Grilled Shrimp Scampi
Fire up the BBQ and make this heavenly Grilled Shrimp Scampi flavored with lemon, garlic, basil, and grainy mustard for a phenomenal entree. It’s a delicious, easy recipe to kick off the summer grilling season!
The twist on this Recipe for Shrimp Scampi isn’t the recipe itself, but the technique. Cooking quickly over charcoal imparts an incredible smoky flavor which complements the sweet, succulent shrimp perfectly.
Why You Must Make
- You may think of pasta tossed with garlicky shrimp and butter when shrimp scampi comes to mind. But this grilled version is fabulous!
- Italian immigrants to the States developed scampi by utilizing Italian techniques to cook American food.
- I was relieved that adding grainy mustard and basil wouldn’t necessarily butcher a purest’s interpretation of scampi nor would grilling it.
Recipe Tips
My husband lets me get my way most of the time. I think that’s how we have stayed married for 30+ years. Smart man. But he refuses to let me purchase a gas grill. Granted, the taste of charcoal does impart a certain smokey deliciousness, but it’s messy. I think that’s my new excuse for wearing yoga pants 24/7! I admit, though, that he does have a point.
- These shrimp, for example, were phenomenal. Besides all the layers of flavors from the marinade, the grilling process imparted another marvelous nuance. Of course, a gas grill is much easier to control, so feel free to use whatever method you have available.
- PRO-Tip: Shrimp grill quickly, so work fast. Just 1-2 minutes per side and they need to be removed from the heat so the texture doesn’t become rubbery.
- If you’re using wooden skewers, soak them in water for about 30 minutes to prevent them from catching on fire. Metal skewers are always an option.
- PRO-Tip: Use two skewers threaded through each shrimp as seen in the photo above. This will make the shrimp easier to flip as they’re locked in place.
- Use your eyes to judge when the shrimp is done. Once they start turning pink, give them a quick flip and remove them to a serving tray. Also, watch for them to curl. If they curl into a “C” shape, they’re cooked. If they curl into a tight “O” shape, they’re overcooked.
- Timing will vary, of course, depending on the temperature of your grill and the size of your shrimp. If you are a shrimp lover, you must make this extraordinary grilled shrimp scampi!
Serving Suggestions
- We enjoyed this with a lovely Sauvignon Blanc with citrus flavors of lemon peel and grapefruit.
- A crusty loaf of bread or slices of Garlic Bread would be delicious.
- Roasted Asparagus or Green Beans
- Rice Casserole
- Polenta
- Caesar Salad
- Guacamole Salad
Frequently Asked Questions
According to the Food Lover’s Companion, scampi is the Italian word for the tail portion of lobsterettes like the Dublin Bay prawn. In the US, scampi typically refers to large split shrimp brushed with garlic butter before being broiled.
Some ingredients in scampi recipes include butter and/or olive oil, white wine, garlic, red pepper flakes, and freshly squeezed lemon juice.
You May Also Like:
- Beer Battered Buffalo Shrimp Sliders from Tidy Mom
- Grilled Spicy Salt and Pepper Shrimp Skewers from Boulder Locavore
- Sweet and Spicy Baked Coconut Shrimp Dip from Country Cleaver
- Rosemary Prosciutto Shrimp
- Margarita Shrimp
- Baked Garlic Shrimp
- Spicy Shrimp Fajitas
- Maple Mustard Glazed Salmon
- More Delicious Seafood Recipes
Grilled Shrimp Scampi Recipe
A fabulous grilled version of the classic shrimp scampi.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 tablespoons butter, melted
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- Zest of half a lemon
- 1½ tablespoons grainy mustard
- ¼ cup minced basil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- ¼ teaspoon Badia spices complete seasoning mix or Morton Nature's Season
- 2 pounds jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined
Instructions
- In a shallow glass dish (I used my 9x13-inch Pyrex cake pan), mix together olive oil, butter, lemon juice and zest, mustard, basil, garlic, red pepper flakes, and seasoning mix.
- Add shrimp and stir till the shrimp are coated with the paste.
- Place in the refrigerator for about an hour.
- Prepare grill. Thread shrimp onto skewers. Gently microwave any marinade left in the pan and smear over skewered shrimp.
- Grill for approximately 2 minutes per side or till just starting to turn pink. Serve hot.
Notes
Grill just until the shrimp turn pink. Overcooking will make them rubbery.
If you don't have access to Badia seasoning, just use a general seasoning salt, like Morton's Nature's Seasoning.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 258Total Fat: 11gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 334mgSodium: 1583mgCarbohydrates: 4gFiber: 0gSugar: 0gProtein: 35g
32 Comments on “Grilled Shrimp Scampi”
My mom used to make this for us growing up, this dish brings back a lot of memories for me. Perfect for Mother’s day!
Grilled shrimp scampi looks delicious, I have made it twice already. My favorite now.
Grilled shrimp scampi is delicious I have made it for our date night my hubby enjoyed it asked me to make it again.
The shrimp tasted amazing. I made this for our friends’ get-together and enjoyed the grilling session.
That looks amazing Liz. I’m with MrPicky, no gas grill for us, the charcoal is really amazing with shrimp.
Wow…you sound like you know your wines, too, Liz. 😉 Shrimp Scampi is one of my faves!
Haha! Your husband definitely sounds like a smart man. I am all about celebrating every single moment of summer.
Oh, yum, this dish just sings summer is here.
Amalia
xo
We quite often drink Chilean wine because my husband grew up in Chile and he’s just a little nostalgic. Not to mention it’s very affordable wine – not sure how they do it for the price! Great to see you’re back in BBQ season xx
These look amazing Liz. My Dad would have gone bonkers for these skewers. He was such a huge seafood fanatic. This is utterly perfect for summer.
This deliciously spiced shrimp goes perfect with your wine. Yum!
We have a charcoal grill at the cottage and you are absolutely right Liz, it is incomparable to the gas grill but like you mentioned,it’s messy and takes time, but we do have time at the cottage. The shrimp look phenomenal and as luck would have it, I have a dish I’m going to prepare on Sunday with shrimp, pancetta, Parmesan and pasta! I cooked for celebrity Food Network Canada Chef David Rocco last Monday, the show airs on June 6, I’ll post a link on Mondays blog post.
This sounds terrific. Never done scampi on the grill!
Gimme! I love grilled shrimp in scampi!
Great recipe, Liz! I love shrimp scampi in any version, but the grill is sure the way to go in the summer. We have a very old gas grill, but now I don’t have to wait for Manservant to get home to start the coals. Bit quicker, even though purists would say, it’s just not the same! Me…I’d rather at a reasonable time!
Tee hee. Smart husband! And spectacular sounding and looking grilled shrimp =)
Reminds me of when my dad made scampi for me before – without butter! 🙂 THE BEST!!
This is such a nice way to serve shrimps…simple and yet so tasty…indeed a wonderful Summer kick off!
Hope you are having a great week Liz 🙂
Great shrimp scampi, Liz! I will definitely have to try it your way. Thanks for the recipe.
Yeah I could go for shrimp scampi now! They look great. I suck with charcoal! And love yoga pants too!
Love this series Liz and this recipe! Shrimp on the grill is always a great idea! Happy summer 🙂
What a fab recipe!! Loving the combo of schrimp and wine 🙂
Mmmm, shrimp and wine. We think alike 🙂
This shrimp looks amazing! I love grilled shrimp!
This looks so delicious! Can’t get enough of shrimp!
This sounds delicious, great summer recipe.
Looks like the perfect pairing for a summer night!
Lol, I had to laugh to myself, Liz. Whenever I make grilled shrimp, Marion insists I remove the shrimp from the skewers and mix them with pasta! I prefer mine “as is” but nooooooo not Marion, lol…doesn’t matter really, these shrimp have all the flavors of deliciousness either way!
Thanks for sharing, Liz…
Lizzy ! Love shrimp and this look wonderful. And I love this chilean wine.
A lovely post.
Bet that scampi sauce would be good with chicken too! And you make the wines sound so good Liz, I’d love to try the white, grapefruit sounds very refreshing:@)
Grilled shrimp looks absolutely delicious and intriguing. Perfect share for this slightly warm weather.
Grilled shrimp scampi sounds just perfect to me, I must try this!