Grilled Lemongrass Shrimp Recipe
Tender mouthwatering Grilled Lemongrass Shrimp is easy and versatile. Serve with coconut rice, in lettuce wraps, or in a rice noodle bowl. Gluten-free.
How to Make the Best Grilled Lemongrass Shrimp
This Grilled Lemongrass Shrimp is a flavor-packed dish that brings the vibrant tastes of Thai cuisine right to your backyard grill. The aromatic marinade combines fresh lemongrass, ginger, and fish sauce to create tender, succulent shrimp with an irresistible savory-sweet flavor that will have everyone coming back for seconds.
What makes this recipe so versatile is how many ways you can serve it. Pile the grilled shrimp over fluffy coconut rice for a complete meal, tuck them into crisp lettuce wraps for a lighter option, or add them to a refreshing rice noodle bowl with fresh herbs and vegetables. The lemongrass marinade works beautifully no matter how you choose to enjoy these shrimp.
The key to perfectly grilled lemongrass shrimp is a hot grill and watching for that telltale C-shape curl. Once the shrimp turn opaque and curl gently, they’re ready to serve. Overcooking is the enemy here—when shrimp curl into a tight circle, they’ve gone too far. With just 30 minutes of marinating time and 10 minutes on the grill, this impressive dish comes together quickly enough for a weeknight dinner yet tastes elegant enough for entertaining.
Grilled Lemongrass Shrimp
Tender mouthwatering Grilled Lemongrass Shrimp is easy and versatile. Serve with coconut rice, in lettuce wraps, or in a rice noodle bowl. Gluten-free.
Ingredients
Shrimp
Marinade
Instructions
Preparation
- If you are using bamboo skewers, soak them for at least 30 minutes.
- Make the marinade: Mix the lemongrass, shallot, fish sauce, sugar, oil, ginger, and garlic powder together in a bowl. You can also pulse in a food processor to make more of a paste.
- Toss the shrimp with the marinade and set aside for at least 30 minutes and up to 2 hours in the refrigerator. The shrimp will absorb more flavor the longer they marinate.
Grilling
- Skewer the shrimp. If using extra large shrimp you may not need to skewer them—you just don't want them to fall through the grates. Alternatively, you can use a grill basket or grill pan on the stove.
- Turn the grill on to high heat to preheat for about 10 minutes. Let it get hot!
- If your grill runs hot, turn down to medium-high heat. Grill shrimp for 3-5 minutes per side, depending on your grill and shrimp size. The shrimp will turn opaque and start to curl into a C shape. When they form a full circle, they are likely overcooked.
Serving
- Serve with coconut rice, in lettuce wraps, or with a drizzle of Nuoc Cham (Vietnamese Dipping Sauce).
Notes
- Allow 30 minutes of marination time for best flavor.
- This recipe is gluten-free.
- For extra large shrimp, you may not need to skewer them.
- Watch for the shrimp to curl into a C shape—if they curl into a full circle, they're overcooked.
