Easy Barbecue Grilled Shrimp Recipe
Grilled shrimp have so much flavor, especially when they’re brushed with a mixture of honey barbecue sauce, garlic, olive oil, and finished with lemon juice for a tangy pop and fresh cilantro to round out the flavor profile. This grilled barbecue shrimp recipe is fast, easy, healthy, ready in 10 minutes, and is a perfect way to take advantage of your grill before the weather turns too chilly. Cleanup is practically nonexistent which is another huge perk. The shrimp are tender, juicy, full of great flavor from the barbecue sauce and honey. Because I am a fan of spicy foods, I added a couple tablespoons of sriracha to the sauce that’s both brushed onto the shrimp as they grill as well as to the dipping sauce you serve them with, but it’s optional. The shrimp don’t turn out wildly spicy, but rather have lots of flavor and a gentle heat. The grill seems to temper and mellow the potency of the sriracha.
What’s in Grilled Barbecue Shrimp?
For this honey barbecue shrimp recipe, you’ll need:
Barbecue sauce Honey Garlic Sriracha (optional) Fresh shrimp Olive oil Salt and pepper Lemon wedges Cilantro
What Kind of Shrimp Should I Buy?
For this easy grilled shrimp recipe, I used U20 fresh shrimp, which means there are approximately 20 shrimp to a pound. You can go with bigger shrimp like U12-16, which are meatier and larger, but also cost more, pound for pound. I buy deveined shrimp with the shells off and the tails on. I could save a little money and buy intact shrimp and clean them myself, saving just the tail, rather than having the butcher at the grocery store do it, but time is money. I always buy fresh shrimp. I have not tested this recipe with frozen shrimp and while it would probably be ‘okay,’ it wouldn’t be my preference for flavor and not something I would do.
How to Make Honey Barbecue Shrimp
Cooking shrimp on the grill takes no time at all and is so easy to do! To make this barbecue shrimp recipe, first mix together the honey barbecue sauce and divide it between two bowls (one for brushing onto the shrimp, one for dipping). Thread shrimp onto metal or wooden skewers, then brush with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill the shrimp on a preheated grill, brushing the honey barbecue sauce onto each side once it’s been grilled. Continue brushing barbecue sauce over the shrimp as needed while it grills. Serve the grilled barbecue shrimp immediately with the reserved dipping sauce. Squeeze lemon juice over top and garnish with fresh cilantro.
How Long to Grill Shrimp?
Although it’s somewhat dependent on the size of the shrimp and the overall hotness of your grill, generally speaking shrimp will cook very quickly on the grill. Likely in about 2 minutes per side and because my outdoor grill is a serious hot monster, I always need to keep a close eye on things. There is nothing worse than overcooked shrimp (or lobster) because it’s tough and rubbery and I find it to be nearly inedible. A little charring from the grill on the tails or certain parts of the flesh is okay and adds a ton of flavor, but just be careful not to overcook them as a whole. Note that I have not made this recipe in an indoor grill pan, but I’m sure you could.
Tips for the Best Grilled Shrimp
If you grill often, I highly recommend investing in a set of metal skewers. They’re easy to clean and can be used over and over again. If you use wooden skewers, you’ll need to soak them in water for 30 minutes before threading the shrimp onto them. If you don’t soak them, the skewers may catch on fire on the grill. You can use any barbecue sauce you’d like for this recipe, but my personal favorite is this one. If you want your grilled barbecue shrimp to be gluten-free or refined sugar-free, double check the ingredients on your barbecue sauce before using it. Lastly, grilled shrimp is best enjoyed right away. Seafood in general doesn’t reheat well, so if you wind up with leftovers you might want to enjoy it cold (this shrimp would taste wonderful atop a salad the next day).
More Easy Shrimp Recipes:
10-Minute Orange Chili Shrimp – The sweet-and-tangy Asian-inspired orange chili sauce is perfect on these big juicy shrimp! An easy, healthy recipe that’s sure to impress and ready in 10 minutes! Tried this recipe? Leave a review! Consider leaving a 5 star rating if you’ve made and loved one of my recipes!
Lemon Butter Garlic Shrimp With Angel Hair Pasta – This is the kind of recipe my family loves. Buttery noodles with juicy plump shrimp, flavored with lemon and garlic. And it’s the kind of recipe I love because dinner is ready in 15 minutes and it’s so easy!
Beer Battered Shrimp Tacos with Lime Crema – Fast, easy, restaurant-quality tacos at home! Juicy beer-battered shrimp, avocado, cheese, and a zesty lime crema to top it off! Perfect for weeknight dinners and easy entertaining!
Coconut Shrimp with Orange-Chili Dipping Sauce – Plump, juicy shrimp with a crispy, crunchy coconut coating!! Fast, easy, and better than you get in restaurants! Will be your new favorite shrimp recipe!
Easy Shrimp Cocktail – Goodbye overpriced deli trays. Learn the secrets to make your own perfect shrimp cocktail in 15 minutes! Juicy, sweet and sooo much more flavor!
Easy Roasted Shrimp with Green Goddess Dip – Healthy, foolproof, and ready in 10 minutes! The juicy shrimp and creamy dip are perfect together!! (it works great as a veggie dip or salad dressing too)
Better-Than-Takeout Shrimp Fried Rice — This is an easy, one-skillet recipe that’s ready in 20 minutes and tastes better than takeout; it’s healthier and not greasy.
Easy Shrimp Cakes – Easy, ready in 10 minutes, and they taste better than from a fancy restaurant!
Originally posted September 7, 2018 and reposted June 18, 2021 with updated text.
