You know that Mighty Flame is your go-to source for grilling tips, tricks, recipes, and ideas, and after our previous blog about a few of our favorite grilled shrimp recipes, it got us thinking. Generally our grilling tips focus on burgers and brats, but if you’ve never grilled shrimp before, it can be sort of intimidating.
That’s why in today’s post, we’d like to offer a few tips to get you started. Before long, you’ll realize that shrimp is an easy food to grill and you’ll have amassed plenty of recipes to satisfy your cravings for quite some time. So without further ado, let’s take a look at a few grilling tricks for getting perfect shrimp every time.
How to Get Great Grilled Shrimp Every Time
Oil Is Your Friend
Just because the recipe you’re using has oil in it doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t also oil the grates of your grill before throwing your shrimp on. As a matter of fact, shrimp seem to stick to the grill more easily than many other foods out there, so brush your grates with oil before you get started and you’ll avoid headaches later on.
Our recommendation is to preheat your grill, then use a wire-bristle brush to clean it off once the grill is hot. Before you put your shrimp on the grill, carefully oil the grates. Probably the best suggestion is to use a paper towel coated in oil with a pair of tongs for the application. When possible, brush the shrimp with a bit more oil to prevent them from sticking after you turn them.
Invest in Metal Skewers
One of the best investments you can make if you’ll be cooking shrimp a lot is to get metal skewers. Sure, the wooden skewers will work as well, but those should be soaked in water for about a half hour before cooking and if you’re in a hurry, it can really throw a wrench into your plans. Metal skewers, on the other hand, are ready to go as soon as you need them.
Easily cleanable and infinitely reusable, metal skewers are also great for kabobs, so making the investment really pays for itself over time. Trust us when we say that you’ll thank yourself later for getting some good metal skewers if you plan to make shrimp or kabobs on a regular basis.
Don’t Overcook
Last, and perhaps most importantly, is to remember that you shouldn’t overcook your shrimp. Shrimp, like all foods, will continue to cook for a few minutes after you remove it from the grill. Unfortunately, shrimp, when overcooked, gets very chewy and isn’t much fun to eat.
The good news is that it’s pretty easy to tell when your shrimp is done. If you have a grilling thermometer, all you have to do is cook to an internal temperature of 165 degrees, and you’re good to go. If, on the other hand, you prefer to see if your shrimp is done visually, Reluctant Gourmet sums up what you should be looking for perfectly: “When properly cooked, the exterior should be pink with red tails and the flesh is slightly opaque and a little ‘white’ in color,” but they go on to note that “if it is bright white in color, there’s a good chance the shrimp are overcooked.”
Stay Tuned For More Grilling Tips, Techniques, Recipes, and Ideas
As with most things in life, practice makes perfect. One of the best things you can do if you’re trying to perfect the art of grilling shrimp is just to enjoy a lot of grilled shrimp. Cook it often and be observant. Over time, you’ll develop the ability to grill shrimp perfectly through trial and error. We’re guessing that more often than not, you’ll be just fine if you follow the tips above.
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