This Mediterranean-style grilled shrimp recipe will rock your taste buds! The secret is in the flavor-packed sauce with roasted garlic, fresh cilantro, lime juice and a hint of chili. Ready in 20 minutes or less! You can serve this grilled shrimp for dinner with your favorite past, or as an appetizer to please a hungry crowd. Be sure to check out serving suggestions, step-by-step tutorial and video below! (And if you can't do cilantro, don't worry, there is a way.)
I grew up on Egypt's Mediterranean shores where fish and seafood meals, of any kind, contained two essential ingredients: garlic--lots of it--and citrus. It's kinda known that if those two are present, you've totally hit the right notes!
I'll venture to say, today's grilled shrimp recipe hits the right notes on all sorts of levels! There is an abundance of garlic and citrus, but we go a little bit further with fresh herbs and a hint of chili peppers. Flavor explosion of the best kind! Let's get to the gist of it...
Mediterranean Grilled Shrimp with Roasted Garlic Cilantro Sauce
This grilled shrimp recipe starts with garlic--a whole head, in fact. Don't worry, first we roast the garlic to tame it's pungency. When roasted, garlic’s chemical properties change enough so that it is easier to digest, and the flavor mellows quite a bit, turning soft; smoky; and slightly sweet. (I'm such a big fan that I often roast garlic and store it for later use, it adds flavor and depth to almost any meal. Check out this tutorial, if you're interested.)
From there, we make the secret flavor-bomb sauce, combining roasted garlic, fresh cilantro, lime juice, white wine, chili paste and a generous drizzle of excellent extra virgin olive oil. I'm using our Greek Early Harvest extra virgin olive oil here; I love the rich, earthy finish it adds here.
The last step we have is to prepare the shrimp. You don't need to fire up the grill or anything fancy, if you have an indoor griddle or even a cast iron skillet, that will work. Remember that all the flavor will come from the sauce, so the shrimp only needs a little salt and pepper before grilling for about 4 to 5 minutes or so.
The Magic...hot off the grill shrimp, tossed in our secret garlic cilantro sauce. Ready to go!
Can't Do Cilantro? Here's an Alternative
Not everyone loves cilantro as much as I do. For some, it's a simple dislike, but for about 10% of folks out there, it's a genetic thing. To them, cilantro tastes like soap...who wants that?!
No worries, in this sauce, you can totally swap the cilantro for a different herb such as mint or basil. About 15 or so basil leaves, thinly sliced will be perfect here.
Here's How to Make this Grilled Shrimp Recipe
1. We start by roasting a whole head of garlic for our awesome sauce! Trim the top of the garlic head off to expose a bit of the cloves, drizzle with extra virgin olive oil. Wrap in foil and roast in oven for about 10 minutes or so (you can skip this part if you already have roasted garlic stored or if you're using store-bought roasted garlic.)
2. To make the roasted garlic cilantro sauce, peel and chop the roasted garlic. Place in a small bowl and add mix with fresh cilantro, lime, white wine, extra virgin olive oil and chili paste. Mmmm so much flavor!
3. Now we quick grill our shrimp. Heat an indoor griddle or cast iron skillet over high heat. Pat shrimp dry and season with salt and pepper, toss in a little extra virgin olive oil. Grill for about 4 to 5 minutes. TIP: Avoid overcooking shrimp. When it turns pink on one side, go ahead and turn it over to the other side.
4- Remove from heat. Pour roasted garlic cilantro sauce over the cooked shrimp, toss to coat.
Serve this Grilled Shrimp as an Appetizer or For Dinner
This flavor-packed shrimp makes a mean dinner! I highly recommend that you double the sauce and toss the shrimp into your favorite freshly-cooked pasta (no pasta sauce necessary) or serve over Greek lemon rice!
This also makes a great appetizer for a larger crowd. You can toss the toss the shrimp in the sauce and transfer to a serving platter, or place the plain grilled shrimp on a large platter and serve the sauce next to it in a small bowl. Add some warm bread and other appetizers like antipasti skewers; roasted red pepper hummus; Greek keftedes; smokey eggplant dip.
Watch the Video for this Grilled Shrimp Recipe:
More Recipes to Try
Greek Baked Cod with Lemon and Garlic
Greek Baked Meatballs with Red Sauce
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Grilled Shrimp with Roasted Garlic-Cilantro Sauce
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 16 mins
- Total Time: 26 minutes
- Yield: Serves 4 to 10 1x
Description
Easy Mediterranean style grilled shrimp with roasted garlic cilantro sauce. Perfect as an appetizer, or double the sauce and toss it with your favorite pasta for an easy dinner!
Ingredients
- 1.5 lb uncooked large shrimp, peeled and deveined
- Salt and pepper
- Extra virgin olive oil (I used Early Harvest Greek extra virgin olive oil)
For Roasted garlic cilantro sauce:
- 1 small head garlic, top trimmed off
- 1 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
- 1 lime, juice of
- 1 tbsp dry white wine
- 3 to 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (I used Early Harvest Greek extra virgin olive oil)
- 2 tbsp chili paste like this one
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.
- Trim the top of the garlic head to expose a bit of the cloves, but keep intact. Drizzle generously with olive oil and wrap in foil. Roast garlic head in heated oven for about 10-15 minutes or until slightly tender and fragrant. When ready, remove from the oven. Let cool briefly. Peel and crush or chop the roasted garlic as finely as possible. (See cook's tip #1)
- Now prepare the roasted garlic-cilantro sauce. In a small bowl, combine the roasted garlic with the remaining sauce ingredients of fresh cilantro, lime juice, white wine, extra virgin olive oil and chili sauce. Whisk together and set aside.
- To grill shrimp. Heat an indoor griddle or cast iron skillet over high heat. Pat shrimp dry and season with salt and pepper, drizzle a little extra virgin olive oil and toss. Arrange shrimp on heated griddle or skillet and grill on both sides for a total of 4 to 5 minutes. (Avoid overcooking shrimp, when it starts to turn pink on one side, turn it over and cook on the other side.)
- Transfer cooked shrimp to a bowl, pour the roasted garlic cilantro sauce on top. Toss to coat. Transfer to a serving platter and enjoy! (See Cook's Tip #2 for serving ideas)
Notes
- Cook's Tip #1: I often roast lots of garlic and keep it for later use. See this tutorial for how to roast garlic. You can also use store-bought roasted garlic in this recipe, if you like.
- Cook's Tip #2: This recipe will serve 4 to 6 for dinner. I highly recommend that you double the amount of sauce and toss the shrimp into your favorite freshly cooked pasta for dinner (no pasta sauce needed.) As an appetizer, this shrimp will serve up to 10. There are two ways to serve it as an appetizer. Toss the shrimp in the sauce and arrange on a platter, or you can serve the cooked shrimp plain and add the roasted garlic cilantro sauce next to it.
- Cook's Tip #3 for Leftovers: Store leftover shrimp in a tight-lid container and refrigerate for 2 to 3 days.
- Recommended for this Recipe: Our Early Harvest Greek extra virgin olive oil (from organically grown and processed Koroneiki olives!)
- Visit our store to browse our spices, olive oils and bundles!
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Grilled
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
Keywords: Grilled Shrimp, Garlic Shrimp, Easy Shrimp Recipe
*This post first appeared on The Mediterranean Dish in 2015 and has been recently updated with new information and media for readers' benefit.
We are going to make this on the grill this weekend! So excited to finally try this recipe!! Also serving steak with a sweet & spicy hoisin sauce. I'm lost for a side though??!!! Any help? Plain white rice? Couscous? Orzo??
This would be perfect on the grill, Jacqui! I typcially do a plain white rice or couscous with a salad like fattoush http://www.themediterraneandish.com/fattoush-salad/. And actually, here is a like for an Israeli Couscous recipe that doubles as side or salad http://www.themediterraneandish.com/israeli-couscous-recipe/
Hope you enjoy it all!
I made this for a Memorial 6 couse luncheon this last May> It is fantastic and I will add this recipe to my collection. I'm going to make it again, but cooked over an open fire when I go camping. Thanks for sharing.
David, I am so glad to hear this! And I love your idea of cooking the shrimp over an open fire when camping! Brilliant!!! Have a great weekend.
Made this for Valentine's Day and now it is our go-to meal for special occasions and/or impressing guests. Love this recipe! Thank you!
★★★★★
Jennifer, that is so great to hear!!! Thank you so much for taking the time to share. I hope you find other fun recipes here.
Made this recipe this week - FANTASTIC!!! Loved the sauce - perfect combination of citrus, garlic and heat!!! I grilled the shrimp on skewers on the grill, then brushed the shrimp with the sauce while still warm. Served with a kale/shaved brussel sprout/quinoa/feta cheese salad - perfect compliment, and especially delicious on a warm Summer night! Thank you!!!
★★★★★
Jan, this is great to hear! Thank you so much for sharing. I love your take ont his recipe and the kale and shaved brussel sprouts quinoa salad sounds wonderful! Hope you find other inspiring recipes here.
It is very tempting. I don't have wine; any substitute?
Hi there! Since the wine is minimal, try compensating with a little more lime juice + olive oil to your taste.
This recipe sounds fantastic. Do you think it would work if I made the sauce a few days ahead of when I plan to have the meal. We are going camping and I'm thinking if I make the sauce before I leave it will make things a lot easier.
Hi Patty! Glad you like the grilled shrimp recipe. I have not tried making the sauce too far in advance. I imagine it would be okay up to two days in advance. You could also prep everything in advance and put it together, then add the cilantro last minute. Hope this helps.
Really good! My husband claims it's the best recipe I've ever made, which is a huge compliment since I cook a lot. He's been telling everyone about it. Thank you!!
★★★★★
Jeannette, that is so great to hear! Thank you to you (and your husband) for the kind encouragement. I hope you will try more of my recipes soon! Thanks for taking the time to share.
Divine dish! Served it with warm tortillas and spinach avocado salad.
Thank you so much, Lisette! It's great to hear feedback on my recipes. What a great idea to serve this shrimp with torillas and your spinach avocado salad! A healthy and tasty meal all around!
Didn't have any shrimp on hand but used this on top of grilled salmon last night for dinner. It was easy, simple, and delicious! Thanks for this great recipe!
★★★★★
Sarah, that is brilliant! This sauce is pretty versatile, I'm glad you liked it on the salmon. Stop by and see me again. Thank you!
Hi what kind of chili sauce I can use? is that the chili sauce the jar with name chili sauce? like the one you use for meat balls? o if will se the flakes is there any different of the taste??? I will make these, this coming Saturday for ester dinner. will try to grill it with the bamboo stick like shrimp kabob... can I use any white wine??? can I use lemon instead of lime????
Im excited for the outcome!!!!
thanks
rheva
Hi rheva. Thanks for stopping in. Yes, the chili sauce from the jar is what will work. Any kind as long as it is not a sweet chili sauce will work. Or, chili flakes, but go easy starting with a little amount and building from there. Since the sauce adds a little more liquid, if you use the flakes instead, you might add more liquid using the oil or lime/lemon juice and wine. Yes, lemon will work. You can certainly make the sauce your own and test as you go. Hope you'll enjoy this recipe. Let me know how it turns out.
Where in the market can you find this type of chili sauce? I used sweet Asian chili sauce, and it turned out good, but I really want to use the original recipe.
★★
Brandon, if there is a Mediterranean or Eastern European market near you, you can find a spicy chili sauce there. Otherwise, I would check Wholefoods or World Market. Look for a chili sauce that is not sweet; although it sounds like that worked out fine as well. The chili sauce in this Amazon link has worked well for me in the past http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000LO25RG/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000LO25RG&linkCode=as2&tag=themedidish-20&linkId=JYXZMAUMNOFGNP67
Hi Suzy,
I have prepared your recipe for prawns today, for lunch! It was an amazing success. Everyone was delighted and asked me for the recipe.
I made tagliatelle with creamy sauce with blue cheese and it was a great combination. Tank you and I will follow you on Pinterest.
Hugs from Colombia
Maria-Lucia
Maria-Lucia, I am so glad to hear that you made my shrimp (prawns) recipe, and that it was a success! It gives me such joy to hear it! Thank you so much for taking the time to stop in and tell me. The sauce you made sounds delicious. Looking forward to seeing you here again. Hugs.
This looks so yummy, can't wait to try it this weekend. Can the shrimp be cooked in a skillet rather than grilled? Do you think that would alter the taste too much? Thanks!
★★★★★
Hi Lilian! Sure, you can go ahead and cook the shrimp in a skillet! The second time I made it, I did in fact use my skillet. It was fine. Enjoy and let me know how it turns out!
I really don't want to use a whole head of garlic is there another way is just use some garlic. I really want to make this recipe.
Hi Heather! Great question. Sure, you can reduce the amount of garlic. One thing to note, the garlic here is roasted, so it's taste is tamed. We are not all garlic lovers, so start with an amount you are comfortable with and go from there. The cilantro, lime, white wine and chili sauce all add good flavor as well.
I don't know why more people haven't rated this recipe. It is DELISH!! Thanks for sharing. I made it with roasted red pepper hummus, pita and a greek salad. All of my kiddos (2, 10 and 19) and husband tore it up. Thanks!
★★★★★
Thanks so much, Michelle! Sounds like you put together a winning menu! Glad your family enjoyed it, and thanks so much for taking the time to tell me.
I made this about a week ago and it was delicious!!! And so easy to make. Will definitely be making this one often! Thank you!!
Great, Letty! I am so glad you liked it, friend.
Thank you so much for this shrimp recipe, l'm going to do a surf & turf for Valentines Day & my husband is turf & l'm the surf (l think l'm coming out ahead on this one:), can't wait to make it.
★★★★★
Jean, that is great to hear! I hope you enjoy this shrimp. Happy Valentine's day!
Never mind, I read the recipe wrong and thought it was the shrimp that was roasted instead of the garlic. Sorry!
I'm confused, Why is this called grilled shrimp when it is roasted in the oven? Either way this looks yummy and I am going to try it. 🙂
Jenna,thanks for stopping in. The shrimp is grilled on a cast-iron grill (see in the step-by-step pictures below). Only the garlic is roasted in the oven 🙂
I am excited to make this! I am wondering what kind of chili sauce you used? Is it Sriracha or Franks Hot sauce or something more like the Heinz chili sauce? Thanks so much!
Hi Kristen, thanks for stopping in! Great question on the chili sauce in the shrimp recipe. No, I did not use Sriracha. From your local grocery store, you might find something like Huey Fong Chili Sauce like in this link below, I think it's closer to the one I used. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000LO25RG/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000LO25RG&linkCode=as2&tag=themedidish-20&linkId=LWEMK5LDM7BWJ36U
Also, Whole Foods or World Market might have other options for you. You might like to start with a smaller dose of chili, since not all chili sauces are created equal in terms of hotness. You can always go up 🙂
Any suggestions for what to serve with this? I am doing a dinner and I want more than just shrimp. Healthy is always a +
TJ, thanks for stopping in. Great question.
I have served this shrimp for dinner with plain rice or couscous, green beans (broccoli or another vegetable dish would work too) and a simple Mediterranean green salad. You could also use the shrimp in a pasta! Make more of the sauce (double or triple the amount) and toss it into cooked warm pasta. The recipe is written as a small dish/appetizer, so depending on how many people you are serving for dinner, you may want to adjust the portions if you use it as a main course.
I have served it also tapas style next to other small plates like this easy roasted red pepper hummus http://www.themediterraneandish.com/roasted-red-pepper-hummus-recipe/ and tomato bruschetta http://www.themediterraneandish.com/easy-bruschetta-recipe-middle-eastern-style/
Hope this helps! If you have more questions, please don't hesitate to reach out.