Shrimp Skewers

Buttery Cajun Shrimp Skewers are juicy, flavorful, and ready in under 30 minutes. Made with a homemade Cajun seasoning blend, they're perfect for grilling or a quick weeknight dinner.

Course Appetizer, Main Course, seafood

Cuisine American

Keyword easy-shrimp-skewers, fried-shrimp-recipes, shrimp-skewers-recipe

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 15

Total Time 35

Servings servings

Calories 147kcal

Ingredients

2 pounds large shrimp or jumbo shrimp peeled and deveined, tails on
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
Seasoning:
1 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp seasoned salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp granulated garlic
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
Basting Sauce:
1/2 cup unsalted butter melted
2 Tbsp fresh lime or lemon juice
2 Tbsp fresh Italian parsley or cilantro divided use
3 medium cloves garlic minced
12 skewers (12 inch) (if bamboo or wooden, soak in water for 10 minutes)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400°F. Position oven rack in center position of oven. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside. (You may also opt to cook these shrimp on a baking pan fitted with an oven safe rack.)
Place deveined shrimp in a medium size bowl. Toss with oil. To the shrimp add paprika, seasoned salt, black pepper, granulated garlic, onion powder, oregano, thyme and cayenne. Toss until all shrimp are coated.
Count shrimp, then divide evenly among 12 skewers.
In a small bowl, whisk together melted butter, lemon juice, 1 Tbsp parsley and garlic. Baste skewers on all sides.
Bake shrimp for 12-15 minutes (depending on size) turning halfway through cooking.
Remove from oven, baste with butter. Serve immediately.

Notes

Spices - You can use your favorite prepared Cajun seasoning bought at the grocery store in place of the seasoning blend in this recipe for a shortcut, if desired.
Lemon Zest - If you'd like to up the citrus flavor, add lemon zest to the garlic butter mixture.
Veggies - You can thread vegetables onto the skewer between the shrimp. Think onion, green bell pepper, red bell pepper or zucchini. When doing so you can precook the veggies, slice thinly and use jumbo shrimp to avoid overcooking.
Butter - If you prefer oil over butter, you can use olive oil or vegetable oil, instead.
Servings - Count the shrimp and divide them evenly between the skewers. If you're using long metal skewers, you may yield 6 or 8 servings. When using shorter skewers, the yield may be greater. This is especially handy if serving these as an appetizer or alongside steak as a surf and turf meal.
Tail-On Shrimp - This recipe uses shrimp with the tails on. It makes for a prettier presentation and gives you something to hold onto to remove them from the skewers. If you prefer to remove the tails, you can.
Adjust Baking - Shrimp cook quickly making them can overcook very easily. Consider the size of the shrimp and adjust the baking time as needed. Large shrimp and jumbo shrimp are easier to thread onto the skewers. The shrimp are done when they appear light pink and opaque.
Grilling Garlic Butter Shrimp - You can also grill these shrimp skewers over medium heat for 5-6 minutes per side flipping halfway through grilling. Adjust the cooking time according to the size of the shrimp.
Side Dishes to Serve with Shrimp - Serve with Twice Baked Potatoes, Hushpuppies, Cilantro Lime Cole Slaw or Mexican Street Corn Salad.

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