Basil Garlic Marinated Grilled Shrimp Skewers with Jalapeno Honey Sauce
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 minutes is all it takes to marinate and infuse head-on shrimp with the sweet flavors of basil and vanilla with an added kick of garlic. 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.
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 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.
