Grilled Shrimp Skewers with Tomato, Garlic & Herbs
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Shrimp marinated in a mix of olive oil, tomato paste, lemon, garlic & herbs and then grilled until slightly charred.
In this easy recipe, shrimp are quickly marinated in a bright and tangy mixture of olive oil, tomato paste, lemon, garlic, and herbs and then grilled until plump and slightly charred. They’re perfect for entertaining because all of the prep is done ahead of time. All you have to do when your guests arrive is throw the skewers on the grill. But be forewarned: people will eat more than their fair share. Make extra!
What you’ll need to make Grilled Shrimp Skewers with Tomato, Garlic & Herbs
For this recipe, try to find jumbo frozen shrimp (21-25 to a pound) labeled “shell split and deveined.” Come dinnertime, all you have to do is poke a few holes in the bottom of the bag, run the shrimp under warm water to quickly defrost, and then peel.
Fact is, unless you live on the coast and have access to fresh shrimp, it’s best to buy frozen. The “fresh” ones you see in the seafood case at the supermarket have almost always been frozen and then thawed, and you never know how long they’ve been sitting there. Most shrimp are cleaned and flash-frozen shortly after being caught, so you’re better off buying the frozen variety and defrosting them yourself.
How to make them
Begin by making the marinade. Combine the tomato paste, olive oil, lemon juice, shallots, garlic, herbs, salt, sugar, and red pepper flakes in a mini food processor or blender.
Process until the mixture resembles a thick paste.
Toss the shrimp with the marinade and let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
Thread it onto skewers. This is optional, but I think the skewers make it so much easier to turn them over on the grill.
Preheat the grill to medium-high heat, then grease the grates with a wad of paper towels dipped in oil.
Grill the skewers about 1-1/2 minutes per side. It sounds crazy but I always set a timer — three minutes goes by faster than you think, and it’s a sin to overcook them!
Enjoy!
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Grilled Shrimp Skewers with Tomato, Garlic & Herbs
Shrimp marinated in a mix of olive oil, tomato paste, lemon, garlic & herbs and then grilled until slightly charred.
Ingredients
- 2½ tablespoons tomato paste
- 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 large shallot, roughly chopped
- 4 large cloves garlic, roughly chopped
- ¼ cup fresh basil leaves, chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves (or 1 teaspoon dried)
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1½ teaspoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 pounds jumbo shrimp (21-25 per pound), peeled and de-veined (leave tails on if desired), thawed if frozen
Instructions
- To make the marinade, combine all of the ingredients except for the shrimp in a mini food processor or blender; blend until the mixture forms a smooth paste.
- Combine the shrimp and the marinade in a medium bowl and stir until shrimp are evenly coated. Let marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes - 1 hour.
- Preheat the grill to medium-high heat. Meanwhile, thread the shrimp onto skewers (going through the top and bottom of each shrimp). Lightly dip a wad of paper towels in vegetable oil and, using tongs, carefully rub over grates several times until glossy and coated. Grill the shrimp skewers about 1½ minutes per side. Be sure not to overcook! Serve hot, room temperature or cold.
- *If you're entertaining and want to get everything done ahead of time, you can thread the shrimp onto the skewers right after mixing with the marinade.
Pair with
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (6 servings)
- Calories: 251
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated fat: 2 g
- Carbohydrates: 7 g
- Sugar: 3 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 21 g
- Sodium: 911 mg
- Cholesterol: 191 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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Great recipe and really easy to throw together with things we have in the house – we use frozen shrimp when in a pinch. Great crowd pleaser for BBQs!
Loved this! This is a staple in our house in the summer. When my husband asks for “the shrimp” for dinner, he means this. We have made it for company also and it was a huge hit!
Great recipe! Just the right amount of seasoning for me.
I am a Personal Chef and I used the recipe for a cooking class. It was overwhelmingly
a hit. Great Job on the marinade. Keep up the good work. Thank you, Chef Steven Crowe
Fabulous! Made this just as written for dinner last week and we LOVED IT. Thanks Jenn — this is my new favorite site; I want to make everything you’ve posted!
So glad you enjoyed it Susan! Happy cooking 🙂
Hi Chef! I would like to ask what particular sauce can be made for that?
Hi Daniel, It really doesn’t need a sauce, but you could always serve it with a vinaigrette.
Jenn, our family really loved the shrimp with your tomato, garlic and herb marinade. The recipe is a keeper. Thanks for sharing it!
This recipe and your grilled pesto shrimp are now tied for best of all time. Both have fresh, vibrant flavors. I’ve also used the pesto as a topping on snapper. Will be trying the same with this. Yummy!
Quite simply, the best shrimp dish I have ever had. My husband kept going on & on as to how incredible it was. Thank you so much!
This was very tasty, if a little sweet. I may cut down the sugar the next time I make it. Served with rice pilaf and the corn and scallion salad also on this site.