How to Skewer Shrimp in Preparation for Grilling

Have you ever been to a nice restaurant and ordered skewered shrimp and when it arrives it looks like an artist prepared it? Have you also tried to grill skewered shrimp yourself only to have them sliding along the skewer and never cooking like you had it at that nice restaurant? It’s actually much easier than you’d think. You simply need to follow a few easy steps in order to ensure your shrimp stay on the skewer and cook consistently.

Firstly, you need to ensure you’re purchasing fresh shrimp. The shrimp you see lying on a bed of ice at your local market were certainly frozen previously. They were frozen prior to arriving at the market on the boat or in the harbor itself. Due to this, you’re better off purchasing frozen shrimp and just thawing it yourself; this will ensure the shrimp is actually fresher than purchasing it thawed from your local market.

Now that you have your shrimp, it’s time to get the skewers out. Pick and choose the shrimp you purchased that are approximately the same size. This will allow you to place them on the skewer very closely, with no empty spaces between them (very important).

You’ll want to start by skewering the first shrimp through both the head and the tail. Then for all remaining shrimp, skewer them only through their head having the tail end pointing in the opposite direction of the first shrimp. Placing them tightly together, with absolutely no spaces between each shrimp will ensure the shrimp will remain juicier and won’t become rubber-like in texture as quickly as if they were not so closely seated next to one another.

Once you’ve created your skewers, now you can apply a brushing of oil and apply whichever rub you’ve chosen to flavor the shrimp with. The oil will help the rub remain on the shrimp while grilling and will simultaneously keep the shrimp from sticking to the grill grates. This is imperative as shrimp is best grilled on skewers on high, direct-heat. Each side of the skewered shrimp should be cooked between 2 – 4 minutes or until very slightly firm on the exterior.

Now you can grill skewered shrimp like the professionals! There are numerous recipes for skewered shrimp on the grill, so feel free to mix and match what you like. Now that you have the fundamentals, you can experiment with any recipe you’d like.

If you ever have any questions about various grilling methods, turn to Backyard. We are the most informed and experienced grilling experts in Saudi Arabia and the entire Middle East. Feel free to contact us anytime by calling us at +966.13.845.6798 and we will be more than happy to assist you. We look forward to hearing from you soon and happy grilling!