Healthy & Flavor Filled shrimp, grilled to perfection!
If you like shrimp, you’re going to love this simple recipe for Healthy Cajun Shrimp Skewers! You can cut this recipe in half for a smaller appetizer-sized dish, a larger meal-sized dish, or without any skewers at all —every method is guaranteed to be a winner!
Healthy Cajun Shrimp Skewers
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup avocado oil
- 1/2 medium onion finely chopped
- 2 tbsp Cajun seasoning
- 6 garlic cloves minced
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp dried rosemary
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 2 lbs raw large shrimp peeled and deveined
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine the avocado oil, onion, Cajun seasoning, garlic, cumin, rosemary, and thyme. Stir to combine.
- Place the shrimp into a bowl or container. Add half of the marinade. Mix to completely coat shrimp. Cover shrimp and refrigerate for 1-2 hours. Cover remaining marinade and refrigerate.
- Thread shrimp onto 10 metal or soaked wooden skewers. Grill, uncovered, over medium heat for 2-4 minutes on each side or until shrimp turn pink, basting with reserved marinade.
- Serve warm.
Notes
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What kind of skewers can you grill with?
There is nothing more tasty than grilling seafood and/or meat skewers for dinner. They are quick, simple, and appealing to serve. Skewering shrimp is a lot more easy than most people think!
Metal vs. Wood:
- Wooden skewers are great because they are disposable, making them nice for gatherings, cookouts, or tailgates. Make sure you soak the wooden skewers at least 30 minutes (or longer) before using them. I usually do it while the shrimp is marinating. This ensures they do not catch on fire or burn while on the grill.
- Metal skewers are great because they are resuable and therefore better for the environment. Although they won’t burn or catch on fire, you do need to be careful because they conduct heat (AKA they get really hot). They do make ones with handles that won’t burn you, but they do cost a little more.
Which skewers you use is a personal preference! But either way your final product will be great!
But first, the Marinade!
Shrimp on the grill is such a great appetizer or meal because it is high in protein, easy to prepare, and SO quick to make. But for the most flavorful shrimp you want to make sure you marinate it first! When it comes to the perfect marinade I like to keep things simple. For this marinade you will need the following:
- Oil: Oil is essential to any marinade. It helps preserve the meat or seafood that is being marinated. It also helps retain moisture while it’s being cooked. This recipe calls for avocado oil, but olive oil can also be used.
- Onion & Garlic: This helps give the recipe an added texture and taste. If you’re stomach is sensitive to onion and garlic feel free to omit. But if not, don’t skip this step! The extra chopping is well worth it.
- Seasonings: This recipe uses Cajun seasoning, cumin, rosemary, and thyme. I used all dry seasonings, which you may already have on hand. Although you can absolutely use fresh herbs instead!
Grilling Shrimp 101
Raw vs Cooked: If you have ever purchased shrimp, you know there are SO many ways to buy it. If the shrimp is grey, it is uncooked. If the shrimp is pink, it is already cooked. When grilling shrimp you want to buy the freshest, raw shrimp. Any size works, although larger shrimp are easier to skewer. I love buying fresh shrimp from the seafood counter at the store. Just be sure to ask them how old the shrimp is so you ensure you are getting the most fresh shrimp they have!
Peeling and Deveining: SHRIMP TIP…buy raw peeled and deveined shrimp from the seafood counter at your local grocery store. This will save you SO much time. Although if you can’t find it you can do it yourself. After peeling the shell off the shrimp you want to devein it. The black line down its back is the shrimp vein. Use a spoon or knife and gently drag the vein down the back until it is removed.
Marinating the Shrimp: You want the shrimp to absorb the flavor, so I recommend marinating for at least 30 minutes, but find that it has the most flavor if it is marinated at least two hours.
Grilling the Shrimp: Although you may be marinating the shrimp for awhile, shrimp grills SO fast compared to other proteins such as chicken, burgers, etc. I like using skewers so I can easily flip the shrimp on the grill, but you can also grill the shrimp “skewer free” on a grill pan or sheet of foil directly on the grill. They only take approximately 2-4 minutes on each side, so be sure not to go too far from your grill!
I CAN’T WAIT TO SEE YOU TRY IT!
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