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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This is a favorite recipe we’ve been making for years. We also use it on boneless chicken thighs- even more frequently than shrimp.
Since it calls for fresh herbs I make two triple batches during the summer when our herbs are growing in the garden. I then freeze it in a couple ounce portions in small containers so I can use it year-round.
I also make this with the double rich
This is a favorite recipe we’ve been making for years. We also use it on boneless chicken thighs- even more frequently than shrimp.
Since it calls for fresh herbs I make two triple batches during the summer when our herbs are growing in the garden. I then freeze it in couple-ounce portions in small containers so I can use it year-round.
I also make this with the double-concentrated Italian tomato paste that comes in a tube.
Thank you, Jennifer once again ! Just outstanding with an amazing flavor, 3 notches above my own simple way too easy BBQ shrimp. Totally worth a few extra minutes of cutting/prep to upgrade to this recipe,
Thx
My family LOVES this shrimp! We’ve made it many times! I like to pair it with veggie risotto and grilled veggies.
I made this for a party. I used bigger shrimp (11-15 per lb), everybody loved it! I marinated shrimp, skewered them, stored in large cooler, and then headed to the party. After couple hours, we grilled at the party. Big success! Thank you for sharing your recipes!
Thanks Jenn, my new favorite.
The marinade was amazing! I kept sampling it with a spoon before putting it on the shrimp. The entire flavor profile was delicious, and I’m looking forward to trying it on bone-in chicken. An easy, company worthy winner!!
This marinade tastes like ketchup. I should have seen that coming since the ingredients include tomato paste, salt and sugar. I suppose that if you like your grilled shrimp with ketchup then you will like this recipe. My family thought it was gross and barely ate any, which was a waste of really nice shrimp.
Hi Marie…
you must have left a lot of the ingredients out…there’s no way a recipe calling for fresh thyme,basil,shallots & garlic along w/ tomato paste, and sugar creates a recipe comparable to ketchup. The flavor isn’t remotely one that tastes of ketchup.
I made this over the weekend. It was incredibly simple, and great tasting!!!!!! So much so, my guy is requesting it again ASAP.
To go with it, I made Jenn’s Caesar Salad & Focaccia. So,so delicious!
Jenn, I never get enough of Once Upon A Chef! In fact I thoroughly enjoy browsing through your recipes on your website & both cook books daily…it’s a part of my day I look forward to…
I know I’ve said this before, but “THANK YOU “ …you’re a bright light 💡 🙏💗
Lisa
❤️
I love this marinade on grilled shrimp so I tried it on chicken. Skinless, boneless thighs seem to work better than chicken breasts, but it was good on both! I grilled it in a cast iron skillet, pouring the marinade and chicken into an oiled, preheated pan. It browned beautifully and smelled wonderful!
Is it ok to omit the crushed red pepper? Plan to serve this for Father’s Day dinner that my 3-year-old granddaughter will be at. Thanks for so many wonderful recipes. I always know the recipe will be good coming from you!
So glad you like the recipes! And, yes, it’s fine to omit the crushed red pepper. Hope everyone enjoys!
My new “go-to” grilled shrimp recipe!! Actually used a bit of pesto because I didn’t have fresh basil on hand. Came out great! Thanks Jenn for the wonderful recipe!