Tasty Smoked Shrimp Recipes For The Smoker or The Grill

With these grill cooked smoked shrimp recipes, you get both healthful eating and great flavor. The herbed marinade really kicks up the flavor a notch or two.

Larger shrimp will take less time to prepare, but will take a little longer to smoke. For the first recipe I like to use extra large (26/30 per pound), or jumbo shrimp (21/25 per pound).

Smoked Shrimp On Skewers, Ready For Snackin'!

Herb Marinated and Smoked Shrimp

If the shrimp are going to be skewered, they can be cooked shell-on, or peeled completely, tail and all. Leave the tail on if they will be smoked loose on the grill...that makes eating with the fingers a little easier.

  • 2 pounds Extra Large or Jumbo shrimp, deveined and peeled
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
  • 1 green onion, including green top, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon fresh garlic, minced
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • Apple wood chips for smoking, soaked in water for 1 hour
  • Bamboo skewers (optional)

Combine the olive oil, lemon juice, herbs and garlic in a bowl. Add the shrimp to the marinade and refrigerate.

Grill-Smoking Skewered Shrimp

A Pair of Double Skewered Shrimp, Just Off The Smoker

Prepare the grill for smoking. Maintain a temperature near 225 degrees Fahrenheit as the shrimp are smoking.

Wrap 1/4 cup of the soaked apple chips in a foil pouch. There's no need to poke holes in the pouch, but do leave the seam at the top. The smoke will find its way out. Lay the foil pouch directly over the lit burner, or on the hot coals, under the grate.

Remove the shrimp from the marinade, and skewer if desired. Discard the marinade. When the wood begins to smoke, place the shrimp in the grill and close the lid.

Smoke the shrimp using indirect heat for 20 to 30 minutes, or until the shrimp have firmed up and are opaque.

Don't allow the shrimp to smoke too long in the grill, or they'll become dry and tough. That would be a crying shame. Serve the smoky herbed appetizers with your favorite barbecue sauce or a good quality seafood cocktail sauce.

More Smoked Shrimp Recipes That Make Appetizing Appetizers!

A Pair of Shrimp Skewers On a White Platter

Any of these shrimp recipes can be cooked in the smoker or cooked in a grill, using a few wood chips to add smoky flavor.  Because shrimp are so delicately flavored, it doesn't take much smoker wood to give them an adequate amount of flavor.

Soy Garlic Shrimp
Soy sauce, brown sugar and garlic combine in a marinade to give flavor to these colossal size shrimp.

Shrimp Skewers
The shrimp on these skewers are seasoned with Old Bay seasoning that's been amped up with a bit of cayenne pepper.

Spicy Grilled Shrimp Diablo
Lime juice, chili powder, hot red pepper and black pepper. Need I say more?

Buffalo Shrimp Appetizers
Similar to the wings, these shrimp get a lot of flavor from a spicy hot sauce. Bleu cheese dressing is the dip of choice.

Ancho Butter Shrimp
Another piquant smoked shrimp recipe, these get loads of richness and flavor from browned butter that's been seasoned with ancho pepper powder.

Graphic showing a closeup of smoking, skewered shrimp on the smoker.

Herb and Garlic Shrimp Marinade
This shrimp marinade is chock-full of fresh herbs, and has fantastic flavor.

Grilled Shrimp Recipes
A collection of recipes that can be grill smoked for added flavor.