works best on the grill.
• Put the seasoned shrimps on the grill and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side. The best indication of when your shrimp is done is by observing them.

Step 4: Rest and Serve

• Once its ready (a light pink color), take the shrimp and place it on the serving plate. Squeeze one whole lemon over the shrimp to garnish it properly.
• Zest some lemon on top of the shrimp for a bright yellow color on the shrimp. Serve it with a side of some brown rice or some fried chicken for a complete meal.

Cooking shrimp on a grill takes only 2-3 minutes for each side. Nevertheless, these times are just estimates. The time grilled shrimp would usually take depends on the size of your shrimp and the temperature that your grill is running at. 

Since cooking time varies with these factors, watch your shrimp instead of the clock when cooking.

The following signs could indicate when the shrimp is done:

• The color of the shrimp changes from see-through to cloudy pink when cooked.
• The tail of the shrimp curls lightly after being cooked (if it curls too tightly, it is overcooked).

• Don't Overmarinate: If using shrimp marinade instead of the powder, don't leave any piece of shrimp for longer than 4 hours. The acid in the marinades might change the texture of shrimp.
• Thaw the Shrimp: If you are using frozen shrimp (let's be real, they are so much easier to find than fresh), thawing them before tossing them on the grill makes sense. Let them thaw in the refrigerator overnight, or sit them in water at room temperature, stirring occasionally. Make sure there are no cold spots on the shrimp as you start to cook.
• Shell On or Off: Yes, you can cook your shrimp with the shell on. However, allowing the shell to stay on prevents the charring of the shrimp. The seasonings may also not get deep into the shrimp and it will taste like nothing.
• Flip As You Go: This one might sound a little fussy, but it couldn't be more important. Remember the order they were placed on the grill and flip them accordingly. Shrimp cooks really fast and just a minute or two can result in overcooking. So start with the shrimp you placed first and go on from there. 

• Salad: The light salad will be proper with grilled food. So something like a chopped or cabbage salad will work, and also try out some dressing that complements the seasoning on your shrimp.
• Pasta: Shrimp pairs well with something light like spaghetti or even pesto pasta. Shrimp pasta is a common dinner choice in most homes, so go ahead and toss in your grilled shrimp into the mix. Pasta salads also work well.
• Rice Bowls: Whether it be with rice, quinoa, or even farro, grilled shrimp is a great add-on for bowls. Paired with some spinach or kale, it gives the grilled shrimp quite a punch.
• Roasted Veggies: Just like in the salad, veggie side dishes like roasted asparagus or roasted Brussels sprouts can also be served alongside grilled shrimp. They fill up and help round out your meal.
• Classic Coleslaw: It's a no-brainer. Classic cabbage coleslaw is a summer staple, as it is a popular side for various grilled or barbecued meats.

If you have grilled shrimp, you can keep it at room temperature for up to 2 hours. Anything extra would need refrigeration. Transfer them to the fridge as soon as they get cold. 

Place them in an air-tight sealed container and put them in the fridge for 3–4 days. If the shrimp are in a skewer, remove them first before storing. 

To heat these, just heat them for about 3 minutes on a pan with some butter. 

Can Grilled Shrimp Be Frozen 

Technically yes; this is not the best scenario since this takes its toll on your shrimp's texture. But if you must, here's how to do it: Lay them one and all on parchment paper and flash freeze them for one hour or until frozen. Then transfer them to a freezer-safe bag and freeze them for 3 months. 

Just thaw overnight and fry them in the pan with a little oil or butter.