Description
This Crispy Grilled Shrimp (Prawns) with Lemon Butter Sauce recipe delivers perfectly golden, crusty shrimp brushed with a zesty lemon garlic butter. Ideal for BBQs or quick weeknight dinners, the shrimp are seasoned with smoked paprika and cayenne pepper, grilled to perfection, and served with a delicious lemon butter sauce and fresh parsley.
Ingredients
Scale
Lemon Garlic Butter
- 6 tbsp unsalted butter (90g)
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 3 tsp garlic, very finely chopped (do not use mincer)
- 1.5 tbsp lemon juice, plus more to taste
Shrimp/Prawns
- 1 lb large raw shrimp/prawns, peeled and deveined (500g)
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp smoked paprika (plain or sweet)
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 tbsp lemon juice (skip if using stove method)
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
Serving (Optional)
- 1 lemon, halved and grilled if desired
- Lemon wedges or slices
- 2 tbsp finely chopped parsley
Instructions
- Prepare the Grill. Brush BBQ grills with oil then preheat on high until very hot to ensure shrimp don’t stick and get a nice sear.
- Skewer Shrimp if Needed. If shrimp are small and might fall through the grills, thread them onto two skewers each so they don’t spin or fall through while grilling.
- Make Lemon Garlic Butter Sauce. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the finely chopped garlic and salt. Stir carefully until the garlic is lightly golden brown, then immediately remove from heat to prevent burning. Stir in 1.5 tablespoons of lemon juice, adjusting to taste.
- Prepare the Shrimp. Pat the shrimp dry with paper towels to ensure crispiness. Just before cooking, place shrimp in a bowl and sprinkle with garlic powder, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, salt, pepper, olive oil, and lemon juice (skip lemon juice for stove method). Toss gently to coat evenly.
- Grill the Shrimp. Quickly place shrimp on the hot BBQ grill. Cook for 2 minutes on each side until golden and crusty, turning carefully. Avoid overcooking to keep shrimp tender.
- Remove Shrimp and Serve. Transfer the grilled shrimp immediately to a serving plate. Drizzle generously with the lemon garlic butter sauce and sprinkle with chopped parsley.
- Optional Serving. Serve with grilled lemon halves or fresh lemon wedges on the side. Accompany with crusty bread for mopping up the flavorful butter sauce.
Notes
- Use finely chopped garlic rather than minced or crushed to avoid burning and to create crispy golden garlic bits in the sauce.
- If using frozen shrimp/prawns, thaw completely and drain excess water before cooking. Large or jumbo size shrimp are best to prevent falling through grill.
- For smaller shrimp, skewering twice through each shrimp prevents them from spinning and falling through grill grates; soak bamboo skewers in water for 30 minutes before use.
- Do not let shrimp sit longer than 10 minutes after seasoning to prevent moisture loss, which reduces crispiness.
- Stove cooking option: omit lemon juice from marinade, heat 1-2 teaspoons olive oil in a heavy skillet over high heat, cook shrimp in batches 2 minutes per side, then prepare butter sauce in the same skillet reducing heat to medium-high.
- Nutrition values assume all the butter sauce is consumed.
