Name: Lemon Garlic Shrimp Skewers
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 8 min
Total time: 23 min
Ingredients: 4 to 5 wooden skewers; 1 to 2 cups water, for soaking; Zest and juice of 1 large lemon; 2 tbsp olive oil; 6 garlic cloves, pressed or very finely chopped; 1/4 cup white wine; 2 tsp dried parsley; A pinch of salt and pepper; About 1 lb large raw shrimp (roughly 16 to 20); Chopped fresh parsley, to garnish (optional)

Two holes in every shrimp is the small move that keeps these shrimp skewers from spinning in place when you turn them. The skewer goes in near the tail and comes back out through the thick end, so each shrimp lies flat and stays put.

That’s the whole trick to grilled shrimp skewers that flip as one piece. Four shrimp to a stick, no more.

The marinade takes two minutes to whisk: lemon zest and juice, olive oil, a lot of garlic, a splash of white wine, and dried parsley. It only needs 20 to 30 minutes in the fridge.

What I watch on the grill is color. Gray, glassy flesh turns pink and opaque, and once the last gray patch is gone, they come off.

Prep: 15 minutes · Cook: 6 to 8 minutes · Total: about 55 minutes (with marinating) · Serves: 4 (4 to 5 skewers, about 1 lb shrimp)

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How long do you grill shrimp skewers?

Over low heat, shrimp skewers take about 3 to 4 minutes per side. They’re done when the flesh has turned pink and opaque all the way through, with no gray, glassy patches left. Large shrimp, about 16 to 20 to the pound, fit that timing, and pulling them right at that color change keeps them tender.

Why It Works

Low heat for about 3 to 4 minutes per side, the way The Busy Baker grills them, gives the center of each shrimp time to turn opaque before the outside firms up and goes tough.
Piercing each shrimp in two places pins it to the skewer, so the whole stick turns in one motion and nothing spins or slides off into the grill.
A short soak in lemon juice and wine, 20 to 30 minutes covered in the fridge, is enough for the garlic to cling. Kyle Launer marinates his for only 15 minutes.

I set a timer for the first side and then stop trusting it. Once the edges facing up start turning pink, I pick up my tongs.

Why This One’s Worth Making

The marinade is pantry basics: a lemon, garlic, olive oil, dried parsley, and a splash of white wine.
Grill time for the whole batch is 6 to 8 minutes.
It works on an indoor or an outdoor grill, so the weather doesn’t get a vote.

Ingredients for Shrimp Skewers

4 to 5 wooden skewers
1 to 2 cups water, for soaking
Zest and juice of 1 large lemon
2 tbsp olive oil
6 garlic cloves, pressed or very finely chopped
1/4 cup white wine
2 tsp dried parsley
A pinch of salt and pepper
About 1 lb large raw shrimp (roughly 16 to 20)
Chopped fresh parsley, to garnish (optional)

Ingredient Notes and Swaps

Large shrimp are the size this recipe is built around, about 16 to 20 to the pound, which works out to four per skewer. Smaller shrimp cook faster than the timing here and are harder to pierce twice.

If yours are frozen, let them thaw all the way before they meet the marinade.

The Busy Baker leaves the shells optional but keeps the tails on, and I do the same. A tail gives you something to hold when you slide a shrimp off the stick.

The Mediterranean Dish starts with shrimp that are already peeled and deveined, which saves time at the sink.

Six cloves of garlic sounds like a lot for one pound. Press them or chop them very fine so the bits coat the shrimp instead of dropping onto the grill.

The wine and lemon juice loosen the marinade enough to pour over the skewers and reach every shrimp.

Let’s Make It

Soak the skewers. Pour 1 to 2 cups of water into a shallow baking dish and lay the wooden skewers in it. Leave them while you make the marinade and clean the shrimp, until the wood feels damp and heavier in your hand.
Whisk the marinade. In a bowl, whisk the lemon zest and juice, olive oil, garlic, white wine, dried parsley, salt, and pepper. Stop when the oil breaks into small beads and the garlic is spread out instead of clumped.
Prep the shrimp. Rinse the shrimp and pull off the shells if you like, leaving the tails on. Pat them dry with paper towels so the marinade has something to hold. They’re ready when none are dripping.
Thread the shrimp skewers. Drain the skewers. Slide 4 shrimp onto each one, piercing every shrimp in two places, near the tail and through the thick end. Each shrimp should sit flat and refuse to spin when you twist it.
Marinate briefly. Lay the skewers in a shallow baking dish. Whisk the marinade again, since the oil separates, then pour it over and turn each skewer to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 20 to 30 minutes, until the shrimp look glossy and flecked with garlic.
Heat the grill. Near the end of the marinating time, heat your indoor or outdoor grill to low. It’s ready when the clean grate is evenly hot from edge to edge.
Grill the first side. Lift the skewers out of the dish, lay them on the grill, and throw out the leftover marinade. Cook for about 3 to 4 minutes, until the undersides are pink and the edges facing up have started to change color.
Flip and finish. Turn each skewer once with tongs and cook the second side for about 3 to 4 minutes more. They’re done when the flesh is pink and opaque through the thickest part, with no gray, glassy spots. Pull them right then.
Garnish and serve. Move the skewers to a platter and scatter chopped fresh parsley over them if you’re using it. Serve right away, while the shrimp are still glossy.

Tips

Don’t reuse the marinade that held the raw shrimp. It goes down the drain once the skewers are on the grill, and it never gets brushed back over cooked ones.
If a shrimp keeps spinning, it’s only been pierced once. Slide it off and rethread it through two spots.
The recipes I checked don’t say how long is too long in this lemon and wine marinade, so I stick with 20 to 30 minutes and don’t stretch it.
For a little heat, add a pinch of red pepper flakes to the marinade.
I don’t measure the salt beyond a pinch, and I’m not going to start.

Storing and Reheating

These skewers are juiciest straight off the grill, while the shrimp are still juicy. The recipes I checked this against don’t cover leftovers, so I won’t hand you a fridge timeline I can’t stand behind.

If you do have extras, slide the shrimp off the skewers and keep them covered in the fridge. I’d rather eat them cold over a green salad or tucked into a wrap than heat them again, because a second round of heat is what turns shrimp rubbery.

For a head start, whisk the marinade and thread the skewers earlier in the day, then keep both covered in the fridge. Pour the marinade over only when you’re 20 to 30 minutes from grilling.

On the Side

Plain white rice, which catches the lemon and garlic juices that run off the shrimp.
A big green salad with a sharp vinaigrette, so the plate stays light next to the olive oil.
Crusty bread for wiping up the garlic left on the platter.

Special Equipment

Wooden skewers long enough to hold 4 large shrimp with room left at the handle end.
A shallow baking dish that fits the skewers flat, for both the soaking water and the marinade.
An indoor or outdoor grill with clean grates, so the shrimp release when you turn them.
Long tongs for flipping each skewer in one motion.

Questions I Get About Shrimp Skewers

Do I have to soak wooden skewers for shrimp skewers? Yes. Soaking them in water while you prep keeps the wood damp, so it’s slower to catch on the grill. The recipes I checked only use soaked wooden skewers, so that’s what I stick with.

How do you know when grilled shrimp are done? Look at the color. The flesh turns from gray and see-through to pink and opaque, and that’s the moment to take them off.

Can I marinate shrimp overnight? The recipes I checked don’t give a maximum time, so I won’t promise overnight works. I keep it to 20 to 30 minutes in the fridge.

Why do shrimp spin on the skewer? They’ve been pierced only once. Run the skewer through each shrimp in two places and it stays flat when you flip.

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