Smoked shrimp is an amazingly delicious recipe that only takes 15 minutes on the grill. Yes, you read that right, while most smoked dishes take hours and hours, this easy recipe is ready to eat in mere minutes.
1½poundsshrimpextra-large, 21-25 per lb, fresh or frozen, peeled and deveined, with or without tails
⅓cupolive oil
1tablespoonblackened seasoningpurchased or homemade
2tablespoonsfresh lemon juicedivided
½cupmelted butter
Optionalfresh chopped parsley for garnish
Instructions
For a Big Green Egg, preheat the egg to 200-225 degrees F. Add a handful of pre-soaked pecan wood, then set the Egg for indirect cooking by adding the plate setter and the grill grate.
If you are using another grill or smoker, follow your grill manufacturer's directions and preheat to 200-225 degrees F.
For the marinade, mix the olive oil, blackened seasoning, and one tablespoon of lemon juice in a small bowl. Pour the marinade on top of the shrimp and toss to make sure all are covered. Let it marinate for five to 15 minutes.
When the grill is ready, place the drained seafood on a grill basket that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray and spread out in an even layer.
Combine the butter and lemon juice in a small bowl and mix well. Set aside.
Place the grill basket on the grill grate and close the lid. Cook for five minutes. Open the lid and quickly baste the shrimp with the butter and lemon juice mixture. Close the lid and cook for five more minutes, baste again and repeat one more time for a total of 15 minutes cooking time.
Remove the grill basket and serve.
Optional garnish with parsley before serving.
Video
Notes
This smoking time in this recipe is timed for extra-large shrimp, which generally means 21-25 shrimp per pound. If your shrimp are larger or smaller, it will take more or less time to cook them.Keep an eye on these crustaceans; they cook quickly, and sometimes only a matter of seconds means the difference in tender and juicy and dry and tough shrimp. You can tell when they are done when the thickest part turns from translucent to opaque.I usually leave the tails on when serving this as an appetizer or main dish and remove the tails when I am combining them with something else. It's up to you.Here is a link to a recipe for the blackened seasoningI used in this recipe. It is a little on the spicy side. If you don't like much heat, reduce the amount you use. You can also use a purchased a blackened seasoning product. I like Old Bay or Paul Prudhomme's blend of spices.You can use different types of wood for smoking. I used pecan because it has a milder flavor and I was afraid hickory or mesquite would be too strong. You could also use other milder fruitwoods.Do not marinate the shrimp for longer than 15 minutes.