My BBQ shrimp is the perfect summer grilling recipe for seafood lovers, and it's so incredibly quick and easy! All you need is shrimp, a little oil, salt & pepper, and a bottle of your favorite barbecue sauce! The BBQ sauce caramelizes and makes for the most delicious shrimp you'll ever try!
Easy Grilled Barbecue Shrimp
Shrimp is one of the quickest and easiest proteins you can cook on the grill, so it's my first choice when I don't have time to monitor the grill all evening. Sure, you could leave the shrimp plain, but they're much more delectable with a thick coating of sweet and smoky BBQ Sauce!
You only need a handful of ingredients and about 10 minutes of time. So what are you waiting for? Fire up the grill because you're in for a treat!
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🥘 BBQ Shrimp Ingredients
You really only need 4 ingredients to pull off some succulent grilled BBQ shrimp! I just love the rich smokey flavor liquid smoke adds to the sauce, though it's completely optional.
- Shrimp - 2 pounds of thawed, peeled, and de-veined shrimp.
- Olive Oil - 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil (EVOO).
- Salt & Pepper - ¼ teaspoon of both salt & pepper (more or less, to taste).
- BBQ Sauce - ⅓ cup of BBQ sauce (use my honey BBQ sauce or your favorite brand).
- Liquid Smoke (optional) -1 teaspoon of liquid smoke to mix with the BBQ sauce.
*Be sure to see the free printable recipe card below for ingredients, exact amounts & instructions with tips!*
🔪 How To Make BBQ Shrimp
This grilled BBQ shrimp only takes about 10 minutes to make, and it's easy as can be! To get started, you'll need your grill, some skewers, a basting brush, and your grilling utensils.
I try to plan on serving ⅓ to ½ pound of shrimp per person when it's the main course. See my post on how many shrimp per serving for more info!
- Preheat. Clean and lightly oil your grill, then preheat it to medium heat.
- Oil and season. Put 2 pounds (907 grams) of shrimp on skewers with 4-5 shrimp per skewer. Brush them with 1 tablespoon (15 milliliters) of olive oil and season them with ¼ teaspoon (1.5 grams) of salt and ¼ teaspoon (1.2 grams) of black pepper.
- Sear. In a small bowl, combine ⅓ cup (93 grams) of BBQ sauce and the optional 1 teaspoon (4.9 milliliters) of liquid smoke if using. Put the skewers on the hot grill and sear them for 2 minutes.
- Baste and flip. Flip the shrimp skewers over and brush them with some of the BBQ sauce. Let cook for 1 minute, then flip again and brush the opposite side with BBQ sauce.
- Enjoy. Continue flipping the shrimp every minute and basting with BBQ sauce until the shrimp are cooked through (it shouldn't take long). Then remove them from the grill and serve immediately with fresh lemon if desired.
🥗 Side Dishes For BBQ Shrimp
This grilled shrimp can be paired with any of your favorite BBQ side dishes! You can also serve your shrimp over a bed of white rice, as I have pictured. Enjoy!
💭 Angela's Pro Tips & Recipe Notes
- Raw shrimp cooks best on the grill, so opt for that instead of precooked shrimp when you can. If you use pre-cooked shrimp, it will be ready much quicker and dry out if you cook it for too long. Keep a close eye on it and pull it off the grill once it's heated.
- Make sure to soak wooden skewers in water for at least 30 minutes before using them.
- Your preferred cooking oil can be used to coat the shrimp to prevent sticking; make sure it has a high smoke point.
🥡 Storing & Reheating
Let the BBQ shrimp cool off, then put it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.
Freezing BBQ Shrimp
Quickly and fully cool the shrimp by spreading them in a flat layer (no overlapping shrimp) on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Pat the cooked shrimp dry using a paper towel, then place them into the freezer.
Allow the shrimp to freeze for at least 30 minutes or up to an hour. Transfer them into a freezer storage bag and squeeze out as much excess air as possible.
Double bag the shrimp if desired. This usually helps to prevent freezer burn. Be sure to label and date the storage bag too!
Reheating BBQ Shrimp
You can quickly reheat BBQ shrimp in the microwave, but for the juiciest results, I recommend using the stovetop. Heat a little oil over medium heat and add the shrimp.
Cook for 1-2 minutes per side or just until warmed through.
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❓ Recipe FAQs
I usually opt for large, jumbo, extra-large, colossal, or extra-colossal shrimp when I know I'll be cooking them on the grill. They're meatier, easy to skewer and hold up better to grilling.
This is totally up to your personal preference. I love my honey BBQ sauce, but you can grab any bottle of sauce that you like! Some people like spicy barbecue sauce, others like it sweeter. I usually try to pick something right in the middle!
Since you'll be slathering these in all that delicious BBQ sauce, I recommend peeling your shrimp beforehand. You don't have to peel shrimp in order to grill it, but for this recipe, you want all that flavor to stick to the meat and not the shell!
🍤 🦐 More Amazing Shrimp Recipes
- Fried Shrimp - This golden and crispy fried shrimp is perfect for dunking in cocktail sauce!
- Buffalo Shrimp - Succulent shrimp tossed in zesty buffalo sauce, yum!
- Air Fryer Shrimp - The easiest way to make perfectly cooked shrimp in a flash!
- Crab-Stuffed Shrimp - Jumbo shrimp stuffed with a fluffy and satisfying crab and breadcrumb filling!
- Southern Shrimp and Grits - Classic Southern comfort food you can enjoy for breakfast, lunch, or dinner!
- Lemon Garlic Shrimp Pasta - A super simple pasta dinner with no shortage of flavor!
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📖 Recipe Card
BBQ Shrimp
Ingredients
- 2 lbs shrimp (thawed, peeled, de-veined)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil (extra virgin)
- ¼ teaspoon each, salt & pepper (to taste)
- ⅓ cup BBQ sauce (use my honey BBQ sauce or your favorite brand)
- 1 teaspoon liquid smoke (optional)
(Note: 2x or 3x only changes the ingredient list)
Instructions
- Clean and lightly oil your grill, then preheat it to medium heat.
- Put 2 lbs shrimp on skewers with 4-5 shrimp per skewer. Brush them with 1 tablespoon olive oil and season them with ¼ teaspoon each, salt & pepper.
- In a small bowl, combine ⅓ cup BBQ sauce and the optional 1 teaspoon liquid smoke if using. Put the skewers on the hot grill and sear them for 2 minutes.
- Flip the shrimp skewers over and brush them with some of the BBQ sauce. Let cook for 1 minute, then flip again and brush the opposite side with BBQ sauce.
- Continue flipping the shrimp every minute and basting with BBQ sauce until the shrimp are cooked through (it shouldn't take long). Then remove them from the grill and serve immediately with fresh lemon if desired.
Notes
- Raw shrimp cooks best on the grill, so opt for that instead of precooked shrimp when you can. If you are using pre-cooked shrimp, it will be ready much quicker and will dry out if you cook it for too long. Keep a close eye on it and once it's heated through, pull it off the grill.
- Make sure to soak wooden skewers in water for at least 30 minutes before using them.
- Your preferred cooking oil can be used for coating the shrimp to prevent sticking; just make sure that it has a high smoke point.
- To store: Let the BBQ shrimp cool off, then put it in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
- To reheat: You can quickly reheat BBQ shrimp in the microwave, but for the juiciest results, I recommend using the stovetop. Heat a little oil over medium heat and add the shrimp. Cook for 1-2 minutes per side or just until warmed through.
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