Grilled Pesto Shrimp
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Whether you serve this grilled shrimp for dinner or as an appetizer, it disappears in a flash. Make extra!
There are endless ways to use pesto sauce—the Italian blend of olive oil, fresh basil, garlic, nuts, and Parmesan—but this grilled pesto shrimp recipe has to be one of my favorites. Whether you serve it with pasta (it’s especially delicious with spaghetti aglio e olio) and a vegetable for dinner or as an appetizer, the shrimp disappear fast. Trust me, no matter how much you think you’ll need, make extra!
“Terrific dish that came together quickly. Another dinner to add to our rotation!”
What You’ll Need To Make Grilled Pesto Shrimp
For the shrimp, I use frozen jumbo (16/20) shrimp labeled “shell split and deveined.” Come dinnertime, all I have to do is run the shrimp under cold water to quickly defrost and then peel. Note that the “fresh” shrimp you see in the seafood case at the supermarket is typically thawed frozen shrimp; so, for the freshest shrimp, you’re better off buying it frozen and defrosting it yourself.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Begin by making the basil pesto: simply combine all of the ingredients in a blender or food processor and process until smooth.
Reserve two tablespoons of the fresh pesto (you’ll use that on the grilled shrimp) and pour the rest over the shrimp.
Toss to coat and let the shrimp sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes to marinate.
Preheat the grill to medium-high heat and grill the shrimp a few minutes per side. Be careful not to overcook them!
Right before serving, add the reserved pesto to the grilled shrimp. I know it only looks like a little, but pesto is very strong and garlicky so you don’t want to overdo it.
Serve with lots of napkins and enjoy!
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Grilled Pesto Shrimp
Whether you serve this grilled shrimp for dinner or as an appetizer, it disappears in a flash. Make extra!
Ingredients
- 2 pounds extra large (26/30) or jumbo shrimp, peeled (tails left on) and deveined, thawed if frozen
- 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 cup basil leaves
- 3 large garlic cloves, roughly chopped
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
- ¼ cup walnuts
- 1 lemon, cut into wedges, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Thread the shrimp onto skewers, if desired. (I usually don't bother, unless the shrimp are on the smaller side, in which case they might slip through the grill grates.)
- In a food processor or blender, combine the olive oil, basil, garlic, red pepper flakes, salt, Parmigiano-Reggiano and walnuts. Process until the mixture is well blended. Reserve two tablespoons of the pesto in a bowl large enough to hold all of the shrimp and set aside. Pour the remaining pesto over the shrimp and let sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes to marinate.
- Preheat the grill to medium-high heat. Lightly dip a wad of paper towels in vegetable oil and, using tongs, carefully rub over the grates several times until glossy and coated. Place the shrimp on the grill and cook until plump and slightly charred, a few minutes per side. Transfer the cooked shrimp to the bowl with the reserved pesto and toss to coat evenly. Serve immediately.
Pair with
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (6 servings)
- Calories: 258
- Fat: 17
- Saturated fat: 3 g
- Carbohydrates: 3 g
- Sugar: 0 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 23 g
- Sodium: 922 mg
- Cholesterol: 194 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Gluten-Free Adaptable Note
To the best of my knowledge, all of the ingredients used in this recipe are gluten-free or widely available in gluten-free versions. There is hidden gluten in many foods; if you're following a gluten-free diet or cooking for someone with gluten allergies, always read the labels of your ingredients to verify that they are gluten-free.
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I made this with Lemon Basil from our garden and it was just beyond yummy!
I have pesto in the freezer – how much will I need for this recipe? Thanks!
My husband and I love to cook but had never made pesto before. After seeing this recipe we decided to give it a try. The recipe for the pesto is very easy to follow and turned out wonderfully!
When grilling, we put our shrimp on skewers to make it easier to turn. We also had left over pesto and shrimp that we decided to try in the oven. Both grilling and baking the shrimp and pesto were tasty! This is very easy to make but you may have to go out and buy a few ingredients. Also, use the full amount of basil, don’t skimp!
This recipe was amazing! Perfect use of the basil in my garden right now. I served it was a aside of pasta to use up the bit of extra pesto I had left over.
This looks sooooo tasty and I have extra pesto in the frig. Can’t wait to try!!!
Wow, this looks incredibly tasty. I like that you cooked with the pesto, and then added more after it was cooked.
Made this last weekend for my girlfriends on my annual girl’s cottage weekend – fantastic – not a single leftover shrimp and I cooked about 30 for 4 of us!
Could those of us who do not have a grill just cook Pesto Grilled Shrimp in fry pan and get as good a result? If so how long etc and would that require any modifications to recipe? Thank you.
Absolutely; I would pan-fry them in just a bit of olive oil for a few minutes per side over medium-high heat. You could also broil them for a few minutes per side.
Broil! Broil! Broil! But watch them and turn after about 3 minutes. Total time is about 5 minutes.
I made this fabulous recipe last night for dinner. I made it just like it is written, no changes. It was phenomenal to say the least. I served it over my version of rice pilaf. sauted onion and mushrooms in butter,until transparent. Add rice, saute until golden brown. I add a mixture of 1-3/4 c chicken broth and a little chx. bouillon for added taste. you can transfer to microwave and cook on high for 5 min. then cook on med. for 8 min. comes out perfect. serve with garlic toast and a salad. YUMMM this is a 5 star recipe.
Delicious!