My juicy grilled shrimp kabobs are marinated in amazing spices and fresh herbs, and layered with colorful, flavorful veggies. This quick dinner recipe is a fast and easy meal for those busy weeknights. And easily customized is always a win-win!
Whether you’re kicking off summer or celebrating time with family, these vibrant, quick, and easy shrimp skewers deliver. What better reason for firing up the grill? Is it raining? Don’t worry, because you can make this in an indoor grill or a grill pan just as easily.
Shrimp skewers are a practical dinner option because they’re easy to prepare. This recipe isn’t just about shrimp because it has well-seasoned veggies to make it a more wholesome meal.
Which Veggies Work for Kabobs
Your choice of vegetables is probably the most versatile option. They need to be firm enough to stay on the skewer when cooked tender. Whole button or baby Bella mushrooms (not technically a veg), red onions, colorful bell peppers, and grape tomatoes are classics.
I also used sliced yellow squash and zucchini, but small chunks of corn on the cob and butternut work, too. Non-traditional additions to kabobs are marinated eggplant, boiled new potatoes, okra, and Brussel sprouts.
How to Grill Shrimp Kabobs
- Make the sauce, season the shrimp, and prep the vegetables.
- Thread everything on the skewers, grill, and enjoy!
Recipe Notes & Tips
- Using two skewers per kabob keeps the shrimp and vegetables stable without flipping needlessly.
- Change out the marinade for a different flavor kick. Teriyaki, jerk, and honey hot sauces are all delicious shrimp marinade options. A little grated lemon zest is also a nice twist.
- Seafood is highly perishable, so frozen raw shrimp with the shell on is usually the freshest you can get. Check the ingredient list to make sure shrimp is the only ingredient for the best flavor. Preservatives, like sodium tripolyphosphate and extra salt, affect the texture and taste of shrimp in a not-so-good way.
- Replace the shrimp with oyster, portabella, or shitake mushrooms for grilled vegan kabobs.
- Add pineapple chunks for Hawaiian-inspired grilled pineapple and shrimp kabobs.
- Marinating shrimp for 10-30 minutes is best. Unfortunately, marinating them overnight can ruin their texture.
Leftover Makeovers
Grilled shrimp and veggies make fantastic leftovers. Keep them in an airtight container in the fridge and use them during the next 3-4 days, or freeze them for 2-3 months.
- Chop them into smaller chunks and add them to leftover rice for unbeatable fried rice.
- Shrimp also goes great on top of a salad the next day.
- Heat chicken broth in a saucepan to a boil, add the shrimp and veggies, and heat through for a uniquely delicious soup.
- Heat a flour tortilla on a griddle. Then, add a handful of grated Monterey Jack cheese and a large spoonful of leftover shrimp and veggies on one side of the tortilla. Fold it in half, cook on one side for a minute or two, then flip it and cook until the cheese melts for delectable quesadillas. Shrimp tacos are also good.
A side of coconut rice goes great with shrimp kebabs if you’re enjoying dinner at the table. But grilled corn on the cob, coleslaw, and potato salad turn it into a hearty, healthy BBQ celebration.
More Fantastic Shrimp Recipes to Try
Watch How to Make It
[adthrive-in-post-video-player video-id=”aZkXLV0m” upload-date=”2022-06-17T15:26:20.000Z” name=”GRILLED SHRIMP KABOB.mp4″ description=”These grilled shrimp kabobs are marinated in cumin, Italian seasonings, lemon, garlic, pepper flakes, and fresh herbs, then threaded along with vibrant flavored veggies for one explosive yet quick and easy, busy weeknight meal.” player-type=”collapse” override-embed=”false”]
This blog post was originally published in June 2020 and has been updated with additional tips, new photos, and a video.