These GRILLED SHRIMP KABOBS are juicy shrimp marinated in cumin, Italian seasoning, lemon, garlic, pepper flakes, and fresh herbs, then threaded along with vibrant flavored veggies for one explosive yet quick and easy, busy weeknight meal. A quick dinner that can be easily customized!
It’s officially summer here in the U.S. and that takes me to full blast grilling mode. So to kick off this summer, I’m sharing today a vibrant, quick, and easy shrimp skewers dinner. What else can I say, I’m the grill master here, so I do get to choose what I want to grill.
Shrimp skewers are actually a practical dinner option coz they’re easy to prepare and can be cooked either on the grill or on the stovetop. Moreover, it’s not just all about shrimp, coz this grilled shrimp recipe also has well-seasoned veggies to make it a more wholesome meal.
Need I say more?
Shrimp Kabob Marinade
To get us off to a good start, let’s talk about the showstopper marinade that’s behind these vibrant and inviting shrimp kebabs.
When it comes to making a marinade, I don’t skimp on the ingredients. This shrimp marinade actually packs a boatload of flavor from…
- fresh oregano and thyme
- black pepper and cumin
- pepper flakes
- Italian seasoning (click for my HOMEMADE recipe)
- olive oil
- lemon juice
- garlic
This is quite simple, but if you want to jazz it up, you may also include some lemon zest, a little bit of honey, and soy sauce. Yum yum!! And if you think the pepper flakes aren’t hitting that heat spot for you, then, by all means, add a teensy eensy bit of Tabasco or any hot sauce you have on hand into the marinade. BOOM!
Pro Tip: Don’t soak the shrimp in the marinade overnight or else it’ll get mushy. Shorter marinating time works for this recipe.
How Long to Grill Shrimp Skewers?
Shrimp cooks fairly quickly, so it is mandatory to watch it closely unlike other grilled meat. These grilled shrimp typically takes between 2-3 minutes per side on the grill – either an outdoor grill or grill pan. You can tell when they’re cooked through once they’re pink and opaque.
How to Cook Shrimp Kabobs in the Oven?
But it’s not all the time that we’re in the mood for grilling. So if you don’t feel like firing up the grill or basically just running out of fuel, you can cook these shrimp kabobs in the oven.
Simply preheat the oven to 450 F, then lightly coat the baking sheet pan with oil or nonstick spray. Place the threaded shrimp and vegetables onto the sheet and roast until pink, about 5-7 minutes, or until pink and cooked through.
What Else Can You Add?
I’m glad you asked, coz there are tons of ways to play around with this simple yet mouthwatering shrimp kabob recipe.
- Add some pineapples too for that Hawaiian-inspired grilled shrimp kabob.
- Want to diversify the meat? Add sliced pre-cooked Andouille sausages.
- Mushrooms are great too for this grilled recipe
What to Serve with Grilled Shrimp?
Actually, they’re already a fun meal on their own. But if you’re making this dinner for four or hosting a backyard bbq party, you can include these other recipes below to complete your summer cookout meal.
- Rice or Creamy Orzo (recipe SOON)
- Strawberry Spinach Salad
- Oven Roasted Corn on the Cob
- Vinegar Coleslaw
- Black Bean and Corn Salad
And oh, don’t forget the drinks. Check my DRINKS RECIPES here.
More Grilled Recipes
Looking for more grilled recipes for this summer? Check my other GRILLED RECIPES here.
How to Make Shrimp Kabobs
Soak skewers for at least 20 minutes totally submerged in water before using to prevent burns. Heat the gas grill to medium-high heat. If using grill pan lightly spray or oil to prevent the shrimp from sticking to the pan. In a medium bowl, combine, thyme, oregano, black pepper, cumin, garlic, pepper flakes, Italian seasoning, olive oil, and lemon juice. Set aside. Add shrimp in a large bowl, season with salt, then marinade shrimp with the spicy mixture.
Use some of the marinade to rub on the vegetables, then salt to taste. Thread the shrimp onto the skewers, alternating between the shrimp and vegetables. Making sure the front of the skewer is fully covered with vegetables or shrimp. Place skewers on grill pan or gas grill. Grill for about 2-3 minutes per side until vegetables are fully cooked through. Serve warm with salad, rice, or creamy orzo.
Grilled Shrimp Kabobs
Ingredients
- 2 pounds large shrimp peeled deveined
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme
- 1-2 teaspoons fresh oregano or ½ teaspoon dried
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon cumin spice
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic (about 3 medium cloves)
- 1 teaspoon pepper flakes
- ½ teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
- 3-4 tablespoons olive oil
- 3-4 tablespoons lemon juice
- salt to taste
Optional Ingredients
- bell pepper , large chunks
- red onion , large slice
- zucchini , large slice
- squash , large slice
Instructions
- Soak skewers for at least 20 minutes totally submerged in water before using it to prevent burns.
- Heat the gas grill to medium-high heat. If using grill pan lightly spray or oil to prevent the shrimp from sticking to the pan
- In a medium bowl, combine, thyme, oregano, black pepper, cumin, garlic, pepper flakes, Italian seasoning, olive oil, and lemon juice. Set aside.
- Add shrimp in a large bowl, season with salt, then marinade shrimp with the spicy mixture.
- Use some of the marinade to rub on the vegetables, then salt to taste.
- Thread the shrimp onto the skewers, alternating between the shrimp and vegetables. Making sure the front of the skewer is fully covered with vegetable or shrimp.
- Place skewers on grill pan or gas grill.
- Grill for about 2-3 minutes per side until vegetables are fully cooked through.
- Serve warm with salad, rice, or creamy orzo.
Tips & Notes:
- Can You Use Frozen Shrimp? Yes, you sure can. No need to defrost shrimp when doing so. Just make sure they are already deveined.
- Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on products used.
Nutrition Information:
Ann says
This was a huge hit. So yummy I didn’t include any salt just increased the Italian seasoning. I’m going to try the marinade on steak.
imma africanbites says
Yaay! I’m so happy it turned out great for you.
Sandra says
Looks amazing!
ImmaculateBites says
Tastes amazing too 🙂 !
Kathleen Seesahai says
Can you use raw shrimp? Not sure why it asks for cooked shrimp
ImmaculateBites says
Hi Kathleen. Raw shrimp is used for this recipe. Looking forward to you trying it out .
Norbert Voss says
You kill me