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Grill/Barbecue

Spicy Shrimp

by:
July 26, 2009
4.6
36 Ratings
Photo by James Ransom
  • Prep time 4 hours
  • Cook time 30 minutes
  • Serves a bunch of shrimp
Author Notes

This is dead simple, and totally delicious. I tend to grill up millions of them, take them off the skewers, pile them on a platter, and stick a few toothpicks on. People get the idea pretty quickly, and they disappear... I like them good and spicy, but you can adjust the amount of Sriracha as you'd like. - Helen —Helen

Test Kitchen Notes

We love Sriracha's heat, which is warm, lasting, and assertive without being overbearing. Helen combined the hot sauce with a few everyday ingredients -- olive oil, Worcestershire sauce, sugar and cilantro -- to create a sublime marinade for shrimp. The oil and sugar give the marinade some viscosity so it doesn't just season the shrimp but clings to it. But it's the sugar that makes this dish -- on the grill, the sugar caramelizes, giving the shrimp a laquered feel, and its sweetness balances the kick of the Sriracha. Buy some beer or Tequila. - A&M —The Editors

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Spicy Shrimp
Ingredients
  • 1/3 cup Sriracha
  • 1/3 cup olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce
  • 3 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 1 handful cilantro, roughly chopped, plus more for garnish
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • Salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 pounds large shrimp (16 to 20 count), peeled and deveined
Directions
  1. Mix together the Sriracha, olive oil, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, cilantro, and sugar. Season aggressively with salt and pepper. Put in a 1-gallon plastic bag, add the shrimp, and mix together in the bag. Marinate in the fridge for 2 to 4 hours. Or longer.
  2. Heat a grill. Skewer the shrimp (4 to 6 shrimp per skewer) and grill until pink and delicious, 2 to 3 minutes per side.
  3. Remove the shrimp from the grill, slide the shrimp from the skewer using a fork, and pile on a serving platter. Sprinkle with finely chopped cilantro, and throw a few toothpicks in a few shrimp. Watch them disappear.
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100 Reviews

Write a Review
nadiclori October 31, 2023
i'm was cok very yummy
Leslie J. July 19, 2023
LOVE LOVE LOVE this recipe! So easy and delicious. We tend to serve it when we are entertaining, and everyone always asks about the recipe. My grocery store sells peeled raw shrimp already skewered, so that makes this even easier to dump on the marinade and grill or smoke. So good just thinking about it that I'm going to make some tonight!
erin April 13, 2023
I've made this at least a dozen times, and everyone I've shared this with has asked for the recipe. I've made shrimp tacos, a shrimp dip, and sauteed over pasta . Excellent for so many reasons besides ease.
anniette August 16, 2022
We usually end up tweaking recipes, but not this one. It is perfection as written. We love it more each time we make it. Thank you! A keeper, destined to become a classic.
Charles April 20, 2022
This marinade is super easy to make - followed the recipe as written. I made the full amount of marinade although I was cooking only half the amount of shrimp for which it calls. I think this amount of marinade would have been insufficient for two pounds of shrimp. I grill shrimp often (I live on the Florida Gulf Coast) and this definitely goes into the rotation - it makes great, spicy shrimp! We served it with Mom’s Portuguese Rice (recipe also on this site). We like spicy food and these two are a terrific match. Washed it down with a chilled, Rioja rose. Doesn't get any better than that
Nick K. September 10, 2020
This really is a fantastic recipe, and after I make it, I always end up thinking two things: One, why didn't I wait so long to make this again? And two, why didn't I make more for leftovers in salads, rice bowls, or tacos?

Make the recipe as is. I have a gas grill and set the burners to high. 3 min, then flip and turn the burners down slightly for about another 2 min. They come out great every time. Enjoy!
Cy Y. September 7, 2020
I was so surprised by the flavor of this shrimp. I halved the recipe and didn’t expect much but oh wow! Loved, loved the spicy 🌶 flavor! This recipe will definitely be a regular at my house. Thanks so much!
Casey M. August 4, 2020
This is my go-to grilled shrimp recipe -- deceptively simple and exceedingly delicious.
chop C. July 4, 2020
I have made this dish twice now in the last week. Love the ease of it and the taste. I tweaked the recipe just a touch and that is to use one tablespoon of worcestershire instead of one teaspoon.
smccassell June 19, 2020
Just made this but in oven at 500. With asparagus with ginger. Husband is very happy
Jacquie April 3, 2020
AhhMazing. Sharing the recipe. Making it twice for every share. This is so good!
bethL July 23, 2019
Made this 2x. It's a hit.
Very easy.

3 things:
-I don't have a bbq. So cooked it on stove-top in grill pan sprayed lightly with oil, without skewers.

-The first time I marinated for at least 2 hours. Last night I only marinated for about 45m and it was still very tasty. I'm not sure there was much difference.

-Ask if your fishmonger will remove shells and tails to save you time. Unless you're super fast at that.

Steve W. August 25, 2018
New to Food 52 so strictly as a courtesy I'm going to share the one 1st step of making virtually any shrimp dish. This will be especially helpful to those of you who insist on overcooking your seafood. Step one: place cleaned shrimp in a bowl, add about a teaspoon of baking soda, and some water, and stir until mixed. Brine for 15 minutes and pour off water. People will all comment how succulent and tasty your shrimp are. This also works wonderfully for thinly cut slices of chicken breast to keep juicy when stir frying.
Carolyn K. July 3, 2020
After brining the shrimp, do you rinse shrimp off??
cosmiccook August 1, 2021
Cooking shrimp w baking soda is a restaurant/Northern thing. I've asked several seafood stores in New Orleans if they do this and I get looks like I'm speaking Klingon. I don't care for the texture the soda produces or the taste. Then again, living in New Orleans we get our shrimp pretty much right fresh caught and off the boat.
Imbatnan June 18, 2022
Yup. Food52 already covered that
https://food52.com/blog/19776-4-little-genius-tricks-to-make-all-your-shrimp-dinners-better
Steve W. August 16, 2022
Since I don't want to affect the PH of any sauces I always rinse and pat dry for shrimp.
MikNik June 25, 2018
Grilled this last night exactly as written after marinating for about 3 hours. So, so good, and so, so easy. Heat level was pretty mild, in a good way.
Ko T. December 15, 2017
So easy, so tasty. Everyone that I introduced this recipe to loves it. I take it to potluck (cook them in my cast iron pan instead of on the grill), summer grilling session, beach picnic, camping trip, you name it. I love it!
Lucy October 20, 2017
Really easy and delicious both hot and cold. Cooked on a skillet due to the weather but a charcoal grill would be an excellent addition! Paired excellently with the sriracha lime corn salsa.
lawprof July 30, 2017
Absolutely wonderful! I varied the recipe a bit (Frank's instead of Sriracha, twice the garlic, juice of half lemon). After savoring the meal, I heated the remaining marinade, reducing it slightly, then cooled it, added: a splash of cider vinegar; diced onion, celery, sweet red pepper; and the left-over shrimp - and marinated it all for a few days. Result: and excellent shrimp salad.
Megan June 13, 2017
Have made this many times and always wish there was more! Tonight, I didn't have quite as much shrimp as I thought. Inspired by EmilyC's use of marinated broccoli on the grill in a recipe I can't wait to try (https://food52.com/recipes/71410-grilled-tahini-yogurt-broccoli-salad-with-bread-basil-and-almonds?from_feed=1), I decided to throw some broccoli florets in the marinade and then skewered them separately and grilled (they needed a bit more time than the shrimp). So delicious! We ate this piled up next to a chickpea salad w/chimichurri. Such a great warm weather meal!
Yvette August 8, 2016
This is such a great recipe - I plan on making these for the rest of my life.
ace June 25, 2016
i tried this recipe a few times, and sometimes substituted the prawns with chicken. it works! Really good recipe. Many thanks for sharing.