Basil Garlic Marinated Grilled Shrimp Skewers with Jalapeno Honey Sauce
Head-on shrimp are quick to cook, deeply flavorful, and well suited to simple marinades. In this recipe, fresh basil, garlic, olive oil, and lemon lightly coat the shrimp before they hit the grill, letting the natural sweetness of the shrimp stay front and center.
This basil marinated BBQ shrimp is straightforward and unfussy—ideal for warm weather cooking, casual outdoor meals, or serving as a shared plate alongside grilled vegetables and bread.
Have an bunch of basil from the garden and no idea what to do with all of those fresh herbs? I created this recipe for basil garlic marinated grilled shrimp skewers with jalapeno honey sauce with excessive bunches of basil in mind. Marinating shrimp in basil, vanilla, and garlic before skewering and BBQing over a grill makes for a great healthy summertime appetizer (or a tasty leftover lunch the next day when tossed with pasta!)
If you’re looking for a recipe on how to cook juicy, succulent, and flavor filled shrimp skewers, you have come to the right place. Keep reading below for several tips and tricks to keep your shrimp skewers, juicy, flavorful, evenly and easily cooked.
A quick 20 minute marinade is all it takes to infuse head-on shrimp with the sweet flavors of fresh basil herb and vanilla.
This recipe uses a quick garlic basil oil marinade sprinkled with fresh vanilla specks to flavor head-on shrimp before being slid on bamboo skewers and cooked over a BBQ grill. This recipe is so summery and perfect for alfresco dinners.
Jalapeño Honey Sauce adds a punch of sweet and spicy flavors, that brings the hidden spice notes of the herb basil out, and front and center.
These marinated shrimp skewers come together quickly and are loaded with flavor thanks to a quick basil marinade!
Head-on-shrimp is a great option for grilling. The extra fat stored in the shrimps head adds extra tenderness to the quickly cooked shellfish.
The deeply penetrating marinade adds loads of flavor in a short time, making the shrimp kabobs both succulent and flavorful.
Vanilla works wonders in this marinade, adding to the sweetness that is already abundant in the shrimp. Basil has a subtle sweetness to it’s flavor profile as well, pairing perfectly with the combination of basil and vanilla.
An added kick of fresh garlic pulls the spice notes out of the herby basil and makes the flavor combinations in this recipe really pop.
Serve these skewers drizzled in honey sauce with wedges of lemon on the side!
How to Prepare Head-On Shrimp for Grilling
Rinse the shrimp thoroughly, lightly scrubbing if needed.
Using kitchen shears, cut straight up the back of the shrimp to the tail, leaving the head intact.
To devein the shrimp, I use a combination of removing with a spoon, by sliding gently down the back and rinsing with water.
Leave the shells on, this will help keep the shrimp moist during grilling.
How to Store Basil Garlic Marinated Grilled Shrimp Skewers with Jalapeno Honey Sauce:
- Store grilled shrimp in container with tightly fitted lid in refrigerator for 2 days after grilling.
- Store jalapeno in smaller separate container.
Basil Garlic Marinated Grilled Shrimp Skewers with Jalapeno Honey Sauce
Equipment
- 4 Bamboo Skewers soaked in water
- Food Processor
Ingredients
Shrimp Marinade
- 1/2 Pound Head on Shrimp Medium Size, about 10 shrimp
- 3 Tablespoons Olive Oil extra virgin
- 1 Cup Fresh Basil About 20 leaves
- 2 Cloves Fresh Garlic
- 1 Vanilla bean
- Sprinkle Salt
Jalapeno Honey Drizzle Sauce
- 1 Jalapeno Pepper
- 1/2 Tsp Honey
- 1 Tbsp Reserved Basil Mixture
- 1 Half Lemon
Instructions
Basil, Vanilla Marinade
- Chop garlic into large chunks and place in food processor.
- Remove basil from stems and shred leaves lightly with hands before placing into food processor with garlic.
- Pour olive oil into food processor and process until a fine texture is achieved. *Reserve 1 tablespoon of basil garlic mixture for the finishing drizzle*Pour mixture into medium bowl.
- Slice open vanilla bean and scrape the pods contents into basil mixture. Add salt and mix thoughly.
- Add shrimp to bowl and mix with spoon to cover with marinade mixture. Let chill in fridge for 20 minutes. While the shrimp marinates, mix up the Jalapeno Honey Drizzle.
- Slide shrimp onto skewers, placing 1 bamboo stick on either side of the shrimp, this will stop the shrimp from flipping while grilling.
Honey Jalapeno Sauce Drizzle
- Slice jalapeno and remove seeds. Chop into small pieces. Place pieces in small bowl.
- Squeeze lemon juice into bowl, adding reserved basil mixture and honey. Mix ingredients together and set aside.
Grill the Shrimp Skewers
- Place shrimp on grill in indirect heat, not over open flame and cook on each side for 5 minutes.
- Remove shrimp skewers from grill. Snap heads and peel shrimp before drizzling or dipping into Jalapeno Honey Sauce.
Nutrition
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