If you’re looking for a quick, easy, freakin’ delicious dinner for tonight, this garlic smoked shrimp recipe is IT. Everything comes together with a cook time of less than 30 minutes, and the garlic, spices and smoking method bring a ton of flavor.
Plus, you’ve got loads of options with these shrimp. You can serve them like I do here, with charred lemon, chopped parsley and toasted bread. Or, you can boost your main course by substituting fettuccine for the bread, dressed in a little olive oil and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, and tossing your smoked shrimp in with the pasta. Or use limes instead of lemon and fresh cilantro instead of parsley, heat up some tortillas, grab your favorite hot sauce and make shrimp tacos. The world is your oyster. Or shrimp, in this case? Does that phrase even still work? I have no idea, but these smoked shrimp are so good I don’t care.
Why You’ll Love Garlic Smoked Shrimp
These garlic smoked shrimp are proof you don’t need a complicated ingredient list for amazing flavor. They’re the best for a quick dinner or an easy appetizer, and the simple seasoning is a great way to ensure the dish will be a huge crowd-pleaser.
We take the smoky flavor for these shrimp to a whole new level by throwing a smoldering coal right into the skillet as they’re cooking. Remember, though, please only use real wood or natural lump charcoal. Do not use briquettes or any charcoal that has been treated with chemicals. I’ve found the best way to do this is to stick with my old standby of Cowboy Charcoal. If you’re using a different type of charcoal, just be sure to check the ingredients list on the bag.
Since the shrimp are the main feature of this recipe, I’m going with large shrimp — either large shrimp or jumbo shrimp — for the garlic smoked shrimp. You’ll find basically every shrimp size in the grocery store, from mini all the way to colossal. A good rule of thumb for the size of your shrimp is that smaller shrimp are usually better in salads and pastas, like Steak and Shrimp Alfredo. Larger shrimp work well for appetizers or main courses, like this Garlic Chorizo Shrimp.
Looking for more seafood recipes? Check out my roundups for Grilled Shrimp Recipes, The Best Lobster Recipes, Best Lobster Tail Recipes and Best Salmon Recipes.
Garlic Smoked Shrimp Ingredients
- Shrimp: We’re just using garlic, Spiceology’s Salt Pepper Garlic seasoning, olive oil and red chili flakes to flavor our shrimp.
- Garnish: Some charred lemon, chopped parsley and toasted bread round out this freakin’ delicious recipe.
Shell On or Off?
When you’re cooking this smoked shrimp recipe, you can cook your shrimp with the shell either on or off. Smoking with the shell on makes the shrimp juicier and more seafood-forward, but then they lose the seasoning. Likewise, using peeled shrimp will be more seasoning-forward. It’s really a matter of preference. So, I’ll leave this choice up to you and your tastebuds!
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How to Make Garlic Smoked Shrimp
First, slather your 1.5 pounds whole shrimp in a little olive oil and generously season with 1.5 tablespoons SPG seasoning. If you’re an Old Bay Seasoning fan, you could use that as your dry rub here instead. Though, I like how clean and straightforward the SPG is in this recipe.
Then, arrange your raw shrimp in a cold skillet in a single layer, making a circle. Mix together 3 tablespoons olive oil and 3 tablespoons minced garlic and pour that over the shrimp. Sprinkle 1.5 teaspoons red pepper flakes over the top. Make sure to leave a big divot in the middle of the skillet full of oil.
Next, preheat your grill to medium-high heat (around 350 degrees Fahrenheit) for direct cooking. Place your skillet full of shrimp on the grill grates and let them cook for 90 seconds.
Once the tails begin to turn pink and the oil is simmering, grab a smoldering coal from the fire and add to the middle. Please use only use real wood or natural lump charcoal. When it’s smoking, cover the skillet with a lid and let cook for another 90 seconds until the shrimp are opaque white.
Open up the skillet and pull out the coal. Garnish the skillet with chopped parsley, charred lemon and crusty fresh French bread. Serve and enjoy!
What to Serve with Garlic Smoked Shrimp
These smoked shrimp are a great appetizer or light dinner. If you want to do something different than the crusty bread option in this recipe, try them with the pasta or the taco options I mentioned in the intro for a great main dish. You could also serve them over cheesy grits for a classic Southern dinner! For veggie sides, some grilled asparagus, grilled zucchini, sautéed spinach or roasted broccoli would be awesome.
Leftovers and Reheating
Store your grilled shrimp in the fridge in an airtight container for up to three days. Then, reheat your shrimp at medium-low heat on the stovetop for about five minutes, preferably in whatever liquid you cooked them in to keep them from drying out.
The trick to leftover shrimp is to reheat it gently at a lower temperature, so the texture of the shrimp doesn’t become rubbery and tough. You just want to warm up those grilled shrimp so they don’t overcook.
For More Shrimp
FAQs
So, here’s the thing: the fresh shrimp you see at your local supermarket were most likely already frozen, then defrosted at the fish counter. When fisherman catch shrimp, they freeze them on the boats within a very short time of being out of the water.
That move keeps that shrimp flavor from when they were caught. So, unless you’re sure the “fresh” shrimp you’re seeing for your grilled shrimp recipes are right off the boat, you’re better off buying frozen shrimp.
If you didn’t get already deveined shrimp, grab a small paring knife. Then, slice a shallow line down the back of the shrimp. Use the tip of the knife to pull out the vein, or just rinse it off under cold water. It’s super quick and also makes sure your shrimp cook evenly every time.
Definitely! You won’t have as much smoke flavor, but it’s just as easy. Place your skillet over medium-high heat on the stovetop and cook as directed. If you’re grilling something else, you could always throw in the smoldering coal and get some of that smokiness right in your kitchen.
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Garlic Smoked Shrimp
Ingredients
Shrimp:
- 1.5 lbs Whole Shrimp peeled & deveined
- 3 tbsp Minced Garlic
- 3 tbsp Olive Oil
- 1.5 tbsp SPG
- 1.5 tsp Red Chili Flakes
Garnish:
- Charred Lemon
- Chopped Parsley
- Toasted Bread
Instructions
- Slather your shrimp in a little olive oil and generously season with SPG.
- Arrange your shrimp in a cold skillet making a circle. Mix the oil and minced garlic and pour that over the shrimp. Sprinkle the red chili flakes over the top. Make sure to leave a big divot in the middle of the skillet full of oil.
- Preheat a medium high heat fire (around 350F) for direct cooking.
- Add your skillet full of shrimp and let cook for 90 seconds. Once the tails begin to turn pink and the oil is simmering, grab a smoldering coal from the fire and add to the middle. Once smoking, cover with a lid and let cook for another 90 seconds until the shrimp are opaque white.
- Open up the skillet and pull out the coals. Garnish the skillet with chopped parsley, charred lemon and crusted bread. Serve and enjoy!
