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 am on a severely limited sodium diet (less than 900 mg per day ). I cannot find the sodium level in the Grilled Pesto Shrimp recipe and in many others. Is there a way to get that information? Thank you for your recipes.
Hi Dave, Sorry about that — I inadvertently left off the sodium count. It has been corrected.
This recipe is Fantastic!! I’ll never made a different pesto recipe again. Made the shrimp last night for company along with your grilled asparagus feta salad (also a 5 star recipe) and emeril’s rib eye, portobello mushroom and potato kebabs. Dinner was a hit!!
I have a large jar of Costco pesto I need to use up. About how much pesto does this recipe make?
Hi Rochelle, I’m guessing about 2/3 cup.
This was another homerun recipe! The shrimp are so flavorful with the delicious pesto sauce. I decided to double the pesto sauce to have an extra batch for my family. I thought the shrimp were delicious just the way the recipe stated. However for the super pesto lovers of my family they went crazy over the extra sauce available for dipping. I used skewers for the shrimp which made the cooking very easy. This is a wonderful recipe for family or company! It made a great birthday meal for our son with the delicious white buttercream cake! I look so forward to your email each week! Thank you!
I made shrimp tacos with this and the black bean and corn salad and guacamole.
This was awesome!! 5 Stars!!
Love this pesto recipe. The store bought pesto just doesn’t taste the same as when you make it fresh. I added one more clove of garlic, since we are Ukrainian and garlic is an essential part of our food group. My husband is a carboholic, so I made some orzo to go with the shrimp.
This shrimp is excellent! I’ve made it to eat alone or with a salad & it always is great!
Hi Jenn. Thanks for sharing a Pesto recipe using my absolute favorite food-shrimp!
I just wanted to make sure these are made on an electric (indoor-counter top) grill. Being in the frozen tundra-aka Wisconsin-outdoor grilling is not an option right now Thanks again 🙂
Hi Aminah, Either way will work fine. Hope you enjoy!
Made these shrimp last night fabulous! Was afraid the pesto would be too strong but just right. Baked them 8-10 minutes @ 400 then added the remaining pesto. Perfect!
I’m planning on making this tomorrow. Would it pair well on a bed of wild rice? Or would jasmine rice be better?
Hi Georgia, I think the wild rice would be perfect.