4 Easy Steps to Fantastic Shrimp on the Grill

1. Prepare Shrimp

Rinse the shrimp in some fresh water, and you’re done.

Leave shrimp intact, don’t peel them. The shell protects the meat from overcooking. Leaving the shrimp in their shells not only looks better, but retains the moisture in the meat. Shrimp are the ultimate finger food, which is why you need to rip them apart with your fingers as you eat them. It sounds barbaric, but well, you are eating cooked meat – why not enjoy it?

2. Brine

Brining shrimp takes about 20 minutes.

Pour 1 quart of cold water into a gallon size zip-lock bag. Add two tablespoons of salt. Stir.

Add about 2 lbs of shrimp into the bag, and leave to sit for 20 minutes.

Sometime soon might be a good time to turn your BBQ on to heat up. The barbecue should be on high.

After 20 minutes, drain and rinse the shrimp thoroughly. I recommend you devein your shrimp as it can often give the shrimp a disturbingly gritty texture. To devein while keeping the shell relatively intact, cut the along the back with scissors after brining, and pull out the vein.

3. Coat with a Marinade

Just a couple of tablespoons of olive oil are enough to cover the shrimp.

My current favorite marinade for shrimp:

• 1 clove minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice

Just combine in a bowl and mix with the shrimp

4. Cook

Cook the shrimp on high for about 4 to 6 minutes. Turning the shrimp once during the cooking process. This is going to depend a lot on how hot your grill is, and how big the shrimp are. The easiest way to tell if they are ready is when they are barely charred, and bright pink. Enjoy! It’s about time I went to the store to pick up some more shrimp.

David B. February 7th, 2011

Posted In: BBQ Maintenance