Shrimp Marinade Recipe

The Best Shrimp Marinade Recipe

We're grilling up shrimp in the Chili Pepper Madness backyard, my friends. Would you care to join us? We always make the best grilled shrimp because I infuse all that succulent shrimp with lots of bold flavor before grilling.

The secret? It's my Zesty Grilled Shrimp Marinade, and I think you're going to love it.

It's a simple combination that comes together in the perfect way to infuse your shrimp with loads of flavor, and a bit of that zesty spice we spicy food lovers crave.

It's also great if you're sautéing or cooking up shrimp on the stove top, so it's not just a grilled shrimp marinade, but a great shrimp marinade in general. No matter how you care to cook it!

So hey, let's get cooking!

Let's talk about how to make grilled shrimp marinade, shall we?

It's the perfect grilled shrimp recipe, really, with such a bold and piquant marinade leading the way.

Shrimp Marinade Ingredients

• Oil. Use ¼ cup olive oil for the marinade, though you can use other oils, like vegetable oil.
• Sweet. I use 1 tablespoon honey, though you can use brown sugar instead.
• Garlic and Herbs. Use 2 cloves garlic, minced, and 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped. You can incorporate other herbs, like cilantro or basil.
• Spices. Use 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, salt and pepper to taste, and 1/2 or more of crushed red pepper flakes if you're looking for a spicier shrimp marinade. I use a tablespoon usually.
• Citrus. Use 1 teaspoon lime zest. Lemon zest is good, too. You can use lemon or lime juice, but the acidity starts to cook the shrimp. Zest is better for a longer marinade.
• Hot Sauce. Splash in some of your favorite hot sauce if you'd like for some added zing!
• Shrimp. This marinade is good for 1 pound of fresh shrimp, though you can easily upscale it to several pounds of shrimp. I usually marinade shrimp that's been peeled and deveined, though you can marinate unpeeled shrimp, if desired. You can use frozen shrimp as well.

How to Make Shrimp Marinade - the Recipe Method

Whisk Together the Ingredients. Whisk together the olive oil, honey, garlic, parsley, paprika, lime zest, red pepper flakes and salt and pepper in a small bowl.

Reserve Some of the Marinade. Reserve a couple tablespoons of your marinade before marinating the shrimp to use as a glaze or finishing sauce if you'd like.

Marinate the Shrimp. Place the raw shrimp in a large plastic bag or large bowl and pour the marinade over them. Seal the bag and refrigerate at least 15 to 30 minutes, or for 1 hour before cooking. 

When ready to cook, drain the shrimp marinade and discard it. Thread the shrimp on skewers for grilling, or leave them separated.

Grill the Shrimp. Preheat grill to medium high heat and add the shrimp. Grill the shrimp for 2-3 minutes per side, or until the shrimp turn pink and cook through.

Transfer to a serving platter.

Finish the Shrimp. Brush on any reserved shrimp marinade as a finishing sauce.

Also, squeeze on a bit of fresh lime juice for an extra pop of fresh citrus.

Boom! Done! Perfectly grilled shrimp in the house! Ready to serve. Such an easy recipe, isn't it? With BIG flavor.

The marinade does everything for you. It's nice and thick and really coats the shrimp. So good.

Serve up your grilled shrimp as the main meal with a side dish, or they make an outstanding appetizer or party starter. Everyone loves grilled shrimp.

How Long Do You Marinade Shrimp?

I like to marinate my shrimp at least 15 to 30 minutes, or up to 1 hour before cooking. I refrigerate it until I'm ready to go. You can marinate for longer, but don't go more than a few hours, as the shrimp texture can be affected.

How to Cook Marinated Shrimp?

Grilling the shrimp is a great way to cook them up, but you have many options.

You can also easily cook the shrimp up in a grill pan or a saute pan on the stove top, or bake them in the oven until they are pink and cooked through.

I don't recommend boiling marinated shrimp, though, as it will strip away much of the marinade flavor. For grilling, I like to thread them onto wooden skewers.

Storage & Leftovers

You can make the shrimp marinade ahead and store in the refrigerator in a sealed container for up to 5 days. When you're ready to cook, marinate your shrimp and get grilling.

Store any leftover grilled shrimp in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

To enjoy them again, warm them gently in a pan on the stovetop.

Try Some of My Other Popular Shrimp Recipes

• Grilled Buffalo Shrimp
• Firecracker Shrimp
• Bang Bang Shrimp
• Blackened Shrimp
• Shrimp Po Boy Sandwich
• Shrimp Etouffee
• Shrimp Ceviche
• Aguachile (Mexican Shrimp Ceviche)
• Mexican Garlic Shrimp (Camarones Al Mojo De Ajo)
• Shrimp Tacos with Creamy Jalapeno Sauce

Try Some of My Other Zesty Marinade Recipes

• Spicy Salmon Marinade
• Zingy Pork Chop Marinade
• Spicy BBQ Chicken Marinade
• Teriyaki Marinade
• Jamaican Jerk Marinade
• Fajita Marinade
• Lamb Chop Marinade
• See all of my Spicy Marinade Recipes