Lemon Basil Grilled Shrimp

Why This Lemon Basil Grilled Shrimp Works

During marinating, the lemon juice and salt start to work on the shrimp. The acid in the lemon slightly firms up the outside, so the shrimp don’t go mushy, and the salt moves inside the meat, so it stays seasoned all the way through. At the same time, the olive oil coats each piece, so the shrimp don’t dry out as fast on the hot grill. Garlic and basil cling to that thin layer of oil, so they stay on the shrimp instead of falling off.

Once the shrimp hit the grill, the high heat cooks them very fast. The outside goes opaque and gets a few charred spots, but the inside stays juicy because the shrimp were coated in oil and not on the grill for long. As they cook, the lemon and basil on the surface dry a bit and stick, so each shrimp holds onto that bright, herby crust. A squeeze of fresh lemon at the end wakes up the slightly smoky, grilled surface without making the shrimp soggy.

Mistakes To Avoid

Letting the shrimp sit in the lemon marinade for hours instead of about 30 minutes can start to “cook” the shrimp in the acid. The flesh turns dull and firm before it even hits the grill, so by the time it’s actually grilled, it ends up stiff and rubbery instead of juicy.

Grilling over very high heat until the shrimp are deeply charred can look tempting, but the inside dries out fast. The shrimp tighten up, lose moisture, and come off the grill tough and bouncy instead of tender.

Threading the shrimp too tightly on the skewers causes uneven cooking. The parts pressed together stay pale and soft while the exposed edges cook faster, so some bites are dry and others feel slightly underdone.

Skipping the step of patting excess marinade off the shrimp right before grilling often leads to flare-ups. The oil drips into the flames, the outside burns in spots, and the surface can taste bitter while the inside is only just cooked.