The reviews for this grilled shrimp recipe speak for themselves; this recipe is so delicious!
Juicy shrimp are tossed in a simple marinade, grilled until tender, and drizzled with garlic butter for serving.

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This Is The Best Grilled Shrimp Because…
- It’s so delicious – everyone raves about it!
- The marinade uses ingredients you likely have on hand and lets the flavor of the shrimp shine.
- The shrimp comes out so tender and cooks in less than 10 minutes!

Ingredients for Grilled Shrimp
Shrimp: This recipe works well with either large or medium shrimp. I prefer larger shrimp for skewering. To save time, purchase peeled and deveined shrimp; I like the tails on. Thaw and drain frozen shrimp before using.
Oil: The base of the shrimp marinade is olive oil, however, any neutral oil will work.
Garlic: These shrimp have a double dose of garlic – fresh is best if possible!
Seasoning: Herbs, a bit of lemon juice, and tomato paste add flavor the the marinade.
Butter: Use salted butter if possible or add a pinch of salt if your butter is unsalted.
I use parsley but if you have other fresh herbs like basil or cilantro, they also taste great in the garlic butter.

How to Grill Garlic Grilled Shrimp
- Combine everything in a bowl, toss to coat, and marinate per the recipe below.
- Thread the shrimp on skewers.
- Preheat the grill to medium and grill shrimp skewers for about 3 minutes per side.
- Drizzle with garlic butter and serve.

Serving Suggestions
- Skewers: Serve these skewers over rice (or Roasted Potatoes)with a side of grilled vegetables.
- Tacos: Use shrimp without tails and make them into shrimp tacos with your fave toppings.
- Salad: Serve these skewers over a fresh salad – or even better yet Caesar salad!
More Fave Five-Star Shrimp Recipes
Did you enjoy this Garlic Grilled Shrimp Recipe? Be sure to leave a comment and rating below!

Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound large shrimp peeled and deveined, or medium shrimp
Marinade
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil or ¾ teaspoon dried basil
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Garlic Butter
- 1 clove garlic minced
- ¼ cup salted butter melted
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley
- lemon wedges for serving, optional
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine butter, garlic, and parsley. Set aside.
- In a glass bowl, combine olive oil, garlic, parsley, tomato paste, basil, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Add the shrimp and marinate for at least 20 minutes or up to 1 hour.
- Preheat the grill to medium heat (375°F).
- Thread the shrimp onto skewers and grill for 2-3 minutes per side or just until the shrimp are opaque. Remove from skewers and place in a serving bowl.
- If needed, warm the garlic butter in the microwave for a few seconds to melt. Drizzle the garlic butter over the shrimp and serve warm with lemon wedges if desired.
Notes
- Don’t marinade the shrimp longer than 60 minutes. Over-marinating can make the shrimp mushy.
- Don’t overcook the shrimp – cook just cook until opaque.
- If you don’t have skewers, you can cook shrimp on a grill mat or in a grill pan.
- Store leftover shrimp in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
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I’d even give this a five without peeling the shrimp. Even better when they are peeled.
By the way…….. I love the delicious crunchy tails.
My wife said this was the best shrimp i have ever made! Awesome on the pit. Served it with with grilled tuna steaks and fresh green beans!
That is so awesome Barry! Glad she loved them!
I made this last night and it was delicious! I didn’t make the garlic butter but it didn’t need it.
I don’t have a grill so I made it stovetop just cooking the shrimp a few minutes on each side in a hot pan.
Thanks for the great marinade…
I am out of tomato paste. Can I sub crushed tomatoes or just omit it?
Using crushed tomatoes won’t get the same concentrated flavor as the tomato paste would add, and may change the overall acidity, so I’d say omit it. Other readers have omitted the tomato paste and loved it!
Hey ~ I am making this tonight but don’t have a grill. How would I cook it on the stove-top?
Thanks!
For a stove top method, we love this Garlic Butter Shrimp recipe!
I was a little skeptical of the great ratings…the ingredients didn’t seem all that interesting, other than the tomato paste, which I’d never used in a marinade before.
But wow…it turned out to be one of the best shrimp dishes I’ve ever made. Served them over grits, and it was fantastic.
That is so wonderful to hear Matt! I am glad this recipe was a hit for you.
Has anyone tried making them with the shell on? I’m thinking of serving them as an appetizer and just having everyone peel them themselves.
We did them shell on and they were amazing! So good. Doing them again on Monday night with steak.
This looks great and I’m going to try it tonight. However, you contradict yourself in this post. At one point you write: “If preparing the marinade ahead of time, don’t toss in the shrimp until 20 minutes before ready to cook to ensure they are not over-marinated (making them mushy)!” Then later on you write: “Allow shrimp to marinate at least 20 minutes.” Please let us know what you really advocate.
20 minutes is the magic number! Enjoy the shrimp Buddy.
Excellent. But always struggle to decide what size shrimp – any recommendations?
For most recipes, I use medium sized shrimp, which is about 41-50 shrimp per pound (so about 10-12 per serving (2 skewers). Most shrimp will indicate the size. That said, these would be impressive with large shrimp too! Large shrimp will have between 31-35 per pound, about 8-9 shrimp per serving. Enjoy Erica!
Very good! Does not need the dipping sauce! Thank you for this recipe.
You’re welcome Dorothy!
Just wondering in your nutritional information for your garlic grilled shrimp i never noticed for how many shrimp this entails.
It is for ¼ pound of shrimp. The number of shrimp will vary based on the size you have. Enjoy Janet!
Cooked this recipe for a family gathering and it was delicious! Flavors are spot on.
This was my first time grilling shrimp. It was easy to make the marinade and the shrimp cooked quickly on the grill. So delicious. Thank you!
You’re welcome Barbara! I’m SO happy to hear it went so well for you!
Would you double all ingredients including oil and butter if making 2 pounds of shrimp?
I would double all ingredients. Enjoy Sonja!
Excellent and quick shrimp recipe. I also added some lemon zest to the marinade to add a little more lemon flavor. Served with cornbread and salad.
This recipe is excellent ! The shrimp came out tender and delicious. I served the shrimp with jasmine rice and a green salad. I skipped the garlic butter, actually, I forgot. The whole family said” these are great, save the recipe” I’ve tried a few other marinades for grilled shrimp, this is the best. Thanks so much.
You’re welcome Patricia!
Had to give this a review. This recipe is so darn delicious! I will be using this marinade from now on for my grilled shrimp. Thank you for the amazing dinner tonight.
You’re welcome, Christina! I’m so happy to hear that you love the shrimp so much!
Love at first bite. Great recipe. Only substituted dried basil for fresh because I didn’t have it. Look forward to making this again in the summer when I have my basil and cherry sweet tomatoes fresh from the garden!
I substituted Sesame oil in place of the olive oil and added some Red pepper flakes as well in the marinade…Gave it a nice Far Eastern flavor.