In the time it takes to preheat your grill, you can prep and marinate shrimp and prepare the dipping sauce. Then after a few minutes on the barbecue, this quickly grilled shrimp with sriracha dipping sauce is done and ready to be served as an appetizer or as the main dish.
The texture of shrimp can go from luscious to rubbery if overcooked, but that is such an easy thing to fix. When sautéing or grilling, don’t cook shrimp according to the timer, but by what it looks like. Raw shrimp is grey and pearly while cooked shrimp is pink and the color turns opaque. Since it cooks so quickly, stand over the heat and watch. As soon as the color starts to change, get the tongs ready and remove the shrimp, not only from the heat source but out of the hot pan.
Not only can the texture be ruined by overcooking, but the delicate flesh can start to “cook” when immersed in an acidic substance (think ceviche) like a marinade. This recipe contains lemon juice so the shrimp shouldn’t spend very long in the sauce. Marinating for only 15 minutes will not start the cooking process but will provide a flavor boost to the shrimp.
Shrimp Sizes
Shrimp is categorized from colossal to tiny. Each supplier can assign their own sizing label so it is better to know the number of shrimp per pound, which is consistent. These numbers refer to whole shrimp with (heads, shells, etc).
- U/15 colossal means less than 15 shrimp per pound
- 16-20 jumbo is great for flashy appetizers or main dishes
- 21-25 extra-large also a great size for main dishes.
- 26-30 large size
- 31-40 medium-large is my default size. I always have a bag if this size shrimp in the freezer.
- 41-50 usually called medium
- 51-60 small size
- 61-70 extra-small is a good size for salads
When estimating serving size, plan on 3-4 ounces of shrimp
To thaw frozen shrimp
Place shrimp in a colander and run cold water over the shrimp. Don’t use warm water as that can start cooking the shrimp. It doesn’t take very long to defrost shrimp this way.
Devein shrimp
The black tract (called vein but it is actually is the digestive tract) is located on the outer curve of the shrimp just under the shell. Since the vein can contain grains of sand it will make the shrimp gritty if you don’t remove it. Sometimes on the inner curve where the legs were connected, there appears a dark line. This can be removed for aesthetics, but the shrimp will not be gritty if it is left intact.
What is Sriracha?
Sriracha is a hot sauce made from chili peppers, vinegar, garlic, sugar, and salt. It is a great way to add heat and is often used as a condiment. It is found in the Asian aisle at the grocery store. I like the brand with the rooster on it. There is no need to refrigerate the bottle after opening—just store it in a cupboard and shake it well before using it.
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Quick Grilled Shrimp with Sriracha Dipping Sauce
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: appetizer, shrimp,
- Method: grilled
- Cuisine: American
Description
Luscious shrimp goes from a quick marinade to the grill or grill pan in less than 20 minutes. Serve with a yummy sriracha dipping sauce.
Ingredients
- 1 pound shrimp (buy large or extra-large)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1/4 teaspoon granulated garlic
- Pinch of kosher salt and pepper
Sriracha Dipping Sauce
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 2 Tablespoon Sriracha hot chili sauce
- 1 teaspoons lemon juice
- Pinch of ground white pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon soy sauce
- Italian Parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Thaw shrimp, if needed. Peel and devein shrimp.
- In a medium bowl, combine olive oil, lemon juice, granulated garlic and a pinch of slat and pepper. Stir to combine and add shrimp. Gently toss shrimp so the marinade coats the shrimp.
- Set aside and let marinate for 15 minutes.
- Preheat grill or grill pan over high heat. (Heat an oiled slotted pan if cooking on a grill so the shrimp doesn’t fall through the grates.)
- Make the sriracha dipping sauce by combining the mayonnaise, Sriracha, lemon juice, and ground white pepper a bowl and stir to until sauce is smooth.
- Stir in soy sauce, a drop at a time to taste.
- Garnish with minced parsley, set sauce aside.
- Arrange the shrimp on a preheated slotted pan on the grill and cook for 2-3 minutes, then using tongs, turn the shrimp over and cook for another 2 minutes or until pink and opaque and the shrimp starts to curl into a “c” shape.
- If cooking on a grill pan, place shrimp directly on the pan.
- Serve warm with dipping sauce and garnish with minced fresh parsley.
Notes
To make this dish gluten-free, substitute tamari sauce for soy sauce.
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