Spicy Grilled Shrimp

I first published this recipe in 2012, but it was time for an update. I’ve updated just about everything from the photos and information as well as the title of the recipe. Formerly called Buf-A-Cue or Buffa-que Shrimp, but I don’t think anyone knew what that meant. I guess it could be also have been Buffalo Shrimp.

I’ve also updated the recipe itself. I’ve adjusted the recipe to have less Sriracha so it’s not as spicy and you can share it with the whole family. If you like it spicy, feel free to increase the hot sauce to up to ¼ cup in the mop sauce. I also swapped the Worcestershire for soy sauce, as I feel it’s not as pungent and more people have soy sauce in their kitchen.

Another update is that we’ve been making them without making shrimp skewers, just placing them directly on the grill grates. You do have to flip each shrimp individually, but you don’t have to soak wooden skewers or skewer the shrimp. So, it’s up to you how you want to make them. I’ve left both instructions and photos in the post to help.

Tailgating snacks month

This great grilling recipe, adapted from master of the BBQ, Steven Raichlen, is perfect for tailgating snacks month. It’s also great for BBQs, weeknight dinners, and any casual weekend get together.

We often grill these, and as they come off the grill our guests can help themselves to these shrimp appetizers. It’s a great way to stand around chatting and nibbling.

Can I use frozen shrimp for this recipe?

Absolutely! You can use fresh or frozen shrimp in this.

Frozen shrimp are my preference; you’ll be able to defrost as much as you want, saving the rest of the shrimp for anther meal. Another benefit to frozen shrimp is that you know how long they’ve been defrosted.

Shrimp defrost in just a few minutes. Place the frozen shrimp in a bowl of cool tap water.

Change out the water a few times, and in about 5 minutes, the shrimp are ready to go.

You can also thaw shrimp in the fridge overnight.

One other tip: I often make fewer shrimp than the recipe calls for. It makes it really easy to just pull enough shrimp out of the freezer for the two of us for dinner, and make up those shrimp. No leftovers, and no fuss.

What size shrimp?

Try to get the biggest shrimp you can. Jumbo shrimp or large shrimp, anywhere from 16/20 per pound to 21/25 per LB. The smaller the number for the shrimp, the bigger the shrimp. You can read the number as 16 to 20 shrimp per pound.

How to make

These delicious shrimp are filled with flavor – A little spicy, but in a good tingly way. Perfectly cooked with a nice smoky grilled char. The garlic has a nice bite while the butter mellows everything out.

It takes just a bit of marinating time and a quick grill, and this simple recipe comes together easily.

For the shrimp: Defrost the shrimp if they’re frozen. Peel off any shells, and devein them if necessary. Rinse the raw shrimp under cold running water, then blot dry with paper towels.

Make the marinade: Whisk together the lemon juice, oil, soy sauce, garlic, salt, and pepper in a large nonreactive large mixing bowl or dish. Stir in the shrimp and let marinate in the refrigerator, covered, for 30 minutes to 1 hour. You can also place shrimp and marinade in a large resealable plastic bag to marinate.

Pro tip: you can use lime juice instead of lemon juice if you prefer

Make the mop sauce: Just before setting up the grill, melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat and stir in the hot sauce. This can also be made in the microwave if preferred.

How to grill shrimp

Set up the grill for direct grilling and preheat to high. When ready to cook, drain the marinade off the shrimp and discard the marinade.

To skewer or not to skewer

I’ve included the skewering instructions. Though, like I said, we don’t take the time to skewer them anymore. Skewering them makes it easy to put them on the grill, flip them, and remove them from the grill.

Grab your skewers. If you have flat skewers, you’ll only need one per kebab. Flat skewers are preferred, but if you have round ones, use two skewers per kebab so that the shrimp are easy to turn.

Next, soak the skewers in water for 1 hour. I like to weight them down with a plate so they stay submerged.

Do I need to soak the skewers? Yes, if you’re using wooden skewers, you absolutely need to soak them in water, otherwise, they will catch on fire. After an hour, drain off the water.

Skewered shrimp

To skewer: Thread shrimp on each flat skewer or on two round skewers. Insert the skewer near the head and tail ends so that the shrimp curls like the letter C. Use two round skewers so that it’s easy to turn them, otherwise, they just tend to turn on the skewer and it can be a real hassle. If you don’t want to skewer the shrimp, simply skip this step.

Shrimp not on skewers

Grilling the shrimp

Start grilling: Brush and oil the grill grate.

Arrange the shrimp on the hot grate so that the shrimp are over the fire. Grill the shrimp until just starting to turn pink, about 2 minutes. Brush the shrimp with the mop sauce. Flip the shrimp, cook another 2 minutes, and brush again with remaining mop sauce. Remove from the grill.

How long to grill shrimp

When the shrimp are cooked, they’ll turn from gray and translucent to pinkish white and opaque. They’ll be firm to the touch, and the tails will curl slightly. Overcooked shrimp will have tightly curled tails.

The shrimp should only take about 2-3 minutes on each side to be fully cooked.

Remove them from the grill once they’re done.

Be careful, the skewers will be hot straight off the grill.

Want to cook them on the stove?

You can also cook them inside on the stove in a grill pan. Just follow the same instructions, heating the pan to high before adding the shrimp to the pan.

Can I make ahead?

The lemon juice in the marinade will start to break down the shrimp (think of what happens in ceviche), so you don’t want them to marinate for longer than 2 hours.

If you want to prep this ahead of time, you can make the marinade up to a day in advance and store it in the fridge (separately from the shrimp). You can also make up the mop sauce a day in advance. Let it cool, refrigerate, covered, and when you’re ready to use it, just melt it on the stove or in the microwave again.

You can defrost, peel, and devein the shrimp up to 2 days in advance.

Serving suggestions

We love serving these spicy shrimp as appetizers, and they’re perfect for tailgating! Serve with some blue cheese sauce or dressing for dipping.

They make a delicious meal when made into shrimp tacos. I love them with corn tortillas, cabbage slaw, avocados, and a sour cream sauce. Garnish with lots of crumbled queso fresco.

I’ve been making them into grilled shrimp bowls lately. Think shrimp salads. Check out my Mexican Street Corn Bowls and Salmon bowl for inspiration.

Serve the shrimp with elote, Mexican style corn, with salted butter, crumbled queso fresco cheese, cilantro, and spices. And maybe some sweet potato fries on the side.

These shrimp make excellent sushi rolls. Take a look at my California Rolls Sandwiches recipe and Tuna Sushi Rolls for how to make the fillings and more ideas. And, I shared on Instagram about it as well.

Use them on top of ramen, serve over rice, or just eat them straight off the grill.

Turn them into appetizers with my Guacamole Shrimp Appetizer Recipe.

Serve the shrimp with Lemon wedges or lime wedges. Sprinkle with Cayenne pepper or paprika as a garnish.

Storage

Store your any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days. Once refrigerated, I like to serve them cold so they aren’t cooked twice, which would make them tough and rubbery. They’re great in salads cold, or serve than as a fancy shrimp cocktail with some homemade cocktail sauce.