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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Comments
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I don’t like shrimp, can I use chicken instead?
Sure!
Can I omit the nuts from the pesto and if not what would be a good substitute as I have a nut allergy in my family? Thank you for all your awesome recipes and can’t wait for your cookbook. You make a working moms life so much easier!
Hi Celeste, glad you like the recipes! I’ve never tried this with anything but nuts, but I suspect you could experiment with pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds if those aren’t off limits. LMK how it turns out if you go this route!
I will definitely give those a try and will keep you posted…..thank you as always!
I wanted to follow up to let you know I did substitute roasted unsalted sunflower seeds for the nuts and it was an absolute success!
Jen,
Can I make the pesto ahead of time and refrigerate until the next day????
Sure, Debbie – that’ll work fine. Enjoy!
For grilled shrimp and pesto recipe, I plan to buy the pesto. Can you tell me how much I need for the recipe? Thank you.
Hi Barbara, I think the pesto recipe I have on the site makes about 2/3 of a cup, so a small container should be fine. Hope you enjoy!
This is a great recipe, and so easy. I don’t use our grill (that’s my husband’s job!), but I have made this in the broiler with much success!
I made this recipe for a party, as an appetizer, and it was fantastic. I may have used more basil than the recipe called for but other than that I followed the recipe to a T and it was wonderful. Every last piece was devoured with very nice compliments!!! I had a lot of basil left so the next day I made 2 more batches and froze one in a container and the other in ice cube trays, which I need to transfer to a container. I have found that every one of your recipes I have made, that following your measures and times, I do not have to worry about it being too salty, bland or overcooked. I usually like to try a recipe before preparing for a get together and I will say I have used several of yours and right out of the book with no worries!!! Thanks Jenn for your wonderful meals!!!
So…just making sure that it’s really ok to marinate the shrimp in the pesto out of the fridge for :30?
Just makes me nervous….
Yes Lisa, thirty minutes is fine. Hope you enjoy!
Wow! Chef Jen, another simple, yet amazing recipe. I broiled my shrimp on skewers in the oven for a couple of minutes; it’s too hot to grill this time of year in Miami, and served them with Lobster/Crab ravioli in a simple butter/garlic sauce. Absolutely delicious.
Hi Jen, LOVE all your recipes! Which do you recommend serving as sides with an entree of grilled pesto shrimp?
Glad you’re enjoying the recipes! I think this would be nice over pasta or another grain with a salad or veggie on the side; both the Caprese Salad and the Sautéed Zucchini and Cherry Tomatoes would be perfectly in season right now and would add nice pops of color.
I just wanted to know if this was something that could be done on the stove as well?
Yes Debbie, I think you could do that. Enjoy!